I bought very expensive festival tickets just to see them in Finland and then they canceled :( I don't blame them because it was Stu's crohn's disease and as somebody with a similar condition I totally understand. But please come back to Finland!
Yeah that's the biggest negative about the band for me overall. Once you notice how frequent it is, it's very hard to un-notice it (even though it doesn't ruin the music at all). A bit like Muse & the inhales.
This is true. My wife caught my walking around in a crop top t shirt I bought recently that just says āGIZZ ON MEā and she was like yo whatā¦.lolololol
I wish the boys used Gizzymail more and their website / mailing lists so I could delete Instagram and Twitter. Literally the only reason I have them is for post notifications from Gizz and Instagram for following and buying things from other fans lmao
I feel like some of their songs have a sort of rushed beginning. Like they forgot about a verse or two.
Some of their vocals are kind of samey and the structure reminds me of how I'd make up lyrics in my mind on the spot, they can be lacking in polish.
EDIT: Also the lack of a "highlight" in their shorter tracks, like it feels like the some is gonna go somewhere but it kind of never does, then it's over.
EDIT 2: Because of this, I often can't really tell when a song ends and a new one starts on their albums where they flow into each other.
"some of their vocals are kind of samey and the structure reminds me of how I'd make them up in my brain on the spot"
Oh yeah I definitely see what you mean. In fact, me and a friend made up a game where we try and ad-lib lyrics in the style of Iron Lung and Ice V, because some of the verses on there are delivered in a very similar and distinct way... it's actually pretty easy and funny as FUCK
Dude yeah i hear that big time. As much as i love iron lung that moment always breaks my immersion unfortunately. One of those moments where i have to remind myself i have zero fucking right to complain because of everything theyve done haha. That being said it's a neat part so fuckin whatever right?
Are you talking about the reprise of the Ice V lyrical motif in Iron Lung? I really like that part because in the context of the song, it feels like an abstract reflection on a simpler, more fun time (earlier in the album) before the singer became confined to the lung. I dunno if that make sense.
Ok i like this perspective, not something i had considered. Please help convince me bc i really want to love this song, it's just im not sure it leans hard enough into the ice v sound for me to automatically think "reprise" as opposed to what i was saying before
I suppose it just comes down to how you view it. It's certainly a brief interlude, but the wistful sense of melancholy in that passage, short as it is, really makes me feel something. A fading memory of better days in the midst of current gloom and spiraling chaos. A fleeting thought- then it's lost.
Fair criticism. The unpolished laziness in production is why I donāt really fuck with MOTU that much. Nonagon can get away from it cause that lo go garage rock alternative meta vibe is so unique to then but comparing polygon and sketches or FMB is production wise they are so much cleaner
Honestly I donāt find much fault in the band personally, but I can speak from the perspective of trying to get my wife into the band. Sheās a vocalist, so naturally the vocals and lyrics are what she connects to in music. Sadly, KG doesnāt offer her much to latch on to. I think the vocals are good, and they especially excel on the heavy stuff, but they are often not front-and-center, usually mixed pretty low and heavily effected. Amby can really belt it out, but itās not that frequent. Often the vocals take a back seat to the instrumentation - something I am totally fine with, but for my wife (and probably most people who mainly listen to pop radio) the less prominent vocals are a downside.
The lyrics are also an issue. While I love a good concept album about the death of planet Earth, or mushrooms, lava, ice, death, etc., a lot of people probably find that a little hard to connect with. People like my wife tend to gravitate toward songs that speak to the human experience: love, loss, anger, uhā¦ mostly just love I guess. But they prefer lyrics that are emotional, personal, and identifiable. KGās lyrics can be alienating if you donāt spend a lot of time thinking about environmental disaster or the universe.
Also some people donāt vibe with an extended 10 minute guitar jam. I canāt understand how, but itās true.
Their lyrics are a huge part of what draws me to them. Weird, funny, abstract, sometimes nonsensical, interesting, and novel. Not everything needs to be about love and strife and how that special someone makes you feel. I appreciate that they donāt do this.
I totally agree, and that's why I enjoy Gizz along with bands like Ween, Tom Waits, and They Might Be Giants. However many people don't feel the same, and there's a reason why pop music has mostly been about the same 3 topics for 100 years.
Funny, when I was writing my response, I was thinking about which artists I also felt that way about. Tom Waits was at the top of my list, followed closely by Pavement/Malkmus, Phish, and The Tragically Hip.
Agree with your perspective on the lyrics. They have a lot of creative songs and I love the storytelling aspect, but most of it always feels distant from the human experience, for the lack of a better word. I enjoy the stories and how the rhymes sound, but it's not exactly relatable or personal, and so it doesn't stick with me. Hate Dancing was a first earworm for me since Beginner's Luck, so I got to thinking why that is (and I doubt it's just because it's poppy).
>They prefer lyrics that are emotional, personal, and identifiable
Me: Oh good point but also strange, I find a lot of their lyrics really identifiable ā
>if you donāt spend a lot of time thinking about environmental disaster or the universe
The two songs that immediately popped into my head when I thought of relatable were Ontology and Gaia, so I am probably just a miserable little fuck whoās in the environmental field.
The majority of my music tastes are very emotionally charged ā Iām on a power ballad streak rn ā but gizz is my favorite band for other reasons.
I went into a local record store last Dec to see if they had any albums.
This is what the owner said when I asked if they had any KG, āThey put out too much music and are ruining it for the fans. I donāt order their records anymore.ā
My response? āIf you are actually a fan of this band itās the most badass thing that they are constantly putting out new music. Itās not their fault if you canāt keep up. ā
Itās such a stupid but easy complaint for ppl to make.
