In 1996, Kenny began by recruiting two of his high school classmates (Andrew Brown/Brett McKenzie) to play Carcass and Nirvana covers at several gigs around Perth. At this time, both Karnivool's current bassist and lead guitarist were attending a conservatorium to study jazz guitar and drums respectively. In 1998, Andrew Goddard joined Karnivool on bass, and from there they began writing original material. Soon Andrew "Drew" Goddard was switched to lead guitar, Andrew Brown and Brett McKenzie were replaced by Jon Stockman (bass) and Ray Hawking (percussion). The band have since released several singles and two EPs, Themata and most recently their sophomore record, Sound Awake. Currently Karnivool consists of Ian Kenny on lead vocals (also one quarter of Birds of Tokyo), Andrew "Drew" Goddard on lead guitar, Mark Hosking on rhythm guitar (both a part of Revolucion Street and an accompaniment for The Cat Empire while they are on tour), Jon Stockman on bass (one fifth of Floating Me) and Steve Judd (originally the drummer for Hope Here Gone which has now disbanded, replaced Hawking in 2004 as a "permanent gun for hire"). Goddard and Stockman also contributed guitar and bass parts to Pendulum's record Hold Your Colour released in 2005.
Themata: Their debut album was named after Themata, an old Greek word; the plural of Thema. A Thema is a gut assumption or intuition about the workings of the world or life itself, a philosophy you can’t prove with hard evidence, but something you instinctively know is right and are willing to back. For the recordings of Themata, they used guitars tuned in the tuning of B-F#-B-G-B-E, a hybrid tuning of Dropped-B (low strings) and Standard E (high strings). Guitarist Andrew Goddard said that this was because he forgot the high strings while detuning and that he liked the complexity. Andrew "Drew" Goddard wrote the tracks for Themata as well as playing drums throughout the recording of the album, he commented too that he often plays guitar like he does drums. Karnivool only actually played the songs off Themata together as a band after the album was recorded, according to Drew. The record was not written with any real foresight, which is evident in many of the song titles and lyrics (Roquefort is actually a strong smelling French cheese, Mauseum is a word "from the depths of Jon's mind" (Drew Goddard) and C.O.T.E. means Center of the Earth), and Karnivool's writing process was dysfunctional and slow going.
Sound Awake: After returning from the US, and completing their slot in the 2008 Big Day Out, the band headed back into the studio to write their follow-up to Themata.
In an interview with X-Press Magazine, guitarist Andrew Goddard said that the new album was a huge step up from Themata. He also said that the writing process of the new record had been more of a collaborative group effort by the band than previous works, and that they were going to go into the studio with a new recording strategy: that is, trying to focus less on the minute details, and put together a more natural sounding album. Karnivool released their long-awaited second album on June 5, 2009.
During live performances in the Aeons Tour, they played three new songs, titled "Goliath", "Deadman" and "Pearogram", as well as "New Day", which had been played at previous shows. At their performance at Homebake in 2008, they debuted a fifth new song entitled "Set Fire to the Hive". The new songs appeared to have a more mature vibe, but still bore resemblance to the band's other work. The album was one of the most anticipated Australian releases for 2009. In an interview with Channel V, Ian Kenny stated that after the success of the Aeons Tour, the band's next tour would be based on a similar layout which brings a new impression on the typical rock show.
On the 26 April 2009, two days before schedule, the band's first single from Sound Awake, "Set Fire to the Hive", was released on the band's MySpace page. The video for the single, confirmed by the band earlier, was released on the 9 May 2009. Sound Awake was set to be released internationally in early 2010.
Sound Awake entered and peaked 2nd on the ARIA charts, following this, just over a month after the release the band announced via their MySpace Sound Awake had gone 'Gold'.
Illumine
Karnivool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you
Unspoken
Words that taunt you when you listen
Forgotten
Words that haunt you while you're sleeping
You seem afraid, don't be alarmed
Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one
Lighting every cell, every shape we will never form
And is it relevant?
Our fears, our faults
As foolish as it sounds
So lead us on (Only one way left)
Through the world of false promise
It's one thing to be forgiven (Only one way left)
Only you could learn how to let it go
So we are
Servant to the sun, let us see, we are still as one
Here lie my fault
I'd give up everything
To see what you see
And dream on
Why can't we dream on?
Don't listen
Don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you
These words won't help
To save you
Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one
Lighting every cell, every shape we will never form
These words won't help
To save you
Servants of the sun, let us see, we are still as one
You seem afraid, don't be alarmed
It's only the face of things to come
The lyrics of Karnivool's "Illumine" speak about the struggle to overcome fear and anxiety that often stem from uncertainties regarding the future. The lines, "Don't listen, don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you," and "Unspoken words that taunt you when you listen, forgotten words that haunt you while you're sleeping," present the idea that sometimes, it is better to ignore the negative voices and thoughts that plague the mind. The lyrics also suggest that the fear of the unknown can be crippling, but it is something that we must face and overcome to move forward. The statement, "It's only the face of things to come," presents the idea that change is inevitable, and while it may be daunting, it is a part of life that we must embrace.
The song also speaks to the idea of oneness, that as beings, we are all connected and share a common experience. The lines, "Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one, lighting every cell, every shape we will never form," suggest that while we all have our individual experiences, we are all essentially the same, all made up of cells and energy.
