King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard share new song ‘Iron Lung’
Nine-minute-plus singles and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: name a better duo. The Australian experimental psychedelic outfit are prepping the release of their 21st album, Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava later this week. In order to give audiences one last preview of the upcoming LP, the Gizz have shared the sprawling new track ‘Iron Lung’
Jazzier and more smooth than the band’s previous single ‘Ice V’, ‘Iron Lung’ nevertheless keeps the band’s exploratory edge intact. Focused around mostly a single chord change and an extended jam, ‘Iron Lung’ brings in tootling flute lines, chunky distorted guitar, tumbling tom-tom drum hits, and a hefty dose of improvisation to their new track.
“We wrote the lyrics as a group and created the music out of improvisation,” band member Stu Mackenzie shares in a statement. “Spontaneous creation. The best kind. And that’s why I’m proud of it. Hope you dig.”
As a certified Deadhead, I love the loopy jams that the band are getting into on their new material. The process behind Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava was simple: the group chose a specific BPM, picked out a major scale mode, and jammed their hearts out until something good came out. It’s a tried and true method of songwriting, but King Gizzard adds their essential layer of off-kilter weirdness that makes ‘Iron Lung’ totally spacey and weirdly catchy simultaneously.
Since this is King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard we’re talking about, Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava isn’t the only album on the horizon. In fact, it’s just one of three albums set to be released this month, with Laminated Denim coming out on October 12th and Changes seeing the light of day on October 28th.
Keep in mind that King Gizzard have already released two albums, Made in Timeland and Onmium Gatherum, so far this year. Five albums in one calendar year might sound like a lot, but it only ties the band’s previous record set in 2019. It’s all in a year’s work for rock’s most prolific band.
Check out the visualiser for ‘Iron Lung’ down below. Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava is set for an October 7th release.
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