Sound Awake

Didn't love this. I like a lot of progressive rock from the 70s, but for some reason the more modern progressive rock doesn't usually connect with me. 3 stars.

Nice metal album. Sometimes sounding a bit too much like tool. I do not really like the ballads (f.e. New Day), but that probably is a matter of personal taste as they are favorites of a lot of listeners.

Very nice surprise. A band totally unknown to me, but it felt like nostalgia. 16 year old me would have bought the album immediately

Groovy technical metal which I’ve seen compared to Tool a lot but reminded me instead of more theatrical metal bands like Nightwish combined with the rhythmic pulse of djent. Enjoyable enough but I struggled to lock in for the full 77 minutes of this, though closing track Roquefort was a highlight

A pretty cool prog rock metal album that seems to be very influenced by tool. I like tool so this was a good listen for me. Never heard of this band before but I would relisten to this album. The hard riffs mixed with the understandable lyrics is always a good combo. 6.6/10

Ah yes more cringe emo music exactly what I asked for. Wasn’t as terrible as some of the other ones I guess.

I didn't think there would be a sweet spot between Tool, The Mars Volta and Porcupine Tree, but here we are.

Aussie metal - which can only be a good thing! Wears its influences on its sleeve (if it had sleeves!) A fun listen I would maybe never have heard otherwise

Blew my mind. Thought it would be piss-poor numetal. Instead, it's thoughtful prog rock displaying incredible talent. Need to dig deeper on this band.

This band released an album this year (2026) that was highly anticipated. I was unfamiliar, but listening to this, I get it. It's been a while since something in the Prog space amused me, let alone captivated me. As with most bands of this ilk, the push for a long length of a recording tempers the joy a tad, but otherwise, bravo.

Almost postrock esque, lovely flowing energy without high octane

Many other reviewers made Tool and/or Mars Volta comparisons, and I can hear it a bit but generally found Karnivool's "Sound Awake" to just miss that mark of progressive experimentation that they frequently seemed on the verge of. Instead, the album only rises a bit above its alt-metal contemporaries of the early 2000s. Almost knocked down to a 3 for the band name, too.

I don't know what I was expecting, perhaps an ICP rip-off? But not this, a band working to incorporate some progressive rock tendencies. Definitely dug this, and am looking forward to hearing more from these guys. Top tracks: "Simple Boy", "New Day", "Umbra", "The Medicine Wears Off", "The Caudal Lure", "Changes (Part 2)"

I've always enjoyed this band. Pumped for the new album.

Favorite songs: Simple Boy, New Day, Deadman, Goliath, Umbra, The Caudal Lure Least favorite songs: The Medicine Wears Off 4/5

4.5

Never heard of it, didn't seem very interesting at first, but it totally hooked me in by the end. Something between Mars Volta and Tool. Very cool pick. It's nice to see so much diverse metal on here, since the original list was sorely lacking in that department.

Nice and heavy, lots going on musically to like, complex and layered. A great listen tbh. Initially my reaction was I'm not sure how much more anger we need in the world, even as grown up and polished as this is. At least that's how I'm feeling today as grievance torches my retirement. But while there's intensity here for sure, with a closer listen I realize it's more emotionally nuanced than I first thought and ultimately I'm a sucker for some horns. I wasn't previously aware of Karnivool so I appreciate the share.

I started off thinking this was very much like yesterday’s Tool album. And maybe it is, but I think I enjoyed it a bit more. While it isn’t yet a five for me, I think it could get there. I really like the long, epic final two songs which enticed me to listen to it a second time which increased my appreciation.

Enjoyed this a lot

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Set fire to the hive, All i know, The caudal lure, Change

This was that band that everyone said was good online and then it wasn't. I think these guys were influenced by TOOL lol Not bad just a bit too long and felt uninspired. Meh 3.

This is probably better than IN VERSES, but its been a while and that was a pretty forgettable album. Just good enough to stay above a 2, but the length was wholly unnecessary.

I liked this quite a bit more than the last Karnivool album we listened to (IN VERSES). But still this gives strong "I waant to be TOOL" energy. Which, to be fair, there are a lot worse aspirations. But still it comes off as highly derivative in style, tone, and execution. I'd say this album sits somewhere around 7 on the nose.

Ermoootionaaaaaal.

