Live Review: Karnivool, Born Lion

Opening with adrenaline-rushing riffs and edgy style, Sydney brought us Born Lion, who have what it takes to draw a crowd. The four-piece had their die-hard fans dancing and singing along to the punk-seasoned rock act, channelling pure energy to impress their crowd. These guys seemed like genuine rock'n'roll fanatics who eat, sleep and breath the life. Bassist Nathan Mulholland almost broke some equipment by playing too hard and throwing himself around the stage. The drummer's mix between half-time and standard time beats really made for a unique style; their breakdowns and dissonant chord choice left a chill down people's spine. They really rocked out before thanking the headliners for the occasion.

Without further ado, Karnivool drew the most enthusiastic cheer when the chime of opener Simple Boy played, leaving the crowd in awe. Ian Kenny showcased his dynamic vocal range on Themata while a bare-footed Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking demonstrate their generous guitar skill. A flow of more songs from the Themata album, COTE and Shutterspeed, had fans of their early work moshing heavily and screaming out to Kenny as he bopped and fist bumped to the music. Drummer Steve Judd boasted his impeccable body, blasting his iconic intro to Goliath shirtless while Goddard and Hosking played gentle harmonies on their guitars throughout. Bassist Jon Stockman was a highlight of the show with his high-calibre energy and high-end riffs to match. These guys had fans in an almost swooning-like state. The band left for an intermission, which had the crowd chanting and yelling drunken mantras, until they decided to return once more to the stage. Kenny brought out the acoustic guitar towards the end of the show which added a contrasting moment of magic to their otherwise driving, heavy prog-rock style. Goddard made a speech to his family and friends who were able to view the band playing from the balcony above, which gave the concert more of a personal touch. The band left everyone really chuffed about the performance and people in the crowd yelled words of love to the band before they left the stage.