It honestly feels strange to review a new Karnivool record. The band basically defined what Australian progressive rock/metal sounds like, but they haven’t released an album in 13 years. Well, they are finally back in 2026 with In Verses, which released on February 6th, and it could possibly be their best album.
Karnivool hail from Perth and are one of those bands who somehow kept a devoted fanbase even with a long hiatus. Well, they’ve toured and been somewhat active at points, but their last album Asymmetry released in 2013. My wife and I have been fans since 2009’s Sound Awake, though the hill I’ll die on is that “Themata” from their 2005 debut is still their best song. The current lineup is Ian Kenny on vocals, Andrew ‘Drew’ Goddard on lead guitar, Mark Hosking on guitar, Jon Stockman on bass, and Steve Judd on drums. Guthrie Govan guests on one track, and I know there are some other performers because I hear some violin and pipes on a couple tracks.
Two things define Karnivool’s sound: energy and groove. The band plays a blend of progressive rock and metal, but it’s their purposeful, strong-armed riffs that are immediately noticeable, and they’ll sweep you away. On the lower end, it’s their terrific rhythm section that gives them their signature swagger. Look, there’s nothing weird or eccentric about their sound, but what they do, they do very well.
There is an undeniable charm and swoon to this album. In Verses has ten songs and lasts a little over an hour, but it doesn’t feel that long. Some of the songs can feel a little same-y, but all of them are good to great. The album opens with a terrific tune, “Ghost”, which gives us that powerful riff energy and drumming. After that, we get the groovy “Drone”, the flashy and rhythmic “Aozora” with its fantastic drums and bass, then “Animation” with its ultra-cool descending chord progression and “Conversations”, a mostly quieter track with some riffs in the middle and an atmospheric tone overall. I like them all.
The second half is slightly stronger, I think. “Reanimation” arrives with some Guthrie Goven goodness. It kind of takes a cue from where “Conversations” left off, feeling quiet at first, but slowly rising and building to the Govan solos. “All It Takes” comes next and has instant attraction with its amazing riff and circular groove. “Remote Self Control” follows with a weirdly elongated but kinda catchy chorus and, again, some fiery drumming.
For my money, the last two songs are the best, by a substantial margin. “Opal” is my absolute favorite. This song, from the very start, has such energy and personality. Even though it is a slowburn, Ian delivers his vocals with such wit and character that the song feels incredibly vibrant. The last few minutes are muscular instrumentation that leads into a drawn-out ending I adore. The closer “Salva” is the lone ballad on the album, if you want to call it a ballad. It is more focused on Ian’s vocals, which he again delivers with emotion and skill. There are some heavier portions, but the song definitely plays more into expression than technique, and I think it’s a perfect close with blaring pipes and goosebumps galore.
Karnivool has resurrected and In Verses is a wonderful album. I personally would love to see them make music more like the last two songs on this record, but every song is a banger to some degree, and the runtime flies by without any serious lulls. The album is fun to hear and has some lyrical depth, too. This is pretty much required listening for progressive rock/metal fans.
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The PROG Mind 