Karnivool

Band members

• Current line-up
  • Drew Goddard (guitar)
  • Mark Hosking (guitar)
  • Steve Judd (drums)
  • Ian Kenny (vocals)
  • Jon Stockman (bass)

• Former members
  • Andrew Brown (bass) (1998 - 2000)
  • Ray Hawking (drums) (2000 - 2004)
  • Brett McKenzie (drums) (1998 - 2000)

Website

karnivool.com.au

Formed

Perth, WA, 1997

Band information

Karnivool is a progressive metal band that is currently one of Australia's most popular touring and recording bands, having scored a national #2 album, had several songs included on Triple J's annual Hottest Top 100 survey and appeared at all the large summer festivals as well as several in the US and Europe. Vocalist Ian Kenny formed the band in 1997 as an alternative metal unit from the remains of what was essentially a band playing popular metal and grunge songs at parties. By 1998 he had recruited Andrew Brown, Drew Goddard and Brett McKenzie into the band's first real stable line-up. The next year Karnivool released a self-titled EP and shortly afterwards Brown and McKenzie were replaced by Jon Stockman and Ray Hawking.

This configuration of the band released the EP "Persona" in 2001 that would eventually win them a WAMi Award for Most Popular Local Original Song (for "Fade") and the group itself won Best Original Metal Act, an award it would win every year until 2009 when it was won by The Devil Rides Out. They also won the state final of the National Campus Band Competition and opened for Fear Factory in Perth. Karnivool was also selected to support Rollins Band but that show was cancelled due to the Ansett Airlines collapse. In 2003, Mark Hosking joined the band and Goddard and Kenny went to work on writing for the debut album, which was released in February 2005 to universal acclaim. The album featured Goddard on drums as well as guitar (except on "L1FEL1KE", recorded while Hawking was still a member), with Steve Judd joining the band after it was completed. The title track was voted in at #97 in the 2005 Triple J Hottest 100 and an alternative version of "Roquefort" featuring members of The Cat Empire contributing brass made #45 the following year; their cover of the Gotye track "The Only Way" hit #62 in 2007. In 2007 the album was released in the US and Europe and Karnivool toured through the United States. At the same time, Kenny had formed his second band Birds of Tokyo whose debut album Day One was released in 2007.

2008 was spent working on the follow-up and appearing on the national festival circuit as well as their own tours, during which they debuted several new songs. Sound Awake was released on June 9, 2009 and immediately peaked at #2 on the ARIA Chart and two of its songs also made the 2009 Hottest 100. Tours of Australia, New Zealand, the US and UK followed. Overseas touring continued well into 2010 with the band appearing at Sonicsphere in the UK and after another national tour Karnivool took a break to allow Kenny to focus some time on Birds of Tokyo. Jon Stockman began working with F L O A T I N G M E during this period. Karnivool has since announced a mid-year Australian tour for 2011.

Discography

Albums:

	2005	Themata	self release
	2009	Sound Awake	Cymatic

Singles:

	2003	L1FEL1KE	Faultline
	2005	Shutterspeed	self release
	2005	Themata	self release
	2009	Set Fire to the Hive	Cymatic
	2009	All I Know	Cymatic

EPs:

	1999	Karnivool	self release
	2001	Persona	Sic Squared