Karnivool are a band that seem to go from strength to strength. With each release or tour, they get better, and their fan base multiplies as a result. Hailing from Perth, they are one of the key bands in Australia’s flourishing rock scene. This may be their third tour in support of their highly acclaimed album Sound Awake, but tonight, the last of three sold out shows showed that Sydney (and a hysterical crowd) is anything but sick of this band.

Traversing the country with Karnivool on this tour is Sydney four piece MM9, who did a pretty good job getting the crowd warmed up. Sticks man Ben Ellingworth was the standout of the band, providing most of the set highlights with his powerhouse drumming. This band is definitely at their best when playing their dirtier, more industrial tracks. These songs were much stronger than their ‘poppier’ electro numbers.

Karnivool kicked their set off with "Set fire to the hive", a whirlwind of powerful drumming, buzzing guitars and rattling bass. "Simple boy" and "Goliath" followed in quick succession, with the live xylophone on the former adding to the drama and intensity of the song. "Fear of the sky" was our first taste of their debut album Themata, but thankfully not the last. Also included was "Roquefort", as well as the epic title track.

The band mixed up the set list with the inclusion of lesser played songs such as "the medicine wears off" and "Fade". But they balanced this perfectly with crowd favourites like "Umbra", "All I know" and their final encore (and possibly finest song), "New day".

Tonight I was lucky enough to witness a band in top form. They didn’t miss a beat or a note, which is even more of a feat considering the complexity of their songs. The use of mandolin, synthesizers and acoustic guitar really added to the depth of their live sound and for me, showed a band that is continually trying to keep things fresh and exciting. I for one will never tire of seeing Karnivool play live and I know I’m not alone in this sentiment.