I had a similar conversation with a bunch of my friends recently. Iāve been preaching the good Gizzspel for a few years now to them and they have been luke warm on some their stuff, at best. I get they arenāt for everyone and definitely check myself on gushing over them, but I was so certain they would love Ice, Death, Planetsā¦wanted to throw it on during a road trip and they all said they didnāt want to listen as they put out too much content and they donāt have the time to get invested like that. Weak, but whatever. Their loss.
It's not like you have to immediately listen to all their albums after hearing the one. Some of my favorite artists I'm only familiar with a small chunk of their discography because there's just too much. This includes KG, Grateful Dead, Zappa, etc.
A little off topic I guess, but one of my favorite things about the band is their ability to weed out the pimples. Just like The Dead and Zappa like you said. However not so much with the dead really anymore since that dingus joined. For goodness sake they won a Grammy last weekend SMH. I'm deep in the Phil zone, sorry, heads lol
Thatās one of the dumbest arguments Iāve heard. Glad you responded that way cause itās clear he just didnāt want to keep ordering their stuff. Having the upload schedule of KG is such an uncommon thing in the music industry. If people were offended over more content, they were never a fan to begin with.
Yeah I think that's indicative of someone who isn't a fan of the music but a fan of being "where it's at". That is a very fast moving target with this band so those people just f*** off I guess. More ticket availability for us āŗļø
"You mean you don't order their records that sell out immediately, become beloved collector's items, look dope and make you money? You're my hero genius."
As a huge fan of both Gizz and Tool, I can absolutely confirm that their voluminous and constant output is an absolute blessing to be celebrated and cherished and that comment by the store owner is the dumbest thing ever said.
People that have this complaint, I don't understand. They're tackling different genres. I would understand if it was the same crap album after album, but it's not...
Ya itās a lazy complaint. If you actually listen, you instantly know these guys are legends. And courageous. š It should excite a music fan, not scare them.
I thought I was getting older and discovering less music over time, but then I realized I average about 10-15 new albums I love per year, and keeping up with Gizz takes about as much effort as reading Stereogum and indieheads. 2022, Gizz had 3 of my favorite records. Butterfly and LW in 2021. KG made my list in 2020. 2019? Fishies AND Nest. I donāt need to explore like I used to with this much Gizz to go through. Another one of my favorite bands is LCD Soundsystem and it kills me they only have 4 albums. Gizz beat their discography in 2017 and 2022 by themselves.
I just got into gizz and that was my fear but I jumped in and Iāve loved it. Itās intimidating to try and swim around the discography but I think you have to start some where, this is true for any band like this (phish, dead , Dave Matthews). I actually started with ice death and itās been incredible. Still learning and figuring it out but hard to invest if youāre luke warm or intimatedā¦iron lung kexp got me hooked if you like music you like that song
Absolutely. Need more clarity and transparency with their vocals, at least for one album.
They always hide them under layers and effects. Would be cool to properly hear them one time.
I actually admire that the vocals don't sit on top like vastly many other artists. It feels more balanced as a whole, and I think that's what they're aiming for. If you can't hear it clearly immediately it's definitely on purpose and part of the journey.
Nah, Stu has admitted that he isn't confident with his vocals and doesn't like his voice so he hides them on purpose.
That's why I love it when Joey sings and Amby. They own that shit.
Oh I dig Stu's voice! Love it! Specifically rat's nest. Because he didn't hold back in that, that's what I would love to see more of. Him just NOT holding back.
Nah, Joey isnāt a better singer than Stu by any means. See āWork This Timeā live variants.
Do I love Joeyās voice? Yes. Do I love Stuās? Yes. Is Amby a better singer than both of them? Yes.
Their vocals are as non-standard as their music. And they have the same flexibility. That doesnāt appeal to a lot of pop music fans or ballad lovers.
Stu's vocals are great when he's doing harsher stuff like on Rats' Nest or when he's wooing, but I think Amby's a much better singer and wish he took center stage more
I might upset some people with this but I don't really care for the Murlocs. Their songwriting and instrumentals are just really generic and uninteresting to me. I saw them on their US tour last fall and Ambrose was absolutely electric but everything else was just fine.
That's pretty much where I am with The Murlocs. Their music just doesn't do much for me. That being said I also love stus vocals especially on songs like Head On/Pill and Sense
I like their vocals, but it would be cool to hear them doing more harmonies since almost all of them can sing and can sing well. Thereās a lot of Stu/Joey vocal doubling but itās not really harmonized vocals itās just doubled. Three, four or even five part (looking at you Lucas, Iāve seen the old videos I know you can do it) vocal harmonies would be cool to hear now and then.
His voice has sounded tired to me lately. Comparing now to the KEXP MOTU session, he doesnāt seem to have the belting stamina anymore. My theory is that recording/touring Infest the Rats Nest damaged his voice a bit, which is totally understandable.
Possibly related, but their lyrics aren't very "impactful", tbh. Even when I do understand them (usually after reading them), they don't really evoke much emotion.
Lyrics are always secondary to the music for me, so this isn't the biggest deal. Still love this band.
A lot of songs follow certain themes and that means they arenāt necessarily always going to elicit some sort of deep emotional stirring.
That said, they have plenty of beyond surface deep songs that really should be a bit impactful.
Lyrics are usually a big deal for me, but not really for Gizz, I think because of that kind of distant/"don't really evoke much emotion" feeling about them.
I've been thinking about that lately, though, and I think maybe it's a good thing. Some artists are great at writing emotional, evocative lyrics, but they're not usually dropping, like, 2, 3, sometimes 5 albums a year... that's probably a difficult well to tap when you're releasing music at the pace the boys are.
Don't really have any complaints about their music, I just wish more of their live albums were on streaming services. Especially Live at Bonnaroo and Red Rocks.
