Karnivool first caught my attention with their 2005 debut album, Themata. It was a great, energetic album that showed the band had a real knack for writing heavy yet catchy and atmospheric songs. This is the band's second album and it takes a calmer, more rock focused approach than the last album, though there is still some heaviness in many of the songs. This album also seems to focus more on writing complex songs rather than just a verse-chorus approach, though there are still plenty of memorable choruses and vocal lines.

The opening song Simple Boy starts with some distorted electronic sounds and then what sounds like a marimba or possibly a vibraphone. The bass and guitars soon come in along with the high, clean vocals of Ian Kenny. His vocals and the rhythm created by the drums and bass are what stand out most in this song, the electric guitar providing background ambiance much of the time. While this song is pretty heavy, we aren't presented with the same catchy riffs that defined much of the previous album, though I still enjoyed it even if it does run a bit longer than necessary in my opinion. Goliath brings in a lot more heavy and interesting guitar riffs and a catchy verse and chorus that make this a memorable track. There is also some varied vocal work here with many guest vocalists listed in the liner notes for this track, though Kenny's are the most prevalent and recognizable. New Day starts out softly with simple guitar work and soft, clear vocals once again, the song picks up the pace about a minute in with drums and bass rhythm subtly coming to the forefront. The clean guitars create a really serene atmosphere that is great to sit back and get lost in. The song is over 8 minutes long and does not introduce any heavy riffs until about halfway through, but builds the tension to this point beautifully. The distorted vocals on Set Fire To The Hive actually fit, and they aren't used the entire time. This is the first single from the album and it certainly brings back some of the catchiness and heaviness that defined much of the band's first album. This song also reminds me of something that could be heard on a newer Porcupine Tree album. Umbra is another epic length song that does a great job of creating a complex atmosphere with a recurring riff that makes me think of rolling waves.

There is much more that I could write about each individual song on this album, but I think you get the idea of what's going on here. The songs are quite varied, yet they are tied together both by the specific ways in which the instruments are used and how they sound, and of course the excellent vocals of Ian Kenny. Karnivool seem to have left behind some of the metal elements in their music in favor of a softer, somewhat more melodic approach, but this does not decrease the quality by any means. In fact I think this album contains more complex and interesting songwriting than the debut. Kenny's vocals seem a bit more varied on this album as well, and he shows that he has a fuller range. His voice sounds even better than it did on their debut in my opinion. This is by no means a simple album, there's a lot to take in and I had to listen to it intently a few times before I really came to appreciate the complex soundscapes that are created in songs like New Day and Umbra. However it is certainly worth your time, especially if you enjoy bands such as Procupine Tree, Deadsoul Tribe, Riverside, etc. This is another excellent release from Karnivool and an album that I am sure I'll be listening to even more in the future.