Perhaps strangely for those of us brought up on a diet of INXS and AC/DC - Karnivool are an Australian progressive metal rock band able to hold their own with the best of them.

Having picked up various awards in their native country since the release of their debut album in 2007 they are now ready to take on the world, with a short UK tour in March followed by a trip to the States (including the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas).

'Sound Awake' is full of quirky synth sound textures, mesmerising songs and with great replay value.

Opener 'Simple Boy' has a nod to Alice In Chains in its bass propelled riff and rich harmonies whilst 'Goliath' continues the AiC groove with crunchy riffs from Andrew 'Drew' Goddard.

'New Day' and 'All I Know' are the most accessible (commercial) tracks whilst the more extreme 'Set Fire To The Hive' evokes Mastodon at their finest.

If you like Katatonia's latest, you will certainly enjoy Karnivool as there are similarities in the essentially dark, melancholic vibe and the overall prog flavours.

Check out 'Umbria' which brings all the band elements together, whilst also evoking reference points such as Muse and Mars Volta. 'Caudal Lure' and the heavy 'Illumine' bolsters the band's Tool-throne pretensions. And the twelve minute 'Deadman' is the band's most ambitious with Floyd-esque flourishes, but it never gets boring. For longer-standing fans of the band, 'Change' is a reworking of a track that appeared on their debut album ('Themata').

I've probably referenced enough bands to whet the appetite for those of a particular musical persuasion, but Karnivool do have their own voice and the musicianship - and Ian Henry's vocals - is exemplary throughout. Much like that Katatonia album, the whole is a sonic delight. I haven't mentioned Porcupine Tree, but this is easily up there with 'The Incident' as the prog album of 2009.

Catch the band on their rather low-key UK tour dates in March before those arenas beckon.

*****

Review by David Randall