The last time Sydney got a taste of W.A. prog-metal juggernaut Karnivool was at last year’s Homebake. It was a set filled with energy, but plagued with major sound issues. It was also a premiere for fans of several new songs that the band planned to release on their long-awaited second album. Fast forward to June 2009, and things have certainly changed in the world of the – œVool.

The album, years in the making, has finally emerged in the form of the sensational Sound Awake, and fans now know all the words to those unknown songs they had heard before. This brought them to a chilly Wednesday night at the Metro, hotly anticipating how these new tunes would be executed live.

Our evening commenced with a set from alt-rock quintet Sugar Army. From the outset, it was a very nice touch for Karnivool to not forget their roots and bring out a fellow W.A. band out on the road with them. How well the band’s more melodic and dance-oriented brand of rock went down with some of the stern-faced devotees is anyone’s guess; but for what it’s worth, the band had some highly formidable material on offer.

Tongues in Cheeks married spiky post-punk guitars with fast-paced, mechanical rhythms, whilst punchy single Now That You’re Old Enough was executed with such energy and confidence the band could have been mistaken for a headlining act rather than the opener.

Naturally, there were moments in their set which were shaky and a little too loosely conducted; but one could put this down much more to nerves than amateurishness. After all, how often does a little Perth band get to play one of Sydney’s best known venues to a packed-out crowd? Vocalist Patrick McLaughlin mentioned the band’s upcoming debut album, The Parallels Amongst Ourselves, to be released next month. Luckily for them, they’ll certainly have at least a handful of interested Sydney punters ready to grab a copy.

Next up was what the sold-out crowd was in hot anticipation for. Points awarded to the boys for performing their own soundcheck…but points off for pulling the Metro curtains so that they couldn’t be seen. Come on, gentlemen, it’s hardly a way to create the mystique when vocalist Ian Kenny could be clearly heard shouting “Check! Check!” whilst Gotye’s Like Drawing Blood blasted over the PA.

Despite this pretentious flaw, all was forgiven the second the set’s proceedings commenced, fittingly enough, with Sound Awake opener Simple Boy. Any question as to whether the band would be able to successfully execute the new material live was answered in a matter of minutes. The five musicians on stage beautifully weaved their way through jagged rhythmic changes, three-part vocal harmonies, intricate guitar melodies and thick, versatile bass lines. Everything, essentially, that makes Karnivool great on record makes them even better in concert. Despite the occasionally overbearing instrumentation, Kenny’s soaring vocals never once got buried in the mix – although the two microphones used in Set Fire to the Hive proved to be a trifle unnecessary.

Whilst the new material was a treat to see performed (highlights including Goliath, New Day and Deadman ), it was no secret that the crowd’s strongest love lay with material from Themata. Some of the set’s defining moments came with the ovation the band received for Shutterspeed, Roquefort and, of course, the anthemic title track – the rousing energy in the mosh practically dared you not to sing along. The impression that the crowd was given by the band turned out to be a mutual feeling – guitarist Drew Goddard commented several times how grateful the band was for such a strong following on the other side of the country.

The night came to a close with Change; both parts amalgamated to be played as it was originally intended. And what an absolute treat it was to finally hear it as such, from the bombastic full-band energy right down to Kenny on his lonesome with an acoustic guitar. The song reached the epitomical capabilities of the band in terms of dynamics, progression and genuine musicianship – their opus, if you will.

As the song came to a close, the band slowly vacated their instruments one by one and exited stage right as a single entity to deafening roars of approval. This was a thoroughly impressive performance from a band going from strength to strength, both in terms of their albums and in terms of their live presence. What’s left of 2009 could prove to be Karnivool’s biggest year yet if they play their cards right. Watch this space.