King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: Murder of the Universe – prog-rock walks the earth once more

Murder of the Universe
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Artist: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Genre: Rock
Label: Heavenly

Before the swift but hardly effective punk-rock pogrom of 1976/'77, conceptualist prog/psych bands like Melbourne's King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard were ten a penny. Rock music history nerds (and those who were there at the time – if they'll admit to it) will recall successful tricky-time-signature bands such as Yes, ELP, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, and lesser-known prog-rock acts such as Greenslade, Camel, Gentle Giant, Caravan, Focus and Magma. All of which is to say that KG&TLW know well their source material, as this concept album – the band's 10th in five years, and the second of a projected five scheduled for this year alone – references so much of pre-1976 rock music that it's impossible to differentiate between tribute and burglary.

Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea is a contributor to The Irish Times specialising in popular culture