Album review by Lucas Bell
Born out of relentless experimentation in their Perth studio with longtime collaborator Forrester Savell, the road to Karnivool’s fourth studio record has not been linear nor straightforward, just like the music they create.
In Verses is a culmination of the last decade of life experiences that have brought Karnivool to this point. Meticulously formed and delivered, the album’s ten tracks journey collective feelings of frustration, catharsis and a rediscovery of identity. In Verses not only provides a fitting moment of reintroduction for longtime and casual Karnivool fans but for newcomers, the new album marks a striking gateway to a body of work built on an intense love for the craft.
Six of the album’s ten songs have existed in some form or another throughout live sets since at least 2015, with Ghost and Drone having debuted the most recently on the 2025 Ad Complementum tour. I’m incredibly excited to hear these songs as studio tracks, made the way the band intended them, outside of the live setting.
SONG BREAKDOWNS
Ghost – The album’s opening track debuted just recently on the 2025 Ad Complementum tour, which was the tour that they announced In Verses very quietly, was to be expected sooner rather than later.
Drone – The record’s second single, ‘Drone’ came nearly 4 years after the release of ‘All It Takes’, and I’m pretty sure I’ve played this song to death as much as I have ‘All It Takes’. There is something satisfying about hearing Karnivool rip guitar solos. It’s not something they do often, but when they do, they have an air of epicness to them. Almost cinematic. And this is a tune worthy of that mood.
Aozora – Next to ‘All It Takes’, ‘Aozora’ is a song that has existed over ten years as part of the bands setlist, being played as far back as their 2015 tours. And this has been the song I’ve been excited to hear the most, because every time I’ve seen them, they’ve played it live, and I’ve loved it. The studio version is even better. The quieter section around the midpoint builds back into a huge last two minutes, with the “still waiting for the great escape” ending getting me hype as hell.
Animation – For a long time, I thought ‘Animation’, or ‘Reanimation’, was going to be the name of this record with how much these songs have been part of the sets, and the vibe of the band. The album’s shortest song, at just under five minutes, is a beautiful journey through amazing peaks and valleys, showing Karnivool at their most sonically brilliant. It’s moody, dark, and instrumentally, some of the tightest output the band has ever produced.
Conversations – 23 minutes into the record, and we’re finally at the first song I haven’t heard in some form. And at just over eight minutes, I was not fully prepared for this track. The opening 90 seconds is some of the most moving music I’ve heard from this band, and to have Ian Kenny crooning his way over the opening verse, I felt my hips shaking along to this in a very slow jam fashion. At times, there feels like shades of the more bluesy Birds of Tokyo stuff kicking in, but those vibes quickly disappear with that deep bassline only Jon Stockman could make sound so groovy.
Reanimation – Like ‘Animation’, ‘Reanimation’ has existed side by side since 2016. Sandwiching ‘Conversations’ between these tracks is an interesting choice, as I feel this would have grooved better for me next to Animation. I do love the low guitar riff at the end that fades perfectly into ‘All It Takes’. But it feels a little longer than I would like, alone sitting at 60 seconds, on a nearly seven and a half minute track. The song is also the first time Karnivool have released a song as a feature, with guitarist Guthrie Govan from The Aristocrats providing work on the track as well.
All It Takes – This song has existed in the band’s setlist as early as 2015, and finally saw the light of day as the band’s first single from In Verses, all the way back in 2021. It’s crazy to think this song was out nearly five years ago, because it feels like it’s been a staple of my setlists for so much longer. It’s been through me finding myself, heartbreak and the personal and professional highs and lows I’ve had over the last five years. It also feels like a spiritual successor to ‘Set Fire to the Hive’ with that riff on the intro and verse. This is a banger, and definitely an album highlight.
Remote Self Control – Three songs left, and these are all new, and I could not be more thrilled. I haven’t talked about him yet, but how Steve Judd isn’t considered a top 10 dead or alive drummer astounds me. This song alone should put him in contention for that title. There is a part around the four and a half minute mark where they throw this vocal effect on Kenny’s vocals, and it feels like the entire lyrics surround you. I don’t know if explaining that makes sense, but it’s a cool, weird feeling that makes me love this song even more.
Opal – Holy hell. This is the song I cannot wait for people to hear. The opening of Ian Kenny and a piano is something that I can’t believe we haven’t gotten sooner. But to have pieces slowly introduced, like guitars, then bass, then drums, underscoring Kenny’s incredible vocals, is truly moving. And the violins? Chefs kiss. I’d love to hear this on a setlist as soon as possible, and I’m glad they held onto this until the album release, because experiencing it as a complete piece of music for the first time gave me whole body goosebumps. Also, 2:55 onwards. Holy shit.
Salva – Nearly 55 and a half minutes later, we are on the final track. And at seven minutes and fifty seconds, Salva is a brilliant track to close the record. While structurally, it’s very similar to ‘Opal’, being quiet, and building to something big, it uses the near eight minutes to build more suspense for the final three and a bit minutes, where it just unleashes a catharsis I only get from songs like ‘Deadman’, or ‘Change’. And the bagpipes and the orchestral ending, unreal.
Final Thoughts
It’s been no secret I have been a Vooligan since 2004, when I heard ‘Headcase’ on a promo video for Perth based wrestling federation EPW. I immediately picked Persona up and broke the disc until Themata came out. And while Sound Awake is a perfect record, the post Sound Awake era was hard for me to enjoy, as Asymmetry was not an album I’ve been able to fully appreciate until VERY recently.
In Verses has been a long thirteen year wait. A wait, to see if one of my favorite Australian bands can still make music I can resonate with. And with every tease as this album has gotten closer, I’ve been cautiously optimistic. I didn’t want to feel the way I felt about Asymmetry with this record. And so a simple question is left. Did it live up to the hype I have built for it within my own head for the last 10 years?
Yes. Yes it did.
Score – 9/10
Album Highlights – All It Takes, Opal, Salva, Aozora
