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'.
The Medicine Wears Off
Karnivool Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the medicine wears off
You're moving fast
Try a little, see if I can make
The moment last
You'll burn the night up like a star
You'll break this heart, you know
When you're coming 'round, you're
Where are you now?
Longing for the state of mind
Oh, I remember why we started blocking all we said
See what I get
When the medicine wears off
See what I get
When the medicine wears off
"The Medicine Wears Off" by Karnivool is a song that explores the idea of the effects of the medicine or drugs wearing off and the consequences that come with it. The song opens with the singer expressing his thoughts on how he sees himself and his situation when the 'medicine' wears off. He sees things more clearly, but with that comes the realization that the person he's with is moving too fast and he's left trying to make the moment last. He knows that this person will eventually break his heart, but he's still drawn to them and the way they burn the night up like a star.
As the song progresses, there is a shift from the singer's personal perception to a more introspective view. He wonders where his partner is now and longs for a state of mind that is both familiar and comforting. He remembers why they started blocking all they said, indicating that they had been hiding something from each other, perhaps the realities of their relationship or their own personal struggles.
The repetition of the phrase "See what I get when the medicine wears off" serves as a reminder of the fleeting effects of the medicine, the false sense of security it provides, and the harsh reality that sets in once it wears off.
Line by Line Meaning
See what I get
Discovering the true reality
When the medicine wears off
When the illusion fades away
You're moving fast
You're living life in a hurry
Try a little, see if I can make
The moment last
Attempt to extend a fleeting moment
You'll burn the night up like a star
You'll shine brightly, leaving a lasting impression
You'll break this heart, you know
You'll cause emotional pain
When you're coming 'round, you're
Taken by wonder of it all
You're awestruck, captivated by the world around you
Where are you now?
Questioning one's current location in life
Longing for the state of mind
Yearning for a particular mental state
Oh, I remember why we started blocking all we said
Recalling why communication was hindered
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW GODDARD, IAN KENNY, JONATHAN STOCKMAN, MARK HOSKING, STEPHEN JUDD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind