19 July 2025 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – words by Lucas Bell – pictures by Paul Blackburn
Just over 12 months since the last time they graced Brisbane, Perth progressive rock titans Karnivool have returned to celebrate the release of the band’s latest single, ‘Drone’. Titled the Ad Complementum Tour, the tour will see the band playing 12 dates across three weeks between July 16 and August 3rd, 2025, before a final show on October 17th in their home town of Perth. Supporting them on all dates of the tour is Big Noter. The band is the brand new project of Briggs. Briggs is more famously known as one half of Australian hip hop royalty A.B. Original. So seeing his new band should also be just as exciting.
As ‘Still’ by Geto Boys played over the speakers, drummer Steve Smith, guitarist Leigh Davies, and bassist Craig Strain walked out to play a pretty sweet opening instrumental number that was fast, heavy, and pretty progressive. But as soon as Briggs walked out on stage, the place erupted. The next 45 minutes were a socially conscious assault of amazing hip hop bars, layered over incredible progressive and hardcore instrumental work. Blending a sonic mix of bands like Rage Against The Machine and Limp Bizkit in with bands like Karnivool and Suicidal Tendancies, the sound truly felt like the first great attempt at an Australian rap metal band.
The set itself featured the band’s two songs already released, in ‘Identity’ and ‘Talk Straight’, the former only being out for a couple of days. But the lack of knowledge on the tracks being played didn’t stop the band nor the crowd from popping off and moshing at every tune. Briggs has always been an incredible force on stage. Seeing him move into a more hardcore punk sound makes sense. Hopefully there are big things for these lads moving forward. As a new fan, I’m very excited for their future.
BIG NOTER – FMH – photos by Paul Blackburn
A quick 30 minute stage changeover later, and the lights dimmed for the main event. Karnivool has been a band I’ve been a fan of for over 20 years. Ever since hearing ‘Headcase’ on a random Explosive Pro Wrestling highlight package on YouTube in my friend’s bedroom in 2004, I’ve been hooked. Opening the set with the latest single, ‘Drone’, hearing this song live for the first time was an experience like no other Vool song I’ve seen live before. The lows on the verses with the high energy of the chorus is so infectious. Lead vocalist Ian Kenny asked if Brissy was ready for a show, which the crowd screamed emphatically, yes. After dropping into Goliath though, the reaction was crazy. So much so, that I can’t think of a band I’ve seen in this building before, that has truly elicited such a visceral reaction. Even Kenny at the end of ‘Goliath’ acknowledged that yes, Brisbane truly was ready for a show.
Karnivool – FMH – photos by Paul Blackburn
Next was ‘Aozora’, a song that has long sat in the band’s live catalog, but has never made it to an official release yet, going as far back as 2015. Hopefully we can get a studio version of this track soon. It almost feels like a secret at this point, and it’s a song I feel is worth getting out to the masses. The intro to ‘Simple Boy’ sent the crowd into a meltdown. And remember, we’re only four songs in at this point. Somehow, this show gets even crazier. And it truly did on the next track, ‘Mauseum’. This is a song that I only heard live for the first time last year. So seeing it get thrown into the rotation as a more permanent fixture, is awesome. The throwbacks continued, with ‘C.O.T.E.’ next. There was a cool lighting effect on the banners during this song, where it looked like the fireflies from the album art were making their ways up them. Cool little touches like that in the stage production were definitely appreciated.
Karnivool – FMH – photos by Paul Blackburn
Kenny mentioned during ‘C.O.T.E.’, he tried not to laugh at seeing a dude headbanging on the barrier through the whole song, and copping a full beer to the head and kept swinging his head. We then got another new song, with ‘Ghost’, before guitarist Mark Hosking told us to be ready for a journey, as the band’s 12 minute Sound Awake epic ‘Deadman’ played. This has been a song I’ve held dearly to myself since it came out. And to hear it again, was something I will treasure forever. The set closed out with the one Asymmetry track of the set, ‘We Are’, before closing it down with the band’s monster hit, ‘Themata’.
Karnivool – FMH – photos by Paul Blackburn
Karnivool could not have been off the stage for maybe 10 seconds, before chants for Karnivool, and one more song rang out the Fortitude Music Hall. The band returned to the stage, to give us ‘All It Takes’, and my favorite song of the band’s entire discography, ‘Roquefort’. I think I might have mentioned this in previous coverage, but ‘Roquefort’ was always a song I never knew so many people liked. Every time I see it played live, it gets a bigger reaction. So having it as part of the encore makes sense. Kenny and Hosking then bantered for a little bit, before revealing the band’s long overdue new album will be out before the end of the year. It doesn’t seem a date has been announced, but it’s been 12 years since Asymmetry. I think we can wait a few months more. The final song of the encore was ‘New Day’, which drew a crazy single along, as is to be expected.
