“Faceless we’ve become, hoping that hope is enough.”
One of Australia’s most celebrated modern progressive bands, Karnivool have built a reputation for intricate, knotty riffs and winding song structures, yet make progressive music that features a striking beauty and emotional heft. While the Perth band have always worn their love of Tool on their sleeves, they now share a different similarity with Tool – a thirteen-year gap between studio albums. It has been a long wait for Karnivool fans since Asymmetry dropped back in 2013, and many began to wonder if their long-gestating fourth album could possibly deliver on their pent-up hype. Thankfully, with In Verses, Karnivool mark a triumphant return. This is an assