PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation

Australia’s most dependable shape-shifters slip into full-bodied thrash on their 24th album. It’s King Gizz’s second proper foray into the propulsive metal subgenre—after 2019’s *Infest the Rats’ Nest*—and once again dire themes of environmental collapse rise to the fore. That imagery is even stronger here, with Godzilla-style creatures wreaking havoc in the lyrics. Meanwhile, the songs are longer and heavier than on that previous outing, with the juddering “Dragon” nearly hitting the 10-minute mark. Repetition remains key, whether it’s droning vocal phrases, entrancing percussion, muscled riffage, or precise lashings of lead guitar. That all makes for a particularly vigorous addition to the band’s deep catalog.

The prolific Australian psych-rockers deliver a thrash-metal concept album that doesn’t shred hard enough to stave off its overwhelming campiness.

Finally — King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard have made an album about lizards and wizards. With a title impossibly more tongue-twisting than t...

PetroDragonic Apocalypse by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard album review: yet another expansion of their weird universe

King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of... review: Polymetric Annihilation; or, Gaia Bequeaths A Molten Slab of Eternal Thrash