King Gizzard goes full Matrix for Alien Metal

When King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard decides to change direction, you know it’s going to be an experience. After a year of modular synthesizer-fueled rave shows and psychedelic explorations, the group is dialing up the electronic intensity with their new album, Alien Metal.

Set to drop later this summer on p(doom) records, this 28th studio album is less a traditional record and more an ever-shifting journey. It’s where King Gizzard’s unmistakable psychedelic lens collides head-on with the raw energy of techno, hardcore, house, and jungle influences.

The resulting soundscape is ambitious: an epic blend that feels both jarringly new and deeply familiar. Bandleader Stu Mackenzie is already describing the sonic journey as a total reset, noting that experimenting with formats like Eurorack synthesizers completely rewires one’s perception of music.

“I was like, ‘I’m going to forget everything I know about music and relearn it all from scratch,’” Mackenzie shared. This deep dive into electronic soundscapes highlights the band’s commitment to pushing creative boundaries while staying true to their unique identity.

Joey Walker, a noted enthusiast of techno within the group, echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that despite the genre shift, the core feeling remains intact. “It goes really hard, but it also goes to really interesting places,” he added. “And it feels unique — it feels like us, still.”

The album proves that the Lizard Wizard are not bound by any single sonic lane. It’s a testament to their continuous evolution, mixing blistering energy with intriguing textures and complex rhythms.

Alien Metal features a diverse tracklist reflecting this genre-bending adventure:

• Sapience
• Alien Metal
• Superheavy, Supercritical
• Kill for the Steel
• Level 5
• Rapid Alpha Decay
• Uqt
• Atomic Collapse