[Review] Karnivool - Asymmetry

Karnivool is a prog rock/metal quintet from Perth that has often been compared to Tool by a number of reasons, musical or not; their dark sound, sometimes cryptic lyrics, polyrythms and odd time signatures have drawn comparisons between both. Curiously enough they share the last three letters out of their names and a tendency to take 4 or 5 years between releases.

But how deep do these similarities go? Well, Karnivool has made certain that they draw a line between both bands with their new record, Asymmetry.

The band has incorporated a few elements from hardcore and post rock, the songs are mostly fast, equally melodic and agressive, the guitar arrangements often sound loose and more like part of the background sound of the band than something that is meant to draw attention, leaving that role to vocals and drums. Both guitars and bass mix and melt into a wall of sound that surrounds the listener. The production contributes to this feeling, even when there's not a lot of layers to pick apart, the guitars are often hard to tell from each other in the noisiest parts, and drums feel like they are mixed too loud, with cymbals that sound too distorted and trebly.

Overall the album pays homage to it's name. Asymmetry can be easily divided in two halves, the first being compact and comprised of mostly upbeat songs, with The Refusal peaking in agressivity. The second, much more melodic and laid back, has some songs separated by long ambient and instrumental interludes. This, in my opinion, is not inherently good or bad. While it feels like the album lacks focus or a clear background idea it also keeps things from getting stale; for an album that clocks at about 67 minutes having most of it composed of songs like those in the first half would tire the listener too fast. The lyrics deal mostly with existencialism (though not exclusively), with lines like "Try to understand/ There is no great plan/ We will cross the line/ With an open mind" and "I want us to face the shape we're in/ A world of confusion awaits our sons and kin/ Let's reset it all".

There's no doubt this album is a grower, while initially it feels like it goes nowhere, once you memorize some of the songs and review the flow of the album in your head, the rest starts to sink in slowly and then it becomes a much more rewarding experience. Show patience and you'll see the results soon enough.

7.5/10