Surprise! King Gizzard Dropping ‘Alien Metal’ Friday

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard will release its 28th album, Alien Metal, at midnight Friday (Aug. 14) as a surprise for fans, thousands of whom will be simultaneously celebrating at the band’s second annual Field of Vision festival this weekend in Buena Vista, Co.

As previously reported, the follow-up to the Australian psychedelic explorers’ first electronic album, 2023’s The Silver Cord, was created almost entirely on the band’s sprawling modular synthesizer rig, “Nathan,” with every finished track ultimately growing out of a single hour-long improvisation in the key of F#.

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“Alien Metal goes really hard, but it also goes to really interesting places. And it feels unique — it feels like us, still,” Gizzard multi-instrumentalist Joey Walker says of the project, which will be out on the band’s (p)doom records imprint. “‘Sapience’ is this pulsating techno neo-rave thing. The other tracks go to such weird, interesting places. ‘Level 5’ is early Prodigy and early hardcore jungle, and ‘Superheavy’ is heading towards house, while ‘Kill for the Steel’ feels like weird IDM, with some heavy Miami Bass in there.”

Gizzard will play its first proper live shows since last December this weekend at Field of Vision, which will be streamed live in its entirety for free on YouTube. Frontman Stu Mackenzie will even offer a rare solo set tomorrow morning, alongside performances from Blood Incantation, Die Spitz, DJ Crenshaw, W.I.T.C.H., Angine de Poitrine, Earth Tongue, Folk Bitch Trio, Lisa Bella Donna, Pattie Gonia and Upchuck.

Other activities on offer include a “gong bath” overseen by Gizzard drummer Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh, a drag story hour, “acid yoga” and a set from Walker’s thumping electronic side project Bullant.

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