Very Queensryche-ish with over produced vocals. Not so bad. 3/5

I love prog, but couldn’t care less about metal, and this was only partly engaging for me - 6/10

Good solid driving tunes. Typical of the time

This is fine. Not very interesting in its lyrics or songwriting. Neither the vocals nor instrumentation stand out. That said, the album isn’t offensive either. I didn’t find it hard to get through. The production was pretty good. Just a big ‘meh’ of an album. 3/5

It’s the Australian TOOL - their name even rhymes with TOOL. I didn’t say that I didn’t like it. I just noticed the similarities.

It’s pretty good. Sounds a lot like Tool. And that’s not bad.

Good modern prog. I have heard the name before but never interfaced with the music myself

Can hear the influence from tool. It's not bad, but I didn't love it like I thought I might.

Thusfar looks like an eyeball and sounds like a car backfiring. Points for being catchy. i was a little harsh for that first half-song.

Sound Awake makes me feel like it's 2000 again, which is funny for a 2009 album. Very nostalgic nu-metal-type sound, some hints of Tool, some hints of Thirty Seconds To Mars and various other bands of that ilk. I liked it enough for a 3/5 and it had decent harmonies but it falls short of very good.

Pretty straightforward anglo metal, got a bit TOOL-adjacent at parts

Alternative metal, progressive metal, progressive rock. Ni fu ni fa.

Very heavy Tool worship. Which, don't get me wrong I love Tool so I do enjoy it. It just feels like the spot should've gone to a Tool album instead in that case.

This felt as middle of the road as hard-rock/metal gets. That’s not to say it was bad, but my overall lasting impression was, “huh, that was alright”. Admittedly, it didn’t exactly have my undivided attention, but it equally never really felt like it needed it either.

August 31, 2025 HL: "New Day", "All I Know", "Change", "Roquefort" (bonus track) The didgeridoo really takes it to new places 🦘 The blurb I read compared them to Muse, a band I really enjoy, as well as Tool, a band I have struggled to enjoy. Turns out both takes are reasonably accurate- hence, it was a decent listen I probably won't be compelled to revisit anytime soon

Okay some prog metal. Change was good. The whole thing didn't feel super distinctive from like a Tool or a Dream Theatre album.

Not bad, and better than much of this ilk, because of some arty-ish resonances, but too bassy-bouncy in that alt-rock/nu-metal kinda way. Ultimately, meh, and one gets put off by the over-seriousness and intensity this lot is into.

Meh metal

I can admit that some songs really got me. This was very impressive for a band I had never heard of. However, again, the error of going too far. Although it has enormous potential, it starts to sound too generic after more than 1 hour of listening. Even with a great closing song, it still lay in the valley of the 3-stars

I should love this, and it's a solid album, vocals don't grab me though unfortunately. A bit of a harsh 3* from me

Didn’t float my boat, but didn’t sink it either.

Really good modern prog metal album, not my cup of tea but can help but respect the complexity of the music on show here.

Two things. One, I feel like Australian music was given short shrift in the original list, and I'm glad that it is getting rectified here... But this wasn't hugely for me - if I had to pick a hugely underrated Aussie metal band, I think I'd have gone with Voyager.

It's technically fine but it's just so long. By minute 50 you get it and it still goes on for 20 more minutes. The metal albums submitted by users have all been pretty meh. There has got to be some good metal out there. Just not being submitted. My personal rating: 2.5/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

I would give this a 3.5 after an initial listen. I think there is potential here.

This album is pretty interesting for being part of the nu metal genre at sort of the tail end of that genre (at least as far as I'm aware). It's definitely good in parts, but it starts to sound like a lot of other things I've heard in other parts too. The real strength of this album is the production. There's a lot of good stuff that I think would be missed if it wasn't mixed and mastered so well. The sound is super crisp, and the texture of the bass really comes through. 3/5

I've tried to get into these guys over the years. A bunch of my mates are into them and I saw them live a few years ago (gotta credit them for playing in Coffs Harbour) but... eh? I'm not a big tool fan, and they just sound like tool. It's pretty competent, but it's not my thing. 3/5.

Alternative metal, progressive metal, progressive rock. Ni fu ni fa.

This one didn't do much for me.

Better than I expected

Interesting, new-to-me heavy/alt rock, a lot of Pearl Jam DNA, but shot through with shades running from Pink Floyd to Radiohead. Overly self-serious as this genre tends to be, but a cut above the general pack musically.