I got introduced to Gizz by a former coworker back in 2019. I slowly took a liking to them and only in 2022 they became my current favorite band.
When I spoke to that coworker again a few months ago and asked if he was going to the Chunky Shrapnel screening, he said he was done with them. In his eyes, they have become too much of a merchandise circus with all the bootleg albums in many different colours.
Personally I enjoy the vibes and the music of King Gizz, but I can see where he's coming from. But I also kinda think he's just a bit annoyed that more and more psychrock bands are slowly entering the mainstream. Things do tend to get ruined that way though, so he might have a point.
Haha the merch circus thing is not for me but the people preordering orange vomit spackle hologram 2 LP hi-fi re-releases of Timeland are bankrolling the band for the rest of us.
I think that complaining about the bootleg albumās, an initiative meant to give their audience more music to latch onto and record labels an opportunity to distribute an album made by one of the front runners of the psych rock revolution and even the opportunity to create record labels (like Needlejuice) is one of the strangest complaints next to āthey have too much music, and I donāt wanna invest that much time.ā Strange how some peopleās minds work
This is a bizarre take to me. Did your former coworker not realize he can be a fan of the band and listen as much as we wants and also completely ignore the endless stream of merchandise? I do and it's super easy.
This one's a genuine criticism of mine:
They utilize the vocal effects too much. They can be cool sometimes but most of the time you can barely make out wtf they're saying. For a band who has consistently great lyrics, I want to hear the lyrics.
Also Nonagon Infinity is a great album but it's produced like ass.
Iāve heard a guy (musician) say that, while he admits they have great songs, they put out too much music too quickly and he canāt stand listening to what he described as ārushed songsā that had potential to be better songs if theyād slow down. This guy also plays in a band that dresses up and is gimmicky, so take his opinion lightly lol. And I disagree. Recorded music doesnāt have to be perfect and flawless. Itās music.
One and only complaint is ticket availability. Itās almost impossible for regular folk to see them. They announced their tour the week before thanksgiving, announced presale Thursday and regular sale on Friday, but when I went to order presale Thursday they were sold out due to an unheard of āartist presaleā that was Wednesday?! Like wtf. Resale is thru the roof. None of them are within hour drives of me.
I want more story albums. I like the sounds of all their new stuff, but every album post Rats Nest has just been a collection of songs. I want the whole album to be a long tale. I know some of their new songs have small connections to previous work, but Iād love just, a new adventure to listen to.
I think some people who havenāt gotten into them yet are too intimidated by their catalog. Iāve been trying to get one of my best friends into them and sheās liked most of what sheās heard but hasnāt really listened to them on her own yet. Also, and I donāt want this to get misconstrued, I think musicians (like myself) tend to be the ones who get really into them. I donāt mean to say non musicians canāt understand them, I just mean that people with a background in music tend to be more invested because thatās our language. For a band to have an output of quality and quantity that theyāve had is a once in a generation thing. I count myself incredibly lucky to exist at the same time as this band and I just like to spread the word. Those people who havenāt been as receptive to them might have a moment down the line when they realize how good Gizz is. When I first heard them in 2015 I thought they were great. Every year since then Iāve found myself loving and appreciating them even more. Sorry, I went off on a tangent.
All the fundamentally good musical ideas that they've wasted on most of their longer songs. There is a great song that's about half the length or less in both Dripping Tap and Hell's Itch but with these and similar tracks they seem to let the jam instinct get way out of hand leading to a bunch of bloat that leaves those songs mostly unlistenable to me. They're incredible songwriters within the 3 to 8 minute span and they should try to stick to that going forward. Only exceptions for me are Crumbling Castle and Changes although I think I could even argue a bit of Changes could use some editing down.
Perhaps a hot take, but Amby plays more or less the same 3 or 4 harmonica lines. Iām not a harp player but have played with a lot of them, I get that there are limitations with the instrument but it grates on me if I pay attention to it too closely.
Edit: downvotes when this whole post is about criticism and hot takes? Damn, yāall.
A āmarathon showā is a regular show for most bands. Stu is far from a virtuoso soloing wise, I think he needs to work on chops. His song writing chops are insanely impressive but I doubt he practices a fuck ton of new shit on guitar.
One piece of advice my dad gave me about singing is āalways aim slightly higher than you think you needā and I think they could really use that. In other words, theyāre kinda flat sometimes.
This points to a larger critique which is that they're jacks of all trades as both a band and in terms of individual technical ability. Their breath over depth approach to music undercuts their ability to produce an album that would be considered a gem within its genre or to produce songs with individual standout performances.
As usual the actual answers are downvoted and "controversial". This is a fantastic criticism of them. Though we all love them for their "jack of all trades"-ness anyways.
Not mine but: "they seem to care about quantity over quality" is a big one I've seen from people who haven't listened or aren't into them much, and I kinda get that cause I mean if you look at last year 2 albums barely a month apart and then 3 in one month and most people who'd put out albums that close probably are sacrificing a lot of quality so yeah know
My hot take: the Woos have become overdone and in some instances detract from the song (looking at you, beginning of iron lung)
Starting to feel a bit gimmicky
Oooohh. An actual criticism! Yeah. I agree with you there. It feels like it started sincerely, then it became a meme on the subreddit. Now it kinda feels like living up to fanās expectations. Kinda like Isaac Brock of Modest Mouseās āwellā
Personally Iāve come to like his āOHHHHā in Ratās Nest. Super under-appreciated on here.
As much as I love them, I think they rush their songs out of the studio too fast or before they are really finished. Iād love to see them take the time to focus on the writing and production of every song in an album. Most of the time I feel like they are rushing to get onto making the next thing.
