Themata (album)

Themata is the debut full-length album by the Australian rock band Karnivool. The album was released independently on 7 February 2005, and was distributed via MGM Distribution. The album was released in the United States on 10 April 2007 via Bieler Bros. Records and in the UK on 7 May 2008 on the Happy Go Lucky label.

This article is about the album by Karnivool. For the Themata of the Byzantine Empire, see Theme (Byzantine administrative unit).

Themata
Studio album by
Karnivool
Released7 February 2005
Recorded2004; 2001 for "L1FEL1KE"
Genre
Length48:52
LabelBieler Bros.
Producer
  • Forrester Savell
  • Karnivool
Karnivool chronology
Persona
(2001)		 Themata
(2005)		 Sound Awake
(2009)

Three singles were released from the album, "L1FEL1KE" in 2003, "Themata" and "Shutterspeed", both in 2005.

Composition

Metal Hammer said that Themata "clicked with a subculture that was barely post-nu metal, resurrecting [the progressive metal genre] for one last gasp with a Tool-inspired twist".[1] Lead guitarist Drew Goddard played most of the drums on Themata, as well as contributing to the songwriting. The album's songs were composed in a combination of dropped-B and standard E tuning.[2] Metal Forge magazine said that the album's songwriting demonstrated "a whole new spectrum of sophistication, with maturity and a growing confidence evident throughout".[3] "Roquefort" features elements of funk, while "L1FEL1KE" shows influence from nu metal.[3] Rolling Stone India said that the album's sound was defined by "Odd-time signatures, buzzing riffs and jagged guitar lines, soaring and harmonized vocals [and] cerebral writing".[4] In a review of the band's later album, Sound Awake, AllMusic categorized the sound of Themata as "alternative/nu metal",[5] while Rolling Stone India categorized the album's sound as "progressive rock/metal".[4]

"Roquefort" was initially supposed to be recorded with a horns section, but the band did not have time to do this during the recording of the album. Harry Angus and Kieran Conrau of the Cat Empire later recorded trumpet and trombone respectively for the single version of "Roquefort". This version has been played live on a few occasions, including at Rock-It 2005, during the Triple J Hottest 100 on 26 January 2007, and at the 2010 Melbourne Big Day Out.Drew Goddard said the following regarding "Change", stating "'Change' wasn’t originally conceived as a two part song.

We had written about 60% of "Change" as a whole piece and were desperately trying to finish it in preproduction for inclusion on Themata, as we thought it was shaping up to be an absolute cracker. Due to the nature of the song, the time needed to spend on it and the time we didn’t have we decided do the thing that annoyed everyone so much, and chop it at the peak of the climax, and then finish the 2nd part for inclusion the next album. The title "Change" seemed fitting as this was the last song (mostly) written during the Themata sessions and almost signaled what we thought could be a change of direction on the next album.… It seems we were pretty spot on going by the general feel of the new material. It just wouldn’t have found its place on Themata.[6]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Metal Forge[3]
PopMatters[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Karnivool

No.TitleLength
1."C.O.T.E."5:50
2."Themata"5:40
3."Shutterspeed"3:46
4."Fear of the Sky"5:16
5."Roquefort"4:38
6."L1FEL1KE"4:40
7."Scarabs"2:10
8."Sewn and Silent"4:12
9."Mauseum"3:54
10."Synops"4:53
11."Omitted for Clarity"0:20
12."Change (Part 1)"3:28

Charts
Charts (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] 41

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[9] Gold 35,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release details
Region Date Label Format Catalog
Australia 7 February 2005 Independent/MGM Distribution CD KARN001
United States 20 November 2007 Bieler Bros. CD 70015
Digital
United Kingdom 7 May 2008 Happy Go Lucky CD 070015

Personnel

Karnivool

  • Ian Kenny – lead vocals
  • Drew Goddard – guitar, drums, backing vocals, string arrangements
  • Mark Hosking – guitar, backing vocals
  • Jon Stockman – bass

Additional

  • Ray Hawkins – drums on track 6
  • Novac Bull – additional vocals on track 2
  • Leigh Miller – string arrangements on track 2
  • Eve Silver – string arrangements on track 8
  • Ezekiel Ox – whistling and castanets on track 5

References
  1. Mills, Matt (13 September 2021). "The 10 best Australian prog metal bands". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  2. MacGregor, Jodie. "Karnivool - Biography". Allmusic. Macrovision. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  3. Donnelly, Justin. "The Metal Forge >> Review >> Karnivool - Themata". www.themetalforge.com. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  4. James, Bobin (31 October 2012). "How Karnivool Conquered India". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  5. Greenberg, Adam. "Sound Awake - Karnivool|Songs, Reviews, Credits|AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  6. "Cracking Q&A with Karnivool's guitarist". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  7. Blackie, Andrew (11 April 2007). "Karnivool: Themata". PopMatters. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  8. "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 22 June 2015. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  9. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
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