The psych lords return.
Melbourne psych rock legends King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard have returned with a feature-length documentary and accompanying live double album. Titled Chunky Shrapnel, the record is set to be released on Friday April 24 with vinyl pre-orders available from April 10. The film will make its premiere online on Friday April 17.
“Chunky Shrapnel was made for the cinema but as both concerts and films are currently outlawed, it feels poetic to release a concert-film digitally right now,” Gizz frontman Stu Mackenzie says. “Get the loudest speakers you’ve got, turn ‘em up and watch Chunky on the biggest telly you can find. Get heaps of snacks and convert your lounge room into a cinema.”
If you’ve ever been to a Gizz show you’d know it’s more than just a concert, it’s a helter-skelter odyssey for the mind. Looking to channel the band’s live experience, Chunky Shrapnel is shot from the point of view of the band on stage – the feeling of being there and being put to the Gizzard test.
The band were in no way interested in putting together a self-congratulatory piece highlighting their inner workings – for them, it was important they celebrated the music. Across 96 minutes, Chunky Shrapnel is like being the midst of Floridian cyclone that picks you up and throws you around in circles, yet at times the film finds its tempo knowing when to scale things back.
The accompanying live double album features 16 tracks drawing from concerts in Luxembourg, Madrid, Manchester, Utrecht, London, Brussels, Milan, Berlin and Barcelona. There are also three curiously-positioned unreleased tracks, ‘Evil Star’, ‘Quarantine’ and ‘Anamnesis’.
Watch the trailer for the film below:
To watch Chunky Shrapnel, you can pre-order the video link via Vimeo. The film will go live on Friday April 17 and is only available for 24 hours.
Pre-orders for the live album open on April 10 – keep an eye on the Flightless Records website for the pre-order link.
