Karnivool & Intervals, 14th April 2026, Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark

Archive photo: Zoran www.sonic-shot.com

After a roughly 10-year break from playing in Copenhagen, the Australian prog rockers Karnivool have now visited the city three times in three years. In 2023, they played an almost flawless gig at Pumpehuset, and a year later they delivered a fine performance at Copenhell, even if their slot at the festival felt somewhat misplaced.

Since then, the band has released their first album in nearly 13 years, the excellent In Verses.

Their show at Amager Bio was not sold out, but the venue was already fairly packed in time for the support act, the Canadian instrumental progressive rock band Intervals.

Intervals managed to grab the audience’s attention right off the bat, with a fine mixture of down-to-earth likability, outstanding technical skill, and an infectiously hooky opener. Throughout their 40-minute set, the band maintained a solid balance between these elements, making their performance vibrant and captivating.

All band members demonstrated impressive technical ability, with guitarist Aaron Marshall taking center stage, as he is essentially the driving force behind Intervals. While the technical flashiness lies at the core of the band’s music, it is the hooks, melodies, and push-pull dynamics that play an even bigger role. These are also the aspects that keep the crowd engaged and make an Intervals show such an enjoyable experience.

Karnivool opened their set with “Ghost,” the opener from the new album, which worked just as well live as it does on record. At the very beginning, there were some sound issues, but these were resolved within a couple of minutes. That being said, despite the overall strong sound, the band never quite matched the impeccable sonic quality of their 2023 performance at Pumpehuset. The outstanding vocals of singer Ian Kenny could have been pushed more to the front – something he himself acknowledged during the show.

The band quickly shifted gears with the fan-favorite “Simple Boy” from Sound Awake, before returning to new material with “Aozora,” one of the album’s standout tracks. Its dynamic range proved particularly effective live.

Karnivool’s live presence remains notably approachable, helping to bridge the gap between band and audience. This sense of immediacy ensures that even their more intricate musical elements serve the songs rather than overshadow them.

The setlist leaned heavily on the new album—six tracks in total—signaling clear confidence in the material. The gamble paid off: much of the audience appeared already familiar with the songs, and several, including “Aozora,” “Drone,” and “All It Takes,” were especially well received. The latter, in particular, feels poised to become a live staple.

Elsewhere, “Themata” delivered one of the evening’s most energetic peaks, while “New Day” provided a predictable but effective sing-along moment. In the encore, “Opal” stood out, though closer “Salva” lacked the impact needed to end the show on a high note.

As a tour opener, the Copenhagen show reaffirmed Karnivool’s status as a formidable live act. While not without minor flaws – and perhaps not reaching the heights of their previous headlining visit – it remained a strong and confident performance that highlighted both the band’s enduring strengths and the quality of their long-awaited new material.

SETLIST:

1. Ghost
2. Simple Boy
3. Aozora
4. Goliath
5. Drone
6. We Are
7. Deadman
8. All It Takes
9. Animation
10. Themata
11. Roquefort
12. New Day
    ——-
13. Opal
14. Salva