Their EP and first two albums, Willoughby's Beach (2011), 12 Bar Bruise (2012) and Eyes Like the Sky (2013), primarily blended surf music and garage rock, and were released on the band's independent record label, Flightless, founded by Moore in 2012. Their third to eighth albums—Float Along – Fill Your Lungs (2013), Oddments, I'm in Your Mind Fuzz (2014), Quarters!, Paper Mâché Dream Balloon (2015) and Nonagon Infinity (2016)—expanded their sound, including elements of film music, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, folk, jazz, soul and heavy metal.
In 2017, the band fulfilled a promise to release five studio albums within the year: Flying Microtonal Banana in February; Murder of the Universe in June; Sketches of Brunswick East, a collaboration with Mild High Club, in August; Polygondwanaland, which was released into the public domain, in November; and Gumboot Soup in December. The band released its fourteenth album, Fishing for Fishies, on 26 April 2019, followed by a fifteenth album, Infest the Rats' Nest, released on 16 August that year.
On the 19th of April they released their first feature-length film, concert movie "Chunky Shrapnel". Named after a lyric from the band’s 2017 song Murder Of The Universe, The film combines concert footage from the band’s 2019 European tour with documentary style-filmmaking of King Gizzard behind the scenes. While Chunky Shrapnel does also document the band offstage, the film’s director, Josh Angus Stewart, said that it prioritizes music over personalities.
Chunky Shrapnel was originally set to premiere at Melbourne’s Astor Theatre, before the Australian government closed cinemas nationwide to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The film was eventually released and finally available for 24 hours only on vimeo.
In all, throughout 2020, the band released several live albums, a concert film, a double compilation of demos, K.G. , their 16th studio album and a compilation of early singles and all the tracks on the Anglesea EP called Teenage Gizzard . In August, Eric Moore (the band's second drummer and manager) left the band to focus on running his record label, Flightless. In February 2021, the band released L.W., their third microtonal album, which was followed by the synth-based dream pop album Butterfly 3000 in June. These albums were released independently rather than on Flightless. The band's twentieth studio album, Omnium Gatherum, was released on 22 April 2022.
On 24 January 2023, the band released the official live bootleg Live At Red Rocks '22. The 86-track, eight-hour release documents the band's three-night run at the titular Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Several independent labels have created physical releases of the bootleg, including a 12-vinyl boxset and a CD/cassette run.
On 4 March of the same year, the band debuted a new song "Gila Monster" during a live performance in Tilburg in the Netherlands. Following that, on 7 May, the band announced their upcoming 24th studio album, PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation via Instagram. According to bassist Lucas Harwood, PetroDragonic Apocalypse will be one of two upcoming albums that will have a "Yin and Yang" concept, stating that they are "going to be very different sounding to each other, but we're going to try to make them complement each other". The album's first single, "Gila Monster", was released alongside a music video an hour before the album pre-order opened on May 16 and the second single "Dragon" was released on June 6 with its music video. The band then went on tour throughout the United States to promote the album before its release by playing songs from the album other than the singles. One such performance on 3 June was at the Caverns in Tennessee where the band dressed in drag to celebrate Pride Night after a judge turned down a law that intended to ruled drag unlawful. Joey Walker told the crowd, "This ain't no protest, baby. This is a celebration!" PetroDragonic Apocalypse was released on 16 June.
The band members all grew up and went to school in the Deniliquin, Melbourne and Geelong areas. The band started off as a group of friends jamming together, before a mutual friend asked them to play at a show. The band's name was created "last minute". Mackenzie wanted to name the band "Gizzard Gizzard" while another band member wanted Jim Morrison's nickname "Lizard King". They eventually compromised with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The artist Jason Galea has created all of the band's album art, and a majority of their music videos.
Nuclear Fusion
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reflecting in your eyes from a distance
Mirror in disguise of [?]
Mix it up like a cocktail
The devil's inside of the detail
The devil runs wild under veil
Coming together in the pattern
Nuclear fusion
All the programming couldn't break us
Exponentially heightened power
We're essentially one being
All the programming couldn't tear us
From eventually giving tightly
We're essentially one being
Nuclear fusion
Ocean like a [?]
Separating me from restoration
My spirit leaves my body in frustration
Flying through the world in radiation
The devil's inside of the detail
The devil runs wild under veil
Coming together in the pattern
Fit tightly like a dovetail
Nuclear fusion
All the programming couldn't break us
Exponentially heightened power
We're essentially one being
All the programming couldn't tear us
From eventually building tightly
We're essentially one being
Nuclear fusion
All that I ever see is nuclear fusion
All that I ever hear is nuclear fusion
(Nuclear fusion)
The lyrics of "Nuclear Fusion" by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are quite interesting and abstract. The first verse talks about looking into the sky and seeing a pattern reflecting in one's eyes from a distance, which could be a metaphor for the unity of the universe in everything around us. The mirror in disguise could represent how we view ourselves and our perception of the world. The line "Mix it up like a cocktail" could be a reference to the mixing of different elements to create something new and powerful.