This was really good. Musically nuanced, with a weighty sound. Rock solid instrumentation and an excellent vocalist in Ian Kenny. Fave Songs: Umbra, Goliath, Simple Boy, New Day, The Caudal Lure, Set Fire to the Hive

Well executed but stays too much on the safe side to really pull me in.

not terrifyingly bad. not terrible, either. I guess it's saying the same thing. Not a whole lot going on with this album that I could get.

Has some pretty cool harmonies and dark energy mixed with rock. Hints of Silverchair and Tool. And though it is pretty easy to listen to, there wasn't a lot that really stood out and had enough of a hook for me. Decent.

Didn't really feel anything?

I sit here listening to this, thinking "Well - it's metal isn't it?" and, detached and uninspired by it, I casually flick up the playing time. 1h16m? Yeah, balls to that. Wait. There's two versions on Tidal. I've not picked some kind of "super-deluxe" edition, have I, where you hear the studio album and then hear the live version tacked on after? No. The other version is 1h12m. Double balls to it! I'm not grippered by this enough to want to subject myself to that much metal. It's background music that I don't think would be improved by an active listen. Got to the end of "All I know" before this album gets filed under DNF.

Alternative metal, progressive metal, progressive rock. Menudo rollo.

Exhausting. Such cringe lyrics. What do people mean in songs where they says "If I should fall" my god the most overused of meaningless lame lyric. Not my bag

I found this really boring.

Something about the vocal style doesn’t do it for me.

It's not bad but so derivative it's staggering. Pleasant ballads building up in tempo, well played, sung and produced. Average.

Oh well. Some kind of watered down or neutered version of Tool. Or like, a mix of Pearl Jam and prog dirges, with nü-metal artificial flavors sprinkled here and there, topped by meandering melodic vocal lines that almost feel like they're taking a page out of Muse's book in their all-too-clean delivery. Let's just say that your appreciation of *Sound Awake* will strongly depend on your mileage on the rather controversial bands and music styles I've just quoted here. But as far as I'm concerned, I tend to prefer prog-metal that feels a little more intense, abrasive and dangerous (think Mastodon or even Gojira). The production values sure are impressive and on point given the music genre. And the musicianship is beyond reproach. I just wish Karnivool didn't use so many major chords and harmonies as the basis of their songs. In several salient moments during the course of this record, they remember they should break that sort of borderline-cheesy harmonic grid and explore more off-kilter chord progressions. But honestly, it often feels like a very calculated afterthought. Like, nothing that occurs before gives you the feeling those more original chords will be used at some point. Good compositional work implies more than lining up parts that don't necessarily go with each other. And given that the pop songwriting isn't that memorable either, we're not left with much, eventually, in spite of some of the songs' lengths. One tiny detail in opener "Simple Boy" perfectly encapsulates why I can't fully take this album seriously, by the way. It's the way this opener rips off Led Zeppelin's drum part in "When The Levee Breaks" in the middle of the song. I can quite picture the band members telling each other they need something specific for the middle of the composition and the drummer looking suddenly struck by lightning: "Hey guys, I have an idea, we just need to steal that drum part from that other band! They're a bit niche, don't worry, no one will notice the theft". Lol. I know that Led Zep were huge thieves themselves, but c'mon guys! The seams are so visible here! Also, what kind of a name is 'Karnivool'??? Like Carnival and Cool. With a "K" because of... Korn??? Even the band's name sounds like unnecessary patchwork. 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 7/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 13 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 17 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 33 (including this one)

Sound asleep

I don't really like this type of vocal performances, but the musicians are great. I don't feel like the songs get any better throughout the album and they stay very average.

What if butt rock but Australian?

This LP can’t figure out what it wants to be – there’s a great instrumental basis, and the band clearly knows how to execute on some decent prog metal, but there’s too many detours into other genres and influences to allow this album time (even at 80 minutes long!) to develop a sound of its own. Could’ve gone for more of the growling, glassy bass lines and heavier tracks, and the thin vocals didn’t help either.

2009, are you sure?

Just soooo boring. Maybe the most sterile, uninspired and generic rock schlock I have heard. 1/5

We do not need so many prog metal albums on this list.

I think this might have caught me on the wrong day, but I’ve not got the patience for all these emotions right now. Feels like it might be 10 years late to the party as well, but it’s really not my bag and it’s not the day for an hour + of this kind of stuff.

Nope

A perfect storm of everything I don't want to hear in an album.

Nah, did not like this

I started and stopped this so many times Apple Music tried to give me Karnivool radio. Never got into it never finished. High brow metal