Karnivool
Throughout the years, certain musical acts have transcended their collective sum leaving footprints upon society's shared consciousness. Many of us will recall the first time we heard a band that had that sort of impact and the wash of upheaval those new sounds unleashed upon us. That power to capture imagination on a global scale has seemed alarmingly absent for years, that is, until now.
Hidden from the dirty fingers of the music machine Australia's Karnivool have built an empire in the dark. Banding together in Perth Western Australia, the most isolated capital city in the world, has sheltered the five-strong collective in a way that has given them the freedom to become a supremely powerful unit writing compelling and magnetic music. Now, after seven years of quiet evolution, all logistical concerns with distance and exposure to their exponentially increasing fan-base have faded; the flow has become a flood and the Karnivool experience has intoxicated an entire nation.
More doctrine than rock band, more movement than metal, Karnivool's arresting command of contemporary heavy music has thrust them to the fore of their native scene and threatens to do the same on an international scale. Built upon a ravenous exploration of melodic composition the Karnivool sound is anchored upon a sensory weight that can take the listener inside the intent, offering inclusion in an experience bigger than anything that can be perceived externally. It's this sense of connection with fragile moments that has garnered Karnivool a manic fan base of loyal followers, intent on assuring the band's swift ascent to the world stage.
Since the release of their critically acclaimed debut Themata in 2005, Karnivool have grown into their newfound role as Australia's most avant-garde heavy rock outfit and the calling cards of influence have been left behind. While cornerstones like Tool, Meshuggah and Soundgarden have all played their part in the band's adolescence, the material found on Themata is unique to Karnivool and their remote outpost of alternative rock excellence.
With the international music spot light quickly swinging toward Perth, Karnivool's lustre will surely shine brightest. With much of 2007 spent touring the US in support of Themata as well as working on writing album #2, Karnivool's inimitable presence will soon reach well beyond the walls of their lost music Mecca.