Swans has had a career just as unusual as the music they make. It seems like Michael Gira was unhappy with the band in the 90's, and released "Soundtracks For The Blind" as a goodbye. Though Swans has "returned" with this record, it's important to note that the time after 1996 wasn't a hiatus, and that this 2010 release is anything but a reunion. Rather, it seems that the dissolution of the band in 1996 was the beginning of a metamorphosis, and the release of this album ... read more

After taking a well-deserved rest from releasing five great albums in 2017, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard returned in 2019 with "Fishing for Fishies." The last release from the band, "Gumboot Soup," was a good album, but it lacked cohesion, which was a bit of a letdown coming from a band so proficient at exploring a single concept over the course of a single album. "Fishing for Fishies" isn't exactly a concept album, either, but it definitely feels more ... read more

In an interview sometime before 2017, Stu Mackenzie promised that there would be five King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard albums in 2017. Not only did they follow through on this promise, but these five were some of the strongest entries in their discography, and "Gumboot Soup" is no exception. This record is a bit difficult to swallow because, unlike most of their prior discography, "Gumboot Soup" isn't a concept album. It's a soup made with the leftovers that didn't quite ... read more

The first time I listened to this album, I wasn't really sure what to think of it. My first listen was late at night when I probably should have been asleep, and I wasn't able to finish it due to the length. I had a feeling this album was changing me somehow, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I wasn't even sure whether I liked it or not after it was all over. So, I put it away for a little while. But, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I knew I had to go back. I had a long drive ahead ... read more

Holy cow, this album is good. This album demands your attention from the moment it begins and keeps you engaged in its dense, otherworldly textures until the very end. After experimenting with a brighter production style on their previous sibling-records, "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity" and "Love of Life," Swans returns to a darker production on "The Great Annihilator." As with all releases by this band, this album is a challenging piece of music to listen ... read more

After releasing three very strong records in 2017, King Gizzard surprised us all with another stellar release. It's worth noting that "Polygondwanaland" was, essentially, a gift from the band to all of their listeners. The album can be downloaded for free from many sources endorsed by the band, but even deeper than that, the original mixes are publicly available. The band has encouraged fans to create their own masters of the album and release them as bootlegs. It's ironic that the ... read more

"Love of Life" is, for better or worse, a continuation of "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity." As with the previous record, the first thing to grab one's attention is the cover art. It's an evolution of the previous cover. But, this one is much darker, like it's a destruction of the previous painting. Similarly, the sounds on this album are like the ashes left behind when the fire of "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity" has burned out for good. This is ... read more

After a somewhat disappointing major record label debut with "The Burning World," Swans returns on their own terms with this groundbreaking record. This release also marks the beginning of Gira's own record label, Young God. It's clear that this is a band that works best when they maintain full creative and publishing control. One aspect in which this becomes apparent is the length. Under major record labels, albums are typically around 44 minutes or less to fit with the vinyl ... read more

It's no secret that Michael Gira was not very fond of this album. Accordingly, it has been removed from many of the streaming services. There could be any number of reasons for this, but the most commonly cited is creative differences between Gira and Bill Laswell, who co-produced this record. This is the first and only Swans album (thus far, anyway) to be released under a major record label, and it's also possible that this record was shaped by the pressure from the label to produce something ... read more

After the weird, but often lackluster four albums that comprise Swans' early discography, "Children of God" is an improvement in every possible direction. This is the first Swans record I would describe as a masterpiece. There's over an hour of music on this one, and I'm grateful for the extra length, since it comes along with superior musicianship. This is absolutely essential listening for anyone interested in Swans. In fact, I believe this is the best record to start with.

The ... read more

Obviously a continuation of the band's previous release, "Greed," "Holy Money" picks up the strengths of it's predecessor and runs out into the wild with them. This is a nice way to end this primordial, early era of Swans. Personally, I've never been a huge fan of Swans' earliest releases, but I enjoy this one more than any of the previous three.

As with the previous album, this one opens with a piano, although you can hardly recognize it as such. The drum production is ... read more

After a disappointing follow-up to the band's debut, this record comes with some welcome, new surprise. It introduces these surprises without sacrificing the abrasive, heavy textures the band had become known for with its previous two releases. I don't enjoy this record nearly as much as Swans' later releases, but it marks a big turning point from the band with lots of new experimentation, showing us that they are more than just a one-trick pony.

The most notable difference on ... read more

"Cop" feels like a continuation of Swans' debut the previous year. The guitar tones are just as distorted and shocking, the music is just as heavy and intense as it was before. However, this entry simply isn't as strong of a record overall as "Filth." Perhaps it is just that the novelty has worn off by the time one has already experienced "Filth," but there are some notable differences with this record that make it more of a drag to listen to. There are some ... read more

When I first heard that King Gizzard collaborated with another musician, I was surprised. It was unusual to see the band bring someone new into the mix after having a consistent lineup of seven members for so many years. That said, it works. This is another wonderful record, and it doesn't feel like a step outside of their discography. It's also nice to get something more pleasant and accessible after the previous record took us down such a dark, distorted path of harshness. I'll admit that I ... read more

Swans is a band that profoundly changed my life, and I'd like to write about their albums because I believe this band deserve to be heard. There's no better place to start than with their first studio release, "Filth". This is not my favorite Swans record, and I wouldn't consider it essential listening for anyone trying to get into this band. It's ironic, considering this is their first release. Every Swans album is challenging to listen to in its own way, but the first four studio ... read more

King Gizzard returns to the garage sound they've worked so hard at refining for the past several years in this extremely intriguing record. This one is disturbing, nihilistic, and drenched in LSD. The record encapsulates a frantic ambition, and it delves into a darker, heavier psychedelic sound that the band had only lightly flirted with before.

The band experiments with structure once again, as the album is broken up into three separate suites, and the narrative structure makes the album feel ... read more

After "Nonagon Infinity," I didn't know what more this band could do to surprise and inspire us all. However, with this record, they really outdid themselves yet again. I won't go into the music theory behind what a microtone is, but it will suffice to say that there are notes that fall outside the boundaries of the scales used in Western music, but which can still be distinguished by the human ear. King Gizzard had custom electric guitars made for this record, which allow them to ... read more

After stepping into a more stripped-down, acoustic sound on the previous record, King Gizzard returns to their roots in this strange, unique garage rock album. It's intense, it's progressive, it's catchy, and it explores one of the most unique concepts I've ever seen in psychedelic rock music. There's a reason this is one of the band's most critically acclaimed records, and I think it lives up to the hype.

I started this off by saying that the band returns to their roots with this record. ... read more

King Gizzard once again demonstrates their ability to commit to a focused concept in a single album, and they do so in more than one way this time around. Exchanging electric guitars for acoustic ones, including woodwinds, and much more piano is a great change of texture. Once again, this band demonstrates their willingness to let their sound evolve by picking up a different set of tools. I think this is one of the more accessible Gizzard records thus far for a variety of reasons.

Musically, ... read more

On this record, King Gizzard takes the warm, analog, fuzzy sound from their previous masterpiece and takes it in a different direction. Rather than the garage and kraut-rock sounds of the previous record, this one opts for a jam-band sound. The concept is also very creative. This album was designed for vinyl enthusiasts. The maximum length for a vinyl LP is around 44 minutes, and each song on the record takes up exactly one quarter of that maximum length, which is aesthetically appealing and ... read more