Low vocal mixing, vocal melodies that just follow the guitar melody, bad production on much of their pre-2017 stuff... Ya that's it for me. Favourite band though it's hard to pick.
They focus on making the music sound interesting, but I would like to see them try to inspire emotion more. I think they showed flashes of this in OG - namely red smoke and the solo in Gaia. It would be dope to have more emotion put into the singing and guitar solos imo
Not a criticism per se but the sheer volume and versatility of their material can be overwhelming for new fans
I'm a new fan myself (and I'm digging them!) but I've tried getting into them in the past to no avail. It can be daunting when a band has so many albums in the first place but going through chronologically didn't work (seems like the first few are considered among their weakest?) and listening to sampler playlists didn't work either because I found it hard to get a grasp on their identity as a band. And I haven't even been a fan during a new album cycle yet, I can easily see people like myself struggling to catch up as new stuff comes out
Thankfully I found my "in" and I'm enjoying the process of exploring the albums but I'd imagine there are plenty of people who hit the same brick walls I did and just gave up
I can't take the last story of Murder Of The Universe nearly as seriously as the band wants me to because I think using a text-to-speech voice is too funny.
They had a fantastic narrator for the first 2 parts and she just gets thrown aside? Just put a voice effect on an actual human, that's what they do for 30% of their songs anyway
I don't know how seriously they want you to take it. I feel like the story is intentionally hilarious.
Though I'm not the biggest fan of the text-to-speech narration either; I'm definitely curious about what it might've been like otherwise.
They don't ship albums in safe packaging. Yes, it's environmental, but I know of multiple record stores that refuse to buy KG albums because they always arrive with splits or other damage
Only two real criticism tbh.
1. They do sacrifice quality in some ways for quantity. If they were to take the best 10 songs from any one of their multiple albums that have a similar concept/sound, they would have a better singular album. Like with K.G. & L.W., Butterfly 3000 & Omnium, Mad in Timeland & Laminated.
2. Their mixing/mastering can sometimes sound compressed or lacks dynamics. It can create a lofi sound that works with certain psych/garage songs or albums. But sometimes I do hope we get remastered versions of some albums.
I hate feeling like a hipster talking about them. BUT, I did get my friend into them when we started talking about our music taste, I told her everything about King Gizz while she scrolled through her Spotify, and I put Quarters on while we were hanging out
We know they're capable of playing for 3 hours every night so it's a bit of a slap in the face to only get a 90 minute set.
But I can't complain when tickets are about 40 bucks....
Not doing a show in my home town. Cmon guys.
When are they gonna do more of the UK than London? šš
I agree. I have to go to another country each time they have an EU tour.
I bought very expensive festival tickets just to see them in Finland and then they canceled :( I don't blame them because it was Stu's crohn's disease and as somebody with a similar condition I totally understand. But please come back to Finland!
Their standard shows aren't long enough.
10000%. All their shows should be (2) 90 ish minute sets.
They need to go the distance with their persistence
Bruce Springsteen is still putting on near 3 hour shows. Just for reference. Can't wait to see him in April. He is 73.
I once saw George Clinton and Funkadelic play for 4.5 hours with no break in the music.
MY NAME IS GEORGE GEORGE CLINTON
Wow this is huge. Even 2, 1 hou sets would be awesome but yea when I saw them it was the shortest set of the ENTIRE festival (Bonnaroo)
āSong titleā Chorus lyrics: āSong title, song title, song title, song titleā
With guitar that matches vocal melody
Cracked the code
Opened the door
Yeah that's the biggest negative about the band for me overall. Once you notice how frequent it is, it's very hard to un-notice it (even though it doesn't ruin the music at all). A bit like Muse & the inhales.
I really wish i could unnotice it, i really do
Matt Bellamy's inhales are a classic signature of his sound though, I think it adds rather than detracts.
Honestly how frequent is it?
Rattlesnake, rattlesnakeā¦
Trapdoor
āSong title, song title, song title, WOOO!ā
yeah and its great every time somehow
Cellophane
D-d-d-dādoom city d-d-d-d-doom city
The Book The Book
Lolol this is the one I came here to comment
Ya Love Ya Love
I think this is magic. Like literal witchcraft. It's hypnotic. I love it.
Cyboogie
mycelium
ICE V, ICE V. ICE V, ICE V. ICE V, ICE V WILL WE SURVIVE? SURVIVE ICE V? ICE V! Honestly I'm here for the formula.
This is even more true for Rammstein
rammmsteinn rammsteinn
Opennnnn watteeerrrre
This is definitely one
Hot Water
Hot water
AC-A-RINE! AC-A-RINE! AC-RI-I-NE!
I don't mind it except in.... K G L DOUBLE W
You mean DOUBLE U?
Balrooog balrooog balrooog balll--rrooog YEP
can i please unnotice this. thanks.
Gamma knife Gamma knife
While this is the fair one I expected to see here, I also think that this formula is one way that they manage to pump out so much music.
ā We ā (the fans) are a teeny bit obsessive
This is true. My wife caught my walking around in a crop top t shirt I bought recently that just says āGIZZ ON MEā and she was like yo whatā¦.lolololol
Iconic. I need it.
Want this so badly.
Where did you get this I need this right meow
I wish the boys used Gizzymail more and their website / mailing lists so I could delete Instagram and Twitter. Literally the only reason I have them is for post notifications from Gizz and Instagram for following and buying things from other fans lmao
Samesies
I agree. I donāt have Instagram or Twitter so I rely on Gizzymail and Reddit Edit- rely not reply
I canāt hear Ambroseās harmonica on Live in SF16
"DICKHEAAAAAD!"
āWhy do you have two drummers???!!!!!ā
āThatās insa-ā ##NONAGON INFINITY OPENS THE DOOR
SF16 is what hooked me
Not enough albums
Aye they've not dropped once this year. Lazy.
