Laminated Denim

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Laminated Denim
Studio album by
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
Released12 October 2022 (2022-10-12)
Genre
Length30:00
LabelKGLW
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard chronology
Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava
(2022) 		Laminated Denim
(2022) 		Changes
(2022)

Laminated Denim is the 22nd studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, released on 12 October 2022; five days after their previous album Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava.

The album's title is an anagram of the title of the band’s 19th album, Made in Timeland, whose digital release coincided with the release of Laminated Denim. Described by the band as a "spiritual successor" to Made in Timeland,[2] Laminated Denim features two 15-minute songs written around the ticking of a clock, but featuring more rock-focused instrumentals with heavy use of polyrhythms[3] and a Motorik beat. Its psychedelic and progressive rock sound differs from the electronic-based Timeland.

Background and recording[edit]

On 18 June 2022, the band posted a tweet promising three more albums by the end of 2022.[4] More details came on 12 July, when it was reported that the first two of these were "built from all six members jamming for hours", similarly to the recording process of "The Dripping Tap" from Omnium Gatherum.[5]

On 7 September, the band revealed the titles, cover artwork, and release dates for their next three albums: Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava would be released on 7 October; Laminated Denim on 12 October; and Changes on 28 October.[6]

Laminated Denim was the first album finished of the three records the band released in October. After the recording sessions for "The Dripping Tap", the band continued to record together again, spending more in the studio to jam. Following the positive experience recording this album, the band decided to continue working in this way, recording the preceding album Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava.

Lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Stu Mackenzie noted that the two songs on Laminated Denim are among his favourites: "Sometimes the boundaries you set for yourself kind of force you into a creative place that you wouldn't have usually gone to or been comfortable with".[7]

Release[edit]

In anticipation of the album's release, it was revealed that copies of Laminated Denim would be available on their show at Red Rocks, on 10 October, two days ahead of the album's official release.[8]

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
The Fire Note[1]
Pitchfork7.5/10[10]
Prog Archives[11]
Uncut7/10[12]

In the review for AllMusic, Tim Sendra described the album as being, "perfect for taking up time until the stars of the show return to the stage. Does it make for good home listening? Is it King Gizzard at their best? yes, and not exactly. It certainly slots in a level below their more considered releases, but if one is fully onboard with the King Gizzard experience, Laminated Denim is certainly worth adding to an ever expanding collection of works."[9]

Writing for The Fire Note, Simon Workman claimed that "The music slowly blossoms as each track unfolds, layers of guitars and keyboards weaving melodic lines beneath Stu Mackenzie’s familiar falsetto. While Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava felt proggy, jazzy, and funky at times, Laminated Denim’s jams are more psychedelic, with Michael Cavanaugh’s motorik krautrock beat anchoring the rest of the band’s explorations."[1]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Stu Mackenzie, Ambrose Kenny-Smith, Joey Walker, Cook Craig, and Michael Cavanagh.

Laminated Denim track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Land Before Timeland"15:00
2."Hypertension"15:00
Total length:30:00

Personnel[edit]

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

  • Ambrose Kenny-Smith – keyboards, percussion, vocals (all tracks), harmonica (track 1)
  • Michael Cavanagh – drums, percussion (all tracks)
  • Cook Craig – guitar (all tracks), bass (track 1)
  • Joey Walker – guitar, bass, synthesizer (all tracks)
  • Lucas Harwood – keyboards (track 1)
  • Stu Mackenzie – vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion (all tracks), synthesizer (track 1), bass, flute (track 2)

Production

  • Stu Mackenzie – recording, production, mixing
  • Joseph Carra – mastering
  • Jason Galea – artwork

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Laminated Denim
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 11
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[14] 93

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Workman, Simon (13 October 2022). "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Laminated Denim, KGLW". The Fire Note. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Laminated Denim [PRE-ORDER]". Gizzverse. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  3. ^ Gallagher, Alex (13 October 2022). "King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard release new album 'Laminated Denim', announce 2023 Europe and UK tour". NME. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  4. ^ "3 more albums this year". Twitter. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  5. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (12 July 2022). "The Murlocs Blast Back With New Album, Fall North American Tour". Spin. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  6. ^ Arcand, Rob (7 September 2022). "King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard Announce Three New Albums, Share Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  7. ^ Deville, Chris (11 October 2022). "The Wild, Wonderful World Of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard". Stereogum. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Laminated Denim". King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard Official Shop. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  9. ^ a b Sendra, Tim (12 October 2022). "King Gizzard & the Wizard Lizard – Laminated Denim Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  10. ^ Berman, Stuart (22 December 2022). "King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava / Laminated Denim / Changes Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Laminated Denim". Prog Archives. October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  12. ^ O'Connell, Sharon (October 2022). "King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms And Lava/Laminated Denim/Changes". Uncut. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Australiancharts.com – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Laminated Denim". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Top Album Sales: Week of November 12, 2022". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
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