King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard has confirmed details for its second album of 2023, the electronic-dominated The Silver Cord, which is a companion of sorts to its metal-leaning PetroDragonic Apocalypse or Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation. Per an Instagram post, the seven-track project will be available in both a regular and “extended” edition on Oct. 27, with pre-orders going live on Oct. 12.
“It’s definitely synth-y,” group member Joey Walker told SPIN of The Silver Cord, which jumps off from the electronic vibes of the remotely assembled pandemic-era album Butterfly 3000. “You could draw comparisons in many ways, but just in the nature of us being in the same room and playing and writing together, it’s vastly different than Butterfly.”
Frontman Stu Mackenzie previously told SPIN of the album vis-a-vis its relation to PetroDragonic, “I probably wouldn’t use the term ‘companion piece’ myself because I’m thinking of it like they are two records with completely different DNA and completely different personalities.” Drummer Michael “Cavs” Cavanagh also told SPIN he is playing a 1980s Simmons electronic drum kit on The Silver Cord, which he describes as having “disco and Kraftwerk vibes.”
The album cover leaves no doubt about the music therein, as the group’s six members are posed inside a fort of vintage synthesizers wearing all black clothing and red, Kraftwerk-style sunglasses.
King Gizzard continues to require larger and larger venues to accommodate its rapidly growing fan base, and to that end will play four three-hour “marathon” shows in North America in 2024 at outdoor venues, including its biggest show yet on Sept. 14 at the 21,600-capacity Gorge Amphitheater in George, Wa. A full itinerary, which will include a host of international concerts in Europe and South America, has yet to be announced.
Here is the track list for The Silver Cord:
“Theia”
“The Silver Cord”
“Set”
“Chang’e”
“Gilgamesh”
“Swan Song”
“Extinction”