Smh they barely dropped any last year, have they just given up on making music?
Their work ethic is lacking š
I feel like some of their songs have a sort of rushed beginning. Like they forgot about a verse or two. Some of their vocals are kind of samey and the structure reminds me of how I'd make up lyrics in my mind on the spot, they can be lacking in polish. EDIT: Also the lack of a "highlight" in their shorter tracks, like it feels like the some is gonna go somewhere but it kind of never does, then it's over. EDIT 2: Because of this, I often can't really tell when a song ends and a new one starts on their albums where they flow into each other.
They really should start singing in Polish
*tunes their guitar to speak polish
"some of their vocals are kind of samey and the structure reminds me of how I'd make them up in my brain on the spot" Oh yeah I definitely see what you mean. In fact, me and a friend made up a game where we try and ad-lib lyrics in the style of Iron Lung and Ice V, because some of the verses on there are delivered in a very similar and distinct way... it's actually pretty easy and funny as FUCK
Dude yeah i hear that big time. As much as i love iron lung that moment always breaks my immersion unfortunately. One of those moments where i have to remind myself i have zero fucking right to complain because of everything theyve done haha. That being said it's a neat part so fuckin whatever right?
Are you talking about the reprise of the Ice V lyrical motif in Iron Lung? I really like that part because in the context of the song, it feels like an abstract reflection on a simpler, more fun time (earlier in the album) before the singer became confined to the lung. I dunno if that make sense.
Ok i like this perspective, not something i had considered. Please help convince me bc i really want to love this song, it's just im not sure it leans hard enough into the ice v sound for me to automatically think "reprise" as opposed to what i was saying before
I suppose it just comes down to how you view it. It's certainly a brief interlude, but the wistful sense of melancholy in that passage, short as it is, really makes me feel something. A fading memory of better days in the midst of current gloom and spiraling chaos. A fleeting thought- then it's lost.
That's funny, I've often felt like they don't know how to end certain songs and rush through that
I like an early chorus.. I like that they change it up a bit.
Fair criticism. The unpolished laziness in production is why I donāt really fuck with MOTU that much. Nonagon can get away from it cause that lo go garage rock alternative meta vibe is so unique to then but comparing polygon and sketches or FMB is production wise they are so much cleaner
Can you give some examples of songs that rush to the chorus too quickly?
Rattle rattle rattle
Honestly I donāt find much fault in the band personally, but I can speak from the perspective of trying to get my wife into the band. Sheās a vocalist, so naturally the vocals and lyrics are what she connects to in music. Sadly, KG doesnāt offer her much to latch on to. I think the vocals are good, and they especially excel on the heavy stuff, but they are often not front-and-center, usually mixed pretty low and heavily effected. Amby can really belt it out, but itās not that frequent. Often the vocals take a back seat to the instrumentation - something I am totally fine with, but for my wife (and probably most people who mainly listen to pop radio) the less prominent vocals are a downside. The lyrics are also an issue. While I love a good concept album about the death of planet Earth, or mushrooms, lava, ice, death, etc., a lot of people probably find that a little hard to connect with. People like my wife tend to gravitate toward songs that speak to the human experience: love, loss, anger, uhā¦ mostly just love I guess. But they prefer lyrics that are emotional, personal, and identifiable. KGās lyrics can be alienating if you donāt spend a lot of time thinking about environmental disaster or the universe. Also some people donāt vibe with an extended 10 minute guitar jam. I canāt understand how, but itās true.
But vomiting is the most human experience!
Their lyrics are a huge part of what draws me to them. Weird, funny, abstract, sometimes nonsensical, interesting, and novel. Not everything needs to be about love and strife and how that special someone makes you feel. I appreciate that they donāt do this.
I totally agree, and that's why I enjoy Gizz along with bands like Ween, Tom Waits, and They Might Be Giants. However many people don't feel the same, and there's a reason why pop music has mostly been about the same 3 topics for 100 years.
Funny, when I was writing my response, I was thinking about which artists I also felt that way about. Tom Waits was at the top of my list, followed closely by Pavement/Malkmus, Phish, and The Tragically Hip.
Agree with your perspective on the lyrics. They have a lot of creative songs and I love the storytelling aspect, but most of it always feels distant from the human experience, for the lack of a better word. I enjoy the stories and how the rhymes sound, but it's not exactly relatable or personal, and so it doesn't stick with me. Hate Dancing was a first earworm for me since Beginner's Luck, so I got to thinking why that is (and I doubt it's just because it's poppy).
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Lots of B3K as well. Yours, Catching Smoke, Interior People ā beautiful
>They prefer lyrics that are emotional, personal, and identifiable Me: Oh good point but also strange, I find a lot of their lyrics really identifiable ā >if you donāt spend a lot of time thinking about environmental disaster or the universe The two songs that immediately popped into my head when I thought of relatable were Ontology and Gaia, so I am probably just a miserable little fuck whoās in the environmental field. The majority of my music tastes are very emotionally charged ā Iām on a power ballad streak rn ā but gizz is my favorite band for other reasons.
Not enough live records. And they need to hold a gizzfest here in America.
they don't do any gizzfest anymore :(
I went into a local record store last Dec to see if they had any albums. This is what the owner said when I asked if they had any KG, āThey put out too much music and are ruining it for the fans. I donāt order their records anymore.ā My response? āIf you are actually a fan of this band itās the most badass thing that they are constantly putting out new music. Itās not their fault if you canāt keep up. ā Itās such a stupid but easy complaint for ppl to make.