The chorus, "So lead us on (Only one way left)/Through the world of false promise/It's one thing to be forgiven (Only one way left)/Only you could learn how to let it go/So we are," suggests that the only way to move forward is to let go of our fears and doubts and trust in the journey ahead.
Overall, the song presents the idea that while life may be a journey full of uncertainties, it is something that we must embrace and face head-on rather than cower in fear.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't listen
Ignore the words of those who speak, don't let them harm you.
Don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you
Don't pay any attention to their words, as it causes harm to your well-being.
Unspoken
The fears and doubts that are concealed in one's mind.
Words that taunt you when you listen
The negative thoughts and perceptions that harm you when you pay attention to them.
Forgotten
The unhealed trauma and experiences that torment you while you sleep.
You seem afraid, don't be alarmed
It's common to feel frightened when you encounter the inevitable.
It's only the face of things to come
What you're experiencing is just the beginning of what is to come.
Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one
We are one with the universe and all living things, like the sun that illuminates everything.
Lighting every cell, every shape we will never form
Our connection to the cosmos brings an inexplicable energy to every aspect of our existence.
And is it relevant?
Is it important to hold onto our fears and shortcomings?
Our fears, our faults
The negative emotions that hold us back in life.
As foolish as it sounds
Awareness of our negative emotions might seem irrational.
So lead us on (Only one way left)
Guidance is what we need to overcome the obstacles.
Through the world of false promise
The illusion of worldly possessions and material gain.
It's one thing to be forgiven (Only one way left)
Forgiveness is the ultimate solution to our problems.
Only you could learn how to let it go
The only person that can free themselves from negativity is you.
So we are
We are creatures of light and energy.
Here lie my fault
Acknowledgement of one's mistakes and flaws.
I'd give up everything
One is willing to sacrifice anything for the search of truth.
To see what you see
To understand what others perceive.
And dream on
To dream of a better future.
Why can't we dream on?
Why can't we imagine a better future for ourselves?
These words won't help
Negative words that are spoken won't be of any help.
To save you
Negative words won't be of any help to rescue one from negativity.
Servants of the sun, let us see, we are still as one
We are still one, no matter how different we may seem.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW GODDARD, IAN KENNY, JONATHAN STOCKMAN, MARK HOSKING, STEPHEN JUDD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vincent DeLuca
Don't listen
Don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you
Unspoken
Words that taunt you when you listen
Forgotten
Words that haunt you while you're sleeping
You seem afraid, don't be alarmed
It's only the face of things to come
Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one
Lighting every cell, every shape we will never form
And is it relevant?
Our fears, our faults
As foolish as it sounds
So lead us on (Only one way left)
Through the world of false promise
It's one thing to be forgiven (Only one way left)
Only you could learn how to let it go
So we are
Servant to the sun, let us see, we are still as one
Here lie my fault
I'd give up everything
To see what you see
And dream on
Why can't we dream on?
Don't listen
Don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you
These words won't help
To save you
Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one
Lighting every cell, every shape we will never form
These words won't help
To save you
Servants of the sun, let us see, we are still as one
You seem afraid, don't be alarmed
It's only the face of things to come
rq neo
The chorus is particularly wonderful
Vinicius Oliveira
O baixo de Jon Stockman e a bateria de Steve Judd nessa música são fora desse mundo. Uma das minhas favoritas do álbum.
Simon Burfoot
I didn't really give this as much credit as other tracks on Sound Awake for a long while but then it grew and grew and grew into this huge creature of brilliance and meaning. I love the theme of shrugging off your restrictions and achieving an open mind. I also love how Karnivool have the balls to sing so openly about questioning religion and addressing the 'fear'. It was clever to put this song after The Caudal Lure on the album, seeing as its meaning runs parallel to that of Illumine.
Nols
Very astute observation, and I totally agree with your sentiment. I didn't ''get'' the song first few times, but it is just as powerful, if not more so than the others on the record!
Pope Ocelot
I love the intro to this song. It's like a wall of calming white noise and freqencies massaging my brain. I also like the fact that it feels a bit like shoegaze (e.g. swervedriver) with a darker, slightly more technical sound to it, and better lyrics.
Vincent DeLuca
Don't listen
Don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you
Unspoken
Words that taunt you when you listen
Forgotten
Words that haunt you while you're sleeping
You seem afraid, don't be alarmed
It's only the face of things to come
Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one
Lighting every cell, every shape we will never form
And is it relevant?
Our fears, our faults
As foolish as it sounds
So lead us on (Only one way left)
Through the world of false promise
It's one thing to be forgiven (Only one way left)
Only you could learn how to let it go
So we are
Servant to the sun, let us see, we are still as one
Here lie my fault
I'd give up everything
To see what you see
And dream on
Why can't we dream on?
Don't listen
Don't even hear a sound they make, it breaks you
These words won't help
To save you
Servant to the sun, we are beings, we become as one
Lighting every cell, every shape we will never form
These words won't help
To save you
Servants of the sun, let us see, we are still as one
You seem afraid, don't be alarmed
It's only the face of things to come
Nitish Vashishtha
It's unbelievable how little attention this band has gotten. And anyone who really does like them always talks about how little attention the band gets.
FrostBloodV
I'm so deeply in love with this song
Icarus Empire Arts
2014, almost 2015. Still thinking this album has the best production I've ever come across.
Arrow Smith
It's now 2016 and I still agree with you.