In Verses - Karnivool New Album
Who Are the Guardians of Progress
In my journey through progressive metal, few Australian bands have left as deep a mark as Karnivool. Born in Perth in 1998, they became a benchmark in the prog-metal scene across three albums that blended impeccable technique, creativity, and raw emotion: from Themata to Sound Awake, and then Asymmetry. After more than a decade of silence, I confess that revisiting this sonic universe with In Verses felt like reuniting with an old friend who has changed, yet still carries the essence that first captivated me.
The Moment Has Arrived: In Verses Reveals Itself
Listening to In Verses is like witnessing a painting in motion. Across ten tracks, Karnivool, after 13 years away from the studio, not only return but express a palpable sonic maturity. The dense, grey artwork already sets the tone: this album is not simple technical rock, it is an emotional and instrumental kaleidoscope that navigates between introspection and bursts of power.
The opening track, 'Ghost', is a controlled shock of energy and atmosphere, a doorway into dense textures, riffs that roar like a storm, and Ian Kenny’s vocals balancing between the intimate and the monumental. It’s that moment when your heart starts racing and you realize the band still commands the game.
The Complete Experience
The strength of In Verses lies precisely in its ambition: it embraces both contemplative moments and passages that shake the ground. The thick bass, vibrant drums, and interwoven guitars create a backdrop that is never merely technical, but always charged with feeling as if every note carries a fragment of the 13-year wait.
Some tracks move slowly, building tension in an almost cinematic way, while others, like 'All It Takes', push us forward with an almost visceral urgency. There is a sense of balance between introspection and power that few bands manage to control with such confidence.
Critique and Contrast
Nothing is perfect, and the very experience of listening to In Verses reflects that. Some longer passages seem to drift without landing solidly, and moments of melody may feel a bit too familiar for those coming from Sound Awake or Themata. Yet even these instances are part of the album’s personality: it does not seek to repeat old formulas, but to reconfigure them within a new context.
What may distance some listeners is precisely this pursuit of maturity over immediate aggression, a choice that can feel more emotional than challenging in the more technical sense of prog.
Conclusion: A Work That Speaks to the Soul
In the final balance, In Verses is an emotional and sonic journey that justifies (and transcends) every second of the long wait. It’s an album that feels alive and pulsating, made both for those who grew up with Karnivool and for those seeking a deeper gateway into prog metal. It doesn’t replicate the past, it transforms it. And in the end, the feeling is that the band didn’t just return, but invited us to grow alongside them.
If I had to sum it up, I’d say In Verses works like a mirror: it reflects a path walked with patience, risk, and sensitivity and looks back at you, urging you to also allow yourself to feel everything the music has to say.
