Review Summary: As an introduction to Karnivool, this album has won me over with its hard, dense rhythms and raw sound. The album feels very polished, and goes in a million directions while still keeping together.
Sound Awake was truly my first notable experience in hearing Karnivool. Before Sound Awake, I had heard a couple of tunes from their first album, Themata, and I was very impressed. I remember Fear of the Sky ending up one of my favorite hard rock songs for a while. After buying the album, I popped it into my computer, expecting to hear more of the same excellence they had crafted before. What I heard frankly amazed me. The album began with buzzing static before a dense rhythm entered on full blast, reminding me somewhat of a few songs by The Mars Volta. It was immediately apparent to me that Karnivool had taken a much more progressive direction, one that I feel paid off in the end.
Sound Awake is a very hard album to categorize in the fact that it takes a million different directions at once, yet all seems to still follow the same, unified path. Every song is very solidly written, and each has both catchy choruses and completely unique sections of avant garde in between. Karnivool really develop a unique sound here, mixing in alternative/metal influences with complex, progressive rock. The album feels very raw and off the hook, yet still amazingly together and polished.
I think it would be impossible for me to pick any favorites from this album, because every track is so special in its own way. Each has its own unique elements, and yet does not drift too far away as to blend in with the rest of the songs into one concrete idea. Although I can't pick any favorites, Illumine and Umbra stick out for me, the former having a wonderful melody to it, and the latter giving the feeling of angst, frustration and aggression, which ironically is just what the band wanted - they wrote the song while out of their comfort zone, in uncomfortable writing situations, which they wanted to be felt.
The album progresses well throughout, and eventually reaches the final two numbers (Deadman and Change), both of which exceed ten minutes in length. it is here which every aspect of the band can be set forth, wild and rampant. These two tracks are an excellent, and epic way to end such a great album; Deadman even features a reworking of Change (Part One) from Themata, a special treat to attentive fans.
As an introduction to Karnivool, this album set the bar high for me, and I am very curious to see how the future looks for the band. Their sound is raw and tense, and their ideas fly off in all directions while still maintaining the same feel throughout.
