7/10

If there is one world that sums up the career of Australian psych-rock outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, it would be "prolific". Since first emerging with their debut album '12 Bar Bruise' in 2012, the band have knocked out an incredible fourteen full-lengths since then, and have seen them mostly explore the multifaceted arena that is psychedelic rock. But with their fifteenth LP, and second of 2019, 'Infest In The Rats Nest', it seems that the group have taken a leave of absence from their formative direction as this new collection sees them adopt a classic metal style that looks to pack a far larger punch than anything we have previously heard.

While the band have on occasion looked for harder and more tenacious influences to add into their music, this is the first time they have latched onto a heavier sound for the length of one of their LPs, pumping out one riff-filled stomper after another. But despite its wildly different aesthetic, it still manages to remain true to the bizarre and off-kilter approach that King Gizzard has always looked to peddle. Mixed around the ferocious and unstoppable juggernaut of chugging guitars and thunderous drums you'll find the hypnotic synths and offbeat time signatures that make this band such a joy to listen to, and after fifteen albums, we feel like they are trying to bring something new and interesting for the table.

But much like their material to date, 'Infest The Rats Nest' still has plenty of their own brand of eccentric humour, and while that could see this record taken as a joke, is held down and controlled so well that you feel yourself swept away in the bold and brilliant idea they have taken on. On the surface, this new collection seems so far removed that you'd expect fans of the group to be confused by it, but when you truly get into it, it almost feels like a natural step to take, especially given their unstoppable output to date.