Live Review: Karnivool @ The Croxton Hotel
Oh Eli Khamarov, why must you always prove me wrong? That overly pervasive quote, “The best things in life are often those that are least expected, because there were no expectations” is a real ass-kicker. After all, who of anyone would’ve guessed that veteran Perth prog-rockers Karnivool would play one of the most jawdroppingly brilliant shows of 2016 on a damp evening at Melbourne’s Croxton Hotel? Certainly not this middle-of-the-road skeptic.
Last time the enigmatic quintet made their presence felt was with their 2013 effort ‘A Symmetry’ . Of course one could appreciate that their signature prog-metal sound hadn’t been compromised by lead singer Ian Kenny’s newfound fame with Birds of Tokyo. But there still seemed to be a lack of drive, or dare I say progression. As opposed to the immensely distinct change from the alternative, nu-metal of 2005’s ‘Themata’ to the nuanced, progressive metal of ‘Sound Awake’, the group’s third album outlined something of an identity crisis for these five unassuming West Australians. But sold-out stickers don’t lie, the faithful ‘voolies weren’t going anywhere.
“It’s difficult to ignore that these guys have been jamming since 1997 when they’re tighter than any young band could beg to sound.”
With subtle hints on social media of an impending album release, last Thursday night was lumped with more than a few stickybeaks. “Are they promoting a new record? Are they still promoting ‘Asymmetry’? Are they just dusting off the gits?”. Well, in hindsight it didn’t really matter. Karnivool could’ve stood up there for two straight hours, arm in arm singing Kumbaya and it still would’ve sounded nothing short of face melting. Instead (and probably more appropriately) they opened with fan favourite Goliath, thus establishing that the ‘Pre-Animation Tour’ is not a promotion for their last record. You don’ t have to be a recurrent reader of ‘War and Peace’ to realise that this was some flabbergasting show of strength.
Listening to Goliath live, with its ferocious bass and Ian Kenny’s resounding vocals, is like a straight, adrenaline-fuelled punch to the gut. The same can be said for the following Simple Boy and We Are, with the latter allowing the band to fully showcase their technical cohesiveness. At six minutes running time, We Are is blatantly tricky to figure out; it’s littered with irregular stop-start sections and is about as bafflingly layered as Karnivool has ever sounded. So a live version would be pretty tricky to endure, and not just for the band, right? Try again! It’s difficult to ignore that these guys have been jamming since 1997 when they’re tighter than any young band could beg to sound. The subsequent performance of Set Fire to the Hive only reiterated this point.
Anyone who’s familiar with this song would be well aware of how powerful it is. Heard live it’s almost pleasantly overwhelming. The buildup, the breakdowns, the rolling drum beat, the face melting chorus, it all fell perfectly into place. Karnivool followed with a pair of unreleased, untitled new tracks. Not being the slightest bit familiar with either, the signs were actually very impressive. Extended intersecting jams, excellent guitar work from both Andrew Goddard and Mark Hosking, and (surprise, surprise) some stellar vocals from Ian Kenny, are rarely a losing combination.
“Violent Soho? DZ Deathrays? Never heard of them. This is how a fearless, endurant rock band looks and sounds in 2016!”
But it wasn’t until All I Know received a run through that the full potential of this group was well and truly felt. The build up to the track’s impressive chorus and Kenny’s lyrics, “Say once more/Say it again/And is this the end of all I know?”, soaring over the packed house like an air raid siren was a true ‘holy sh*t’ moment in every sense. Even those not familiar to the band responded with incessant whooping and applause. Throwbacks to the band’s tender years of madcap dabbling in nu-metal came in the form of Roquefort and Themata, which even if slightly antiquated as a result of the band’s current prog aesthetic, were still satisfying.
New Day capped off the evening in foreseeably Karnivoolesque fashion, teasing the audience with extended instrumental sections and subsequently clobbering their skull in with a climax so huge you’d have to be Friedrich Nietzsche’s bastard son to not be impressed. The skeptics (myself included) finally got their comeuppance. This bashful evening at Melbourne’s revitalised Croxton Hotel gave Karnivool leeway to remind everyone just how pivotal they’ve been for Australian music over the previous decade.
In the strict confines of the national music population Karnivool remain a singularity, faithfully pushing heavy rock and metal whilst still willing to experiment without fear of cold-shouldering or disrepute. A sold-out tour and impeding new material is the emboldened public statement that shows Karnivool are still the proverbial measuring stick of Australian hard rock.
Violent Soho? DZ Deathrays? Never heard of them. This is how a fearless, endurant rock band looks and sounds in 2016!
Check out our Photo Gallery of Karnivool’s Brisbane show HERE and read our interview with Karnivool’s Mark Hosking HERE
Karnivool ‘Reanimation’ Tour
TUE 8 NOV
Metro City, Perth
THU 10 NOV
The Barton, Adelaide
FRI 11 NOV
Festival Hall, Melbourne
SAT 12 NOV
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
SUN 13 NOV
Riverstage, Brisbane
Get Tickets HERE
