This would be the second time I would go and see Karnivool live and to be honest I was torn in my expectations. The first time I saw them I was slightly let down, not so much by the band themselves, who by all accounts put on an impressive performance, but muddied sound and an overly aggressive crowd.

Don’t get me wrong I love a good mosh as much as the next red blooded male but ignoring the music completely and forming death circles to slow ballads with skin heads is asking a bit much. On the flip side of this the Vool had since released the more measured mature second album and were playing at the highly cultured Forum Theatre.

Punters are given more than ample body room as support act Sugar Army take to the stage. They kick into a gear reminiscent of Incubus’s driving funk laden prog rock. Mix this with the very English brand of indie purveyed by such bands as Cajan Dance Party or The Music and you will have some idea of the Sugar Army’s sound. The band fire through songs in quick succession showing a veracity they struggle to reproduce in the audience.

Front man Patrick Mclaughlin comments several times on the audiences quietness, it’s not as if the crowd seems disinterested or unappreciative of the band, they just aren’t energised by it. This is a shame because Sugar Army’s music is the kind that can be both danced or moshed to in equal measure. Ian Berney’s throbbing bass is definitely the focus in the mix, equal parts groove and thrash. The only problem is that it occasionally drowns out Todd Honey’s guitar lines. On several occasions the band utilise idealic beat drops maintaining their energy throughout the set. Since I don’t know the bands material at all nothing in particular stood out to me but it all sounded good and I await their debut album eagerly.

By the time Karnivool arrive we are shown what a sold out Forum Theatre should look like. As the lights are taken down the familiar hum of the new albums opening track Simple Boy is interrupted by the fuzzy image of a scholarly old man talking about the science and philosophy of sound. Then to uproarious applause the band enters and the melodically dark ambience of the song takes hold. The vocals of Ian Kenny lift us above the malaise before dropping us into the fire as he gently wails, – œyou’re free to go’.

The LED screens and lighting are expressively utilised throughout the show conjuring connections to the sci-fi influenced performances of Tool and Nine Inch Nails. The Baritone of Jon Stockman’s six string bass rumbles through the body of the building. Added to this the dual guitars of Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking and Steve Judd (hitting the symbols as softly as he hits the drums with ferocity) play through almost note perfect versions of the majority of tracks from Sound Awake.

The standouts being the vastness of the tragic New Day and the building pressure of DeadMan and it’s release through the screams of, – œI need it… I need it’. The best thing about a sell out show is that each and every person here loves this band, they hang on Kenny’s every word and throughout the show I can hear the sound of people singing along. Kenny’s eccentricity is captivating to watch as he conducts the audience or band in a manic display of arms and neck.
In contrast to the slow burn wonder and awe of the new songs are the key tracks from first album Themata. It is at these clearly marked points that the audience really lets loose, and the first crowd surfers emerge for title track Themata, Cote and Roquefort. The beauty of the Forum itself doesn’t go unnoticed either Kenny remarking that it is the nicest looking place they have played at, with the nude statues and columns.

The band left the stage without warning, before the guy in front of me began the chant of ‘Karnivool’ and then failed to get the same support behind Waltzing Matilda and the national anthem. After a short interlude they return to the stage for the magnum opus of Change. The closing track of Sound Awake is a four part piece of Operatic proportions, in line with Bohemian Rhapsody or Paranoid Android. Opening with Kenny’s sultry vocals before progressing through a full band work out. Ending with Judd’s subdued drum solo the sheer scale of this song means it could only ever close the show.

As the lights are raised the explosion of James Brown’s Sex Machine comes over the PA. A more contrasting song choice could not have been made and yet it somehow suits the mood perfectly as a large proportion of the room express their exhilaration at the show just ended by singing along. In the end the combination of the venue and new material more than conquered any reservations I had about Karnivool’s live performance.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW HERE