Through a thick haze of smoke, Brisbane stoner-doom collective Lizzard Wizzard have emerged loitering casually on the fringes of the local, heavy rock scene.
For guitarist/ vocalist Nick McKeon, the band is a good way to blow off steam by hanging with mates and making as much noise as possible. “We started the band because we just wanted an excuse to hang out,” he says.
“Because going to stoner-doom shows is the most relaxing thing you can do. It’s a very good catharsis. I get to spend time with my favourite little friends and it’s a great excuse to be loud as well.”
Swearing an oath to “create the most megalithic riffs”, Lizzard Wizzard have accrued a hearty collection of heavy, swampy tracks they’ve had reasonable success with marketing themselves through digital platforms. “We throw everything up on Bandcamp,” Nick says.
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“We’re not really fussed about physicals because I’ve been hurt before with vinyl records. We’ve got our [self-titled] full-length out for free, then brought an EP [‘Dankrupt’ 2015] out on 7” vinyl that’s done quite well.
“In January we put out our second full-length [‘Total War Bastard’], which is easily our best work. It’s a nine-song banger of songs that felt good together. We didn’t stress too much about making a big opus with violins and everything, we just put songs together and people really like it.”
Lizzard Wizzard are saying ‘sayonara’ for a bit as they venture out to conquer Japan with their monster riffs and brutal lyricism. “We’ve never been out of the country together so we’re a little frightened but we’re mostly excited,” Nick says.
Before they depart though, they will be performing at New Globe Theatre with Zong, Pullout Kings and Mammoth. “Whenever I get the chance to put on a line-up, I’ll get whatever bands I’ve been thinking about lately and whack them all together,” Nick says.
“We played with Zong recently, they’re fucking phenomenal. They’re a psych band who are very jam-based so you get the energy of these guys playing together. Pullout Kings are playing really weird, aggressive pulsing punk rock and I’m so excited to see them because I’ve only heard good things. And the final band Mammoth are these young dudes who I think just turned 21, so they’re allowed into venues now; they’re fantastic.”
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As Lizzard Wizzard make steady headway through the nebulous world of stoner-doom and prepare to take their sound international, Nick says that first and foremost the band has always been more about friends hanging out and maintaining their laidback approach.
“Because we’ve all got job and lives, it’s enough work that it’s very satisfying and we can just casually do it and weekend it [sic], do the small tours and we get a good response from that,” he says.
“It’s a loyal fan base of really nice people so that makes it a lot easier. At the shows people come up and they’re casual, nice people who want to hang out with you.”
