A definite crowning achievement for King Gizzard. It's amazing to me that they are able to tap into such complexity and math-like song structures and rhythms while still maintaining incredible listenability. These songs are both very hard to pin down but also hypnotic and grooving. I will be interested to see when their career is over and we have like 146 albums to choose from, how near the top Polygondwanaland remains. If I had to guess, it would be near the very top, if not at the very top itself. "Crumbling Castle" and the "Horology" suite among the album's many stunning standouts.

Reviewed on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023, 2:07pm.

I remember when this first came out and I was less versed in the band and what they were trying to accomplish, this album was baffling to me. The opening suite of "Altered Beast" / "Alter Me" left me confused as this wasn't the style of music I knew the band to make, and it's all presented as one song suite. I might have even turned it off for the time being and moved on to something else. Coming at this now, it's a hidden gem for me. Not only is the "Alter" suite a major highlight, but the more standalone tracks, if you could call them that, like "Lord of Lightning" and "The Balrog" are major standouts. It all comes together with the Han Tyumi-narrated "Murder of the Universe" suite, which really came into focus when I saw them close their set with it. It felt massive, apocalyptic, frightening, and awesome. Everything they were going for.

Reviewed on Monday, January 9th, 2023, 8:51am.

Much like Polygondwanaland is an accomplishment for making complexity feel groovy, Gizz's microtonal music, with this being the first full album of such material, feels accessible while using unorthodox scales and tuning. The album all flows as one cohesive unit, but there are definitely some distinctly awesome songs here, like the all-time classic "Rattlesnake," "Open Water," and "Sleep Drifter." If there is any knock on the album it's that maybe it gets a little unfocused toward the end, or if not unfocused, at least a little less song-focused. The high points on this are too undeniable, though. Just a little less than perfect.

Reviewed on Thursday, January 5th, 2023, 7:50am.

For the album that is somewhat of an afterthought in King Gizz's stellar 2017 run of albums, there is actually a lot to love here. I think the fact that Gumboot Soup is not saddled to a "theme" works in its favor, as it gets to showcase a little bit of everything that they can do, and some of these tracks stand tall inside the various styles that have become lynchpins for the band.

Reviewed on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023, 1:25pm.

This style of Gizz's is probably the one that I reach for the least. I enjoy the flow of the album and overall it's an enjoyable experience, especially the middle section where Han-Tyumi makes an appearance. Something like "Tezeta" hits really nicely, as it's a really unique sound and structure that feels very intentional. Some of the rest of Sketches comes off as kind of generic light psych rock.

Reviewed on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023, 3:00pm.