Album Review: Karnivool - Asymmetry

When Karnivool first landed on our collective aural platter in 2005, it was with a flurry of guitars, rhythms and the poignant-yet-strained vocals of singer Ian Kenny. They arrived with little fanfare, from the far-flung Western Australian shores, but they were sure-footed and mature, willing to push themselves as far as they had to. International success followed off the back of their much-acclaimed second album, 2009's Sound Awake, and those who bore witness to the band around that time will attest to the quality of not only their music but also their live delivery.

So the band's third record, Asymmetry, comes with some pretty serious expectations. For anyone who was worried about a dip in form, however, fear not. This is a fucking pearler of a rock album, and deserves to be included in any conversation about the best Australian albums come the end of the year.

The band's ambitions have never been as pronounced as they are on Asymmetry, their mixing of rhythms, tempos and time signatures a breathtaking achievement of a band at their peak. Comparisons with Tool are inevitable such is the complicated nature of Karnivool's sound, but whereas it looked like the band were destined for the 'also-ran' pile after the success of Kenny's other band, the mainstream and populist Birds of Tokyo, it's all systems go for the five-piece.

Produced by Nick DiDia (Rage Against the Machine, Powderfinger's best stuff), Asymmetry has all the elements of an epic record; 14 tracks and 67 minutes' worth of brilliant songwriting, devoted band members who never hog the spotlight, and knowing that the fans will absolutely lap it up.

The result: Purely said, Asymmetry is awesome.