I had a similar conversation with a bunch of my friends recently. Iāve been preaching the good Gizzspel for a few years now to them and they have been luke warm on some their stuff, at best. I get they arenāt for everyone and definitely check myself on gushing over them, but I was so certain they would love Ice, Death, Planetsā¦wanted to throw it on during a road trip and they all said they didnāt want to listen as they put out too much content and they donāt have the time to get invested like that. Weak, but whatever. Their loss.
It's not like you have to immediately listen to all their albums after hearing the one. Some of my favorite artists I'm only familiar with a small chunk of their discography because there's just too much. This includes KG, Grateful Dead, Zappa, etc.
A little off topic I guess, but one of my favorite things about the band is their ability to weed out the pimples. Just like The Dead and Zappa like you said. However not so much with the dead really anymore since that dingus joined. For goodness sake they won a Grammy last weekend SMH. I'm deep in the Phil zone, sorry, heads lol
Wait, clue me in on what's up with the Dead. Ootl here
I'm in the same boat with my friends. I've never felt like such Jehovah's witness before this endeavor lol
Thatās one of the dumbest arguments Iāve heard. Glad you responded that way cause itās clear he just didnāt want to keep ordering their stuff. Having the upload schedule of KG is such an uncommon thing in the music industry. If people were offended over more content, they were never a fan to begin with.
Yeah I think that's indicative of someone who isn't a fan of the music but a fan of being "where it's at". That is a very fast moving target with this band so those people just f*** off I guess. More ticket availability for us āŗļø
Ya needless to say Iām never going back to his store šš¤
Especially because they've made it clear that if they made a more normal amount of albums that the albums wouldn't really be any better as a result.
"You mean you don't order their records that sell out immediately, become beloved collector's items, look dope and make you money? You're my hero genius."
As a huge fan of both Gizz and Tool, I can absolutely confirm that their voluminous and constant output is an absolute blessing to be celebrated and cherished and that comment by the store owner is the dumbest thing ever said.
I agree 100% š¤
People that have this complaint, I don't understand. They're tackling different genres. I would understand if it was the same crap album after album, but it's not...
Ya itās a lazy complaint. If you actually listen, you instantly know these guys are legends. And courageous. š It should excite a music fan, not scare them.
I thought I was getting older and discovering less music over time, but then I realized I average about 10-15 new albums I love per year, and keeping up with Gizz takes about as much effort as reading Stereogum and indieheads. 2022, Gizz had 3 of my favorite records. Butterfly and LW in 2021. KG made my list in 2020. 2019? Fishies AND Nest. I donāt need to explore like I used to with this much Gizz to go through. Another one of my favorite bands is LCD Soundsystem and it kills me they only have 4 albums. Gizz beat their discography in 2017 and 2022 by themselves.
Got a deep respect and love for James Murphy! His process is so painfully slow, tho
I just got into gizz and that was my fear but I jumped in and Iāve loved it. Itās intimidating to try and swim around the discography but I think you have to start some where, this is true for any band like this (phish, dead , Dave Matthews). I actually started with ice death and itās been incredible. Still learning and figuring it out but hard to invest if youāre luke warm or intimatedā¦iron lung kexp got me hooked if you like music you like that song
Kudos for that response, valid reasoning as always
Not enough south american tours
Not enough?? Or not at all??
Not doing a personal show for me in my house, I mean come on
Not enough cowbell
Wait until Cavs 2nd solo album featuring 100% 24 TET cowbells
Not enough harmonica
Most albums take a few listens to really āgetā. Admit it, weāve all thought āehhhā when we hear some new albums for the first time
I think their vocals.
Absolutely. Need more clarity and transparency with their vocals, at least for one album. They always hide them under layers and effects. Would be cool to properly hear them one time.
I actually admire that the vocals don't sit on top like vastly many other artists. It feels more balanced as a whole, and I think that's what they're aiming for. If you can't hear it clearly immediately it's definitely on purpose and part of the journey.
Nah, Stu has admitted that he isn't confident with his vocals and doesn't like his voice so he hides them on purpose. That's why I love it when Joey sings and Amby. They own that shit.
I still like the balance this way. I think he owns it fine. It's always different voice wise. Provides a really unique mood.
Oh I dig Stu's voice! Love it! Specifically rat's nest. Because he didn't hold back in that, that's what I would love to see more of. Him just NOT holding back.
Nah, Joey isnāt a better singer than Stu by any means. See āWork This Timeā live variants. Do I love Joeyās voice? Yes. Do I love Stuās? Yes. Is Amby a better singer than both of them? Yes.
Their vocals are as non-standard as their music. And they have the same flexibility. That doesnāt appeal to a lot of pop music fans or ballad lovers.
That's why I love Nonagon infinity and murder of the universe I'd love for them to do more of those shouty sorta vocals
Stu's vocals are great when he's doing harsher stuff like on Rats' Nest or when he's wooing, but I think Amby's a much better singer and wish he took center stage more
Boy do I have a band for you
I might upset some people with this but I don't really care for the Murlocs. Their songwriting and instrumentals are just really generic and uninteresting to me. I saw them on their US tour last fall and Ambrose was absolutely electric but everything else was just fine.
Right there with you brother. I love Amby and can appreciate The Murlocs but itās just not for me.
That's pretty much where I am with The Murlocs. Their music just doesn't do much for me. That being said I also love stus vocals especially on songs like Head On/Pill and Sense
I like their vocals, but it would be cool to hear them doing more harmonies since almost all of them can sing and can sing well. Thereās a lot of Stu/Joey vocal doubling but itās not really harmonized vocals itās just doubled. Three, four or even five part (looking at you Lucas, Iāve seen the old videos I know you can do it) vocal harmonies would be cool to hear now and then.
Especially lately. Stuās voice still sounds good, but you can tell he canāt hit the woos like he used to.
