Karnivool - In Verses

Karnivool are a much loved, yet somewhat enigmatic Progressive band from Perth, Western Australia. For a band with a relatively modest studio output they have a pretty substantial following worldwide. Formed as kids in 1998, ‘’Vool’ really rose to prominence in 2005 when they released their debut full length Themata. Their star continued to rise with 2009’s more overtly progressive Sound Awake. 2013’s Asymmetry took things to even more experimental areas, reinforcing that Karnivool aren’t ones to repeat themselves on their recorded work. After 13 long years they have reemerged with In Verses.

The album has been out for a little while now and the reception for In Verses has been very positive. I think that’s a reflection of the fact that Karnivool have made an album that does a good job of representing both the riff heavy material on Themata, and the more moody, drawn out builds contained on Sound Awake, with some fresh elements. They’ve managed to cater for their long term fans, without simply repeating themselves. The 13 year gap between releases also no doubt helped with the warm reception �" clearly the anticipation and hype for this release was on a scale that more typical bands that stick to a 3 year cycle of new albums and touring aren’t afforded.

I don’t feel like I need to do a track by tack review here, because there are some very consistent themes or comments I’d make in relation to a lot of the tracks. That’s not to say the album is ‘samey’, far from it in fact. However as a general statement it would be fair to say that most of the tracks are led by Ian Kenny’s vocal hooks, which isn’t something I’d say about all prog metal. Kenny has come up with relatively simple, catchy themes, that complement the heavy yet nuanced instrumentation so well. Take album opener "Ghost": it’s got a heavy riff, some more drawn out moody sections, and it is anchored by the vocals. Similarly Drone and Aozora have some real ear worm chorus’, and some deceptively complicated riffing. Some of you might be aware that Ian Kenny also sings in pop band Birds of Tokyo. He does a fantastic job in both bands, but I imagine he has honed his ear for memorable melodies from his time playing more straightforward musical styles. Whatever the case, he has nailed his vocals on this album. Shout out to the rhythm section of Steve Judd and Jon Stockman who anchor the band incredibly well throughout too. There is a real joy to hearing the drums and bass groove through these deceptively complicated riffs, and build together during the more drawn out or mellow passages. Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking’s guitar work is also really strong. The riffing is chunky and powerful, the layering and ambience created in softer sections is also very polished. They have Guthrie Govan contribute leads on Reanimation which is a nice touch, but make no mistake both of these guys are top line players in their own right. The album is remarkably consistent. Whilst some of the heavier tracks were potentially more immediate than some of the more mellow pieces, once you’ve sat with this album for a while it really is hard to pick out favourites. I see a lot of people single out the album closer "Salva" for this honour, and there is no doubt it is deserving.

Themata and Sound Awake are top tier albums in my eyes. As a Perth local who was at university when Themata came out I will admit that there is an element of nostalgia led bias in my views on this band. Whatever the case, I feel that In Verses is on par with these releases which is potentially a big call, given the fondness I have for the aforementioned albums. I’d expect that this album will be at the pointy end of a lot of end of year lists. Its heavy, progressive and melodic in a way that will see it highly rated by a wide array of rock, metal and prog fans.

Strongly recommended.

Lineup:
Ian Kenny - lead vocals (1998-present)
Drew Goddard - guitar, backing vocals (1998-present)
Jon Stockman - bass, unclean vocals (2000-present)
Mark Hosking - guitar, backing vocals (2003-present)
Steve Judd - drums (2004-present)

Track Listing
1. Ghost
2. Drone
3. Aozora
4. Animation
5. Conversations
6. Reanimation
7. All It Takes
8. Remote Self Control
9. Opal
10. Salva

Added: March 30th 2026
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Karnivool online
Hits: 95
Language: english

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