It’s been a while since I’ve heard anything from Tool and it’s been even longer since there was a sign of life from A Perfect Circle. But seeing as I still need my fix of atmospheric rock/metal from time to time, I needed to look elsewhere. And that’s where Australia’s Karnivool comes into play. These guys already caused some waves with 2005’s “Themata” but haven’t stopped growing and evolving since as they show on “Sound Awake”, their first album on major Sony.
They immediately set the bar very high for themselves with opener “Simple Boy”, a moody motherfucker of a song if there ever was one. A gnarly bass line and weird guitar sounds take the lead while vocalist Ian Kenny soars over it all sounding not unlike a more playful James Maynard Keenan. It seems too good to be true but Karnivool has no problems keeping things equally interesting throughout the remainder of the album with songs like “New Day”, “Set Fire To The Hive” and “All I Know”. Or just check out the 12-minute long “Deadman” that doesn’t bore for a single second… kudos to any band capable of pulling that off!
It’s since Dredg’s “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion” that I’ve encountered a band with an equally impressive sound. These Perth natives managed to couple a brooding atmosphere and beautiful melodies to a great use of dynamics and a lush production and it results in one of the best rock albums you are likely to hear all year.
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.sonymusic.be
http://www.karnivool.com.au
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