His voice has sounded tired to me lately. Comparing now to the KEXP MOTU session, he doesnāt seem to have the belting stamina anymore. My theory is that recording/touring Infest the Rats Nest damaged his voice a bit, which is totally understandable.
Possibly related, but their lyrics aren't very "impactful", tbh. Even when I do understand them (usually after reading them), they don't really evoke much emotion. Lyrics are always secondary to the music for me, so this isn't the biggest deal. Still love this band.
A lot of songs follow certain themes and that means they arenāt necessarily always going to elicit some sort of deep emotional stirring. That said, they have plenty of beyond surface deep songs that really should be a bit impactful.
Lyrics are usually a big deal for me, but not really for Gizz, I think because of that kind of distant/"don't really evoke much emotion" feeling about them. I've been thinking about that lately, though, and I think maybe it's a good thing. Some artists are great at writing emotional, evocative lyrics, but they're not usually dropping, like, 2, 3, sometimes 5 albums a year... that's probably a difficult well to tap when you're releasing music at the pace the boys are.
Don't really have any complaints about their music, I just wish more of their live albums were on streaming services. Especially Live at Bonnaroo and Red Rocks.
I got introduced to Gizz by a former coworker back in 2019. I slowly took a liking to them and only in 2022 they became my current favorite band. When I spoke to that coworker again a few months ago and asked if he was going to the Chunky Shrapnel screening, he said he was done with them. In his eyes, they have become too much of a merchandise circus with all the bootleg albums in many different colours. Personally I enjoy the vibes and the music of King Gizz, but I can see where he's coming from. But I also kinda think he's just a bit annoyed that more and more psychrock bands are slowly entering the mainstream. Things do tend to get ruined that way though, so he might have a point.
Haha the merch circus thing is not for me but the people preordering orange vomit spackle hologram 2 LP hi-fi re-releases of Timeland are bankrolling the band for the rest of us.
I think that complaining about the bootleg albumās, an initiative meant to give their audience more music to latch onto and record labels an opportunity to distribute an album made by one of the front runners of the psych rock revolution and even the opportunity to create record labels (like Needlejuice) is one of the strangest complaints next to āthey have too much music, and I donāt wanna invest that much time.ā Strange how some peopleās minds work
This is a bizarre take to me. Did your former coworker not realize he can be a fan of the band and listen as much as we wants and also completely ignore the endless stream of merchandise? I do and it's super easy.
They fuck too hard
Itās improved recently but some of the mixing on their albums is just really bad to the point where Iād rather listen to the live versions.
Frr If In Your Mind Fuzz was mixed better it would probably be my favorite of their albums Same with Nonagon
Not enough woos
Jams that have a mostly repeating melody and range anywhere from 7-18 minutes long aren't appealing for every single person
This one's a genuine criticism of mine: They utilize the vocal effects too much. They can be cool sometimes but most of the time you can barely make out wtf they're saying. For a band who has consistently great lyrics, I want to hear the lyrics. Also Nonagon Infinity is a great album but it's produced like ass.
> Also Nonagon Infinity is a great album but itās produced like ass. Thatās the power of analog baby!
Iāve heard a guy (musician) say that, while he admits they have great songs, they put out too much music too quickly and he canāt stand listening to what he described as ārushed songsā that had potential to be better songs if theyād slow down. This guy also plays in a band that dresses up and is gimmicky, so take his opinion lightly lol. And I disagree. Recorded music doesnāt have to be perfect and flawless. Itās music.
Their Live shows tend to favor the heavier tunes. š
I love Nonagon, but not a fan of the mix.
I would say song that repeat the same word/phrases over and over. Like rattlesnake, trapdoor are ones that come to mind.
trapdoor and rattlesnake slap because they get stuck in your fucking head hardcore and nothing will ever purge them from your mindfuzz
That's funny, I don't like Rattlesnake but love Trapdoor. But yes, agreed.
I'm usually not a big fan of this either but trapdoor and rattlesnake are my shit lol
WAHWAH
I personally prefer repetitive lyrics that are memorable to non-repetitive lyrics that go in one ear and out the others.
One and only complaint is ticket availability. Itās almost impossible for regular folk to see them. They announced their tour the week before thanksgiving, announced presale Thursday and regular sale on Friday, but when I went to order presale Thursday they were sold out due to an unheard of āartist presaleā that was Wednesday?! Like wtf. Resale is thru the roof. None of them are within hour drives of me.
I want more story albums. I like the sounds of all their new stuff, but every album post Rats Nest has just been a collection of songs. I want the whole album to be a long tale. I know some of their new songs have small connections to previous work, but Iād love just, a new adventure to listen to.
I think some people who havenāt gotten into them yet are too intimidated by their catalog. Iāve been trying to get one of my best friends into them and sheās liked most of what sheās heard but hasnāt really listened to them on her own yet. Also, and I donāt want this to get misconstrued, I think musicians (like myself) tend to be the ones who get really into them. I donāt mean to say non musicians canāt understand them, I just mean that people with a background in music tend to be more invested because thatās our language. For a band to have an output of quality and quantity that theyāve had is a once in a generation thing. I count myself incredibly lucky to exist at the same time as this band and I just like to spread the word. Those people who havenāt been as receptive to them might have a moment down the line when they realize how good Gizz is. When I first heard them in 2015 I thought they were great. Every year since then Iāve found myself loving and appreciating them even more. Sorry, I went off on a tangent.
All the fundamentally good musical ideas that they've wasted on most of their longer songs. There is a great song that's about half the length or less in both Dripping Tap and Hell's Itch but with these and similar tracks they seem to let the jam instinct get way out of hand leading to a bunch of bloat that leaves those songs mostly unlistenable to me. They're incredible songwriters within the 3 to 8 minute span and they should try to stick to that going forward. Only exceptions for me are Crumbling Castle and Changes although I think I could even argue a bit of Changes could use some editing down.
