INFEST THE RATS' NEST review - Communists in Spaaaaace!

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Infest the Rats' Nest is the 2019 King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard album. While KG&tLW is most well known for their psychedelic rock, ItRN as released by the Australian band's label, Flightless, takes the band in a new direction; namely thrash metal, though you still have elements of psychrock present throughout the album. I first heard of both the band and this album, like my other music reviews lately, via theneedledrop. He sold it to me, though I'm obviously not just gonna be reiterating his points since I have a different outlook on the album and came in with a different level of expectations, as this is my entry point to King Gizzard. SoOoOooOoooOooo, this is a pretty much perfect entry point to the band and an instant album of the year contender.


As one would hope from a thrash/stoner rock crossover such as this, Infest the Rats' Nest has some incredible instrumentals that can only rightly be described as "gnarly." Or punchy and brutal. It's the kinda stuff you just can't not rock out to. It's certainly a hilarious change of pace from the likes of Fishing for Fishies (especially when you're mixing KG&tLW's whole discography together and you get that absurd dissonance pushed right into your face), but it's far from a mere novelty album and it sticks its landing perfectly. If you're fond of crunchy, pounding thrash, you'll find a lot to love with this album. Major kudos to the bandmates: Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Cook Craig, Joey Walker, Lucas Skinner, Michael Cavanagh, and Eric Moore.

Anger is the emotion that is most present throughout ItRN. Anger at the apathy, anger at the incompetence, anger at the callousness, anger at the opulence that exists as there is widespread poverty and inequality. This white hot, righteous rage is given weight by not all too subtle environmentalist themes--obvious from the phenomenal opener, Planet B. It is no formless angst; there's a potent, unflinching, meaningful message boiling right under the surface. Fuck the rich and their avarice that cannot be contained, it says. Fuck the politicians who are unwilling to act for the people they are meant to represent, it says. It's a big huge middle finger to our broken system, and this message is essential in our current climate--both the literal and figurative climates.

This uncontainable fury manifests itself in Stu Mackenzie's wild vocals befitting of a thrash record. And while these visceral vocals are obscenely aggressive, they aren't so aggressive as to be unintelligible. Which is fortunate, considering that this album also boasts some magnetic lyrical content. Lyrics that, over the course of the listening experience, build up to a story. Because, did I mention this was a concept album? A concept album with a fantastic narrative, might I add? Yeah, this feels like it could be the thematic soundtrack of my beloved Red Rising (though I think it'd be selling either short to say that listening to this while reading the Red Rising books is necessary, or vice versa). It's expertly paced, with an excellent book-opener with Planet B, and then the barn-burner of a closer that is Hell. There is one hitch along the way, though, with Venusian 2 feeling overly long and vestigial, though it does have its moments which keep it from being a complete waste. But do I ever intentionally listen to it by itself, and could I see myself doing so? Hell no, lol.

Infest the Rats' Nest is a rollicking good time that more people should hear. Not only is it incredibly good, but I feel it's more accessible than one may initially think. Bangers like Planet B, Mars for the Rich, Hell, or Venusian 1 never cease to get everyone rolling with their incendiary and fun qualities. Don't miss this album. I'm gonna give it a 9.5/10, but it's so close to being a 10.

Must-listen

Summary:
THIS KICKS SO MUCH GODDAMN ASS, HOLY SHIT.

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