The chorus talks about the power of coming together and creating something greater than oneself. The devil, which is often associated with chaos and destruction, is inside the detail and runs wild under the veil, emphasizing the importance of taking notice of the smaller details to create something greater. The song then goes on to describe the frustration of being separated from restoration, possibly referring to the healing power of coming together and the frustrations of being apart.
The second verse describes the spirit leaving the body in frustration, yet flying through the world in radiation, which could be a reference to the power of radiation and energy. The chorus repeats the message of coming together and creating something greater through nuclear fusion.
Overall, "Nuclear Fusion" encourages the idea of unity and the power of coming together to create something greater than oneself. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but the underlying message of the song is clear.
Line by Line Meaning
Look into the sky and see the pattern
Observe the sky to recognize the formation
Reflecting in your eyes from a distance
It's visible in your eyes even from afar
Mirror in disguise of [?]
Something is hiding behind a reflective surface
Mix it up like a cocktail
Combine all the elements together
The devil's inside of the detail
The danger is often hidden in the small things
The devil runs wild under veil
The unknown is full of risks
Coming together in the pattern
Unifying in the formation
Fit tightly like a dovetail
Fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces
Nuclear fusion
Combining forces to create immense power
All the programming couldn't break us
Even external manipulation couldn't divide us
Exponentially heightened power
The combined force is growing by the second
We're essentially one being
We become a single entity by fusing together
All the programming couldn't tear us
Even external forces couldn't break us apart
From eventually giving tightly
Persistently and gradually becoming tightly fused
Ocean like a [?]
Something vast and unexplored lies ahead
Separating me from restoration
Preventing me from regaining my energy
My spirit leaves my body in frustration
Feeling like a drained life form
Flying through the world in radiation
Moving through the world like a radioactive being
All that I ever see is nuclear fusion
All I see is immense power from the fusion
All that I ever hear is nuclear fusion
All I hear is the sound of the fusion
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Joseph Walker, Stuart Douglas Mackenzie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reza A Chandra
Look into the sky and see the pattern
Reflecting in your eye from a distance
Mirroring the stars are the atoms
Mixing up like a cocktail
The devil's inside all the detail
The tittle runs wild under veil
Coming together in the pattern
Fit tightly like a dovetail
Nuclear fusion
All the bonds that be couldn't break us
Exponentially in fine feather
We're essentially one being
All the bonds that be couldn't tear us
From eventually fusing tightly
We're essentially one being
Nuclear fusion
Ocean like a moat fortification
Separating me from restoration
My spirit leaves my body in frustration
Flying through the world in radiation
The devil's inside all the detail
The tittle runs wild under veil
Coming together in the pattern
Fit tightly like a dovetail
Nuclear fusion
All the bonds that be couldn't break us
Exponentially in fine feather
We're essentially one being
All the bonds that be couldn't tear us
From eventually fusing tightly
We're essentially one being
Nuclear fusion
All that I ever see is nuclear fusion
All that I ever hear is nuclear fusion
(Nuclear fusion)
Hasan Furkan Coşkun
Look into the sky and see the pattern
Reflecting in your eye from a distance
Mirroring the stars are the atoms
Mixing up like a cocktail
[Pre-Chorus]
The devil's inside all the detail
The tittle runs wild under veil
Coming together in the pattern
Fit tightly like a dovetail
[Chorus]
Nuclear fusion
All the bonds that be couldn't break us
Exponentially in fine feather
We're essentially one being
All the bonds that be couldn't tear us
From eventually fusing tightly
We're essentially one being
Nuclear fusion
[Verse 2]
Ocean like a moat fortification
Separating me from restoration
My spirit leaves my body in frustration
Flying through the world in radiation
[Pre-Chorus]
The devil's inside all the detail
The tittle runs wild under veil
Coming together in the pattern
Fit tightly like a dovetail
[Chorus]
Nuclear fusion
All the bonds that be couldn't break us
Exponentially in fine feather
We're essentially one being
All the bonds that be couldn't tear us
From eventually fusing tightly
We're essentially one being
Nuclear fusion
[Outro]
All that I ever see is nuclear fusion
All that I ever hear is nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion
Bismuth Crystal
I'm quite confident I've heard every version of this song on the internet and on CD. Thus, I can say quite confidently that this is the best version of this song.
mrktrb
it all because of "nuclear fusioyoyoyoyoyoyoyoyon"
sgtpepper6379
Every song they play on kexp seems to be the best version of that song
Paul Reynolds
Totally.
Corbinisms
@Cole Fisher Well, yeah, live-in-person is going to generally be way better than any recording. If you only include the versions that have been recorded and posted online, I have to agree that this is the best version.
Cole Fisher
Saw them live last night. It was better. The throat singing intro sounded like the album but went for even longer. They are amazing.
ShadowKirito
They should put this version on Spotify
Lolo
and still sound like shit but in ogg, naaahh. Just stay in hi-compressed mp3 or get the FLACS
Omar Shahnawaz
Oh yeah definitely
JustARandomDude
All KEXP performances should be on spotify ahaha