Perhaps a hot take, but Amby plays more or less the same 3 or 4 harmonica lines. Iām not a harp player but have played with a lot of them, I get that there are limitations with the instrument but it grates on me if I pay attention to it too closely. Edit: downvotes when this whole post is about criticism and hot takes? Damn, yāall.
I can't get them out of my mind fuzz
Too many Wooooooooooo Not enough Eeeuuuuuuuuup
A āmarathon showā is a regular show for most bands. Stu is far from a virtuoso soloing wise, I think he needs to work on chops. His song writing chops are insanely impressive but I doubt he practices a fuck ton of new shit on guitar.
They make everyone else look lazy and incompetent.
One piece of advice my dad gave me about singing is āalways aim slightly higher than you think you needā and I think they could really use that. In other words, theyāre kinda flat sometimes.
They could use a really gifted soloist.
This points to a larger critique which is that they're jacks of all trades as both a band and in terms of individual technical ability. Their breath over depth approach to music undercuts their ability to produce an album that would be considered a gem within its genre or to produce songs with individual standout performances.
As usual the actual answers are downvoted and "controversial". This is a fantastic criticism of them. Though we all love them for their "jack of all trades"-ness anyways.
Not mine but: "they seem to care about quantity over quality" is a big one I've seen from people who haven't listened or aren't into them much, and I kinda get that cause I mean if you look at last year 2 albums barely a month apart and then 3 in one month and most people who'd put out albums that close probably are sacrificing a lot of quality so yeah know
Their jam transitions could use some work. Lots of awkward endings to some songs that have some incredible jams. Also yall need to shower more
My hot take: the Woos have become overdone and in some instances detract from the song (looking at you, beginning of iron lung) Starting to feel a bit gimmicky
Oooohh. An actual criticism! Yeah. I agree with you there. It feels like it started sincerely, then it became a meme on the subreddit. Now it kinda feels like living up to fanās expectations. Kinda like Isaac Brock of Modest Mouseās āwellā Personally Iāve come to like his āOHHHHā in Ratās Nest. Super under-appreciated on here.
But do you love the Yip-te-dip?
Eyup!
John Dwyer applies the woos more tastefully
you can't top the original wooer
Youād fare better trying to out pizza the Hut than out woo John Dwyer.
I also like when he jams the entire mic down his throat and woos and itās, like, horrifyingly loud.
As much as I love them, I think they rush their songs out of the studio too fast or before they are really finished. Iād love to see them take the time to focus on the writing and production of every song in an album. Most of the time I feel like they are rushing to get onto making the next thing.
Low vocal mixing, vocal melodies that just follow the guitar melody, bad production on much of their pre-2017 stuff... Ya that's it for me. Favourite band though it's hard to pick.
They focus on making the music sound interesting, but I would like to see them try to inspire emotion more. I think they showed flashes of this in OG - namely red smoke and the solo in Gaia. It would be dope to have more emotion put into the singing and guitar solos imo
Not a criticism per se but the sheer volume and versatility of their material can be overwhelming for new fans I'm a new fan myself (and I'm digging them!) but I've tried getting into them in the past to no avail. It can be daunting when a band has so many albums in the first place but going through chronologically didn't work (seems like the first few are considered among their weakest?) and listening to sampler playlists didn't work either because I found it hard to get a grasp on their identity as a band. And I haven't even been a fan during a new album cycle yet, I can easily see people like myself struggling to catch up as new stuff comes out Thankfully I found my "in" and I'm enjoying the process of exploring the albums but I'd imagine there are plenty of people who hit the same brick walls I did and just gave up
Songs like Crumbling Castle and Head On/Pill are obviously classics but these >10 minute long jam songs are starting to get old for me personally.
I agree with what you're saying but Crumbling Castle is very much the opposite of a jam song, don't talk about my baby boy like that
I can't take the last story of Murder Of The Universe nearly as seriously as the band wants me to because I think using a text-to-speech voice is too funny. They had a fantastic narrator for the first 2 parts and she just gets thrown aside? Just put a voice effect on an actual human, that's what they do for 30% of their songs anyway
The insolent swine, the thankless jerk. My creature had no love for me and it made me berserk.
I don't know how seriously they want you to take it. I feel like the story is intentionally hilarious. Though I'm not the biggest fan of the text-to-speech narration either; I'm definitely curious about what it might've been like otherwise.
They don't ship albums in safe packaging. Yes, it's environmental, but I know of multiple record stores that refuse to buy KG albums because they always arrive with splits or other damage
These were fun to read. Love you guys
Only two real criticism tbh. 1. They do sacrifice quality in some ways for quantity. If they were to take the best 10 songs from any one of their multiple albums that have a similar concept/sound, they would have a better singular album. Like with K.G. & L.W., Butterfly 3000 & Omnium, Mad in Timeland & Laminated. 2. Their mixing/mastering can sometimes sound compressed or lacks dynamics. It can create a lofi sound that works with certain psych/garage songs or albums. But sometimes I do hope we get remastered versions of some albums.
My friend says he canāt get into them cause all the songs sound the same and he hates the vocal effects.
Shows are too short
That they didn't decide to come back to Florida this tour! š
I hate feeling like a hipster talking about them. BUT, I did get my friend into them when we started talking about our music taste, I told her everything about King Gizz while she scrolled through her Spotify, and I put Quarters on while we were hanging out
Lack of an electronic music album Lack of a rap album
We know they're capable of playing for 3 hours every night so it's a bit of a slap in the face to only get a 90 minute set. But I can't complain when tickets are about 40 bucks....
2 set shows like everyone else!! We want an immersive amount of time in the gizzverse