It was no secret that the recording of Karnivool’s second album, Sound Awake, was less than pleasant. There were no Pennywise-style blow-ups, but it was an arduous journey that somehow managed to result in a killer album. Karnivool seem to like to take their time between releases, with Asymmetry coming in as only album number three in their 14+ year career. It’s hardly a deliberate marketing choice though; they’re not a gimmicky band forcing some sort of extending musical foreplay before dropping their latest opus like The Temper Trap, it just seems to work out that way. The time in between, however, creates all manner of speculation and expectation, with naysayers awaiting their spectacular downfall. The haters will be waiting even longer because somehow, Karnivool have done it yet again. As the opening track, Aum, begins with all of its ethereal and haunting glory, it becomes clear that Asymmetry is an entirely new experience. Leading with the single The Refusal was perhaps a flawed decision; while it is a good song in its own right, it’s blatant hardcore sound painted a deceptive picture of the album it preceded.
While every band lays claim to “breaking new ground” each time they enter the studio, Karnivool mean it. Ian Kenny’s immediately identifiable vocals twist and contort outside of their comfort zone, while the rhythms of Jon Stockman and Steve Judd jar and push in equal measure. The production influence of Nick DiDia (Rage Against The Machine, Mastodon) trickles into tracks like Nachash and A.M. War, but it never sounds as though he has pushed Karnivool into a realm they uncomfortably inhabit. Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking shine, taking their almost scientific riffs into uncharted territory. When they chose to explode, they do so with the brute force of an atom bomb and yet there are countless moments on this album where Karnivool pull things right back. In these moments, they sound more like they’re creating a terrifying and desolate soundscape than an assaulting rock song. The softer moments come as a surprise – like when Float follows The Last Few – and on the first few listens of the album, you’d be excused for feeling completely confused. But there is a mood that persists through the entire album; there is a cohesion to the madness – everything is deliberate, everything works and everything is in its right place.
BY KRISSI WEISS
Best Track: Eidolon
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: The Afterman COHEED & CAMBRIA, Lateralus TOOL, Advaitic Songs OM
In A Word: Mammoth
