Karnivool, FingerprintResistant, Antistatic @ ANU,Canberra, 28/09/06

Fri 29th Sep, 2006 in Gig Reviews

Antistatic kicked of a night of hard rock at the ANU with a sound reminiscent of
At The Drive In and fellow Perth band Heavy Weight Champ. The crowd was
slowly gathering in the ANU Bar, and the small group towards the front was showing their
appreciation for Antistatic. Filled with crunchy bass lines and a generally rocking sound, it
was a great way to kick off the night.

When Fingerprint Resistant kicked off their set their was a visible change in
intensity at the front of the stage. Those people who’d just been playing pool at the back
of the bar had come forward to sample the music on offer. Fingerprint Resistant have quite
an unusual arrangement with the drummer being responsible for the majority of the
singing. Whilst he has quite an impressive rock voice there were times when it was hard to
connect with the band because there was no one up the front. The three-piece carved
their way through their set of melodic rock, with the crowd becoming more enthusiastic as
their set progressed.

Karnivool have done the hard yards touring for the best part of the year in
support of their current release, Themata. It is arguably one of the best releases of
the year and combined with their constant touring, it has seen them go from strength to
strength as their fan base keeps increasing. Tonight however the full refectory at the ANU
may not have been the right choice of venue, as it was only just over half full. With so
much empty space it dented the atmosphere of the night somewhat. In hindsight it may
have been better to set up with the stage facing the bar, whilst reducing capacity it would
have created a more intimate feeling in the venue.

Even before a note had been played you could feel the excitement building within the
crowd. When Karnivool kicked into Roquerfort it incited a frenetic reaction towards
the front of the crowd. Playing a fairly similar set to the last few tours, it featured material
mainly from Themata as well as a couple of old favourites such as Fade and
Headcase. Other highlights from the set included Fear of The Sky and the
closing song, Themata. Themata was recently featured on Australian Idol, a
feat I’m sure most Australian hard rock acts would strive for.

Ian Kenny takes you on a journey throughout the songs, with a vocal range almost as
wide as that of his facial expressions. From subtle melodies, which included dropping
Chris Issak’s Wicked Game into the middle of Lifelike, to the all out
metal attack of Scarabs, Karnivool have every part of the word “rock” covered. Every
member of Karnivool is exceptionally talented – Mr Kenny and his great vocals; the
combined assault of guitarists Hoss and Drew; Jon with his basslines that make you want to
dance like no one’s watching; and Steve’s precision drumming, the have it all covered.

Karnivool have reached the upper echelons of the Australian hard rock scene, alongside
bands like Cog and The Butterfly Effect. With a new album due in early 2007
things can only get better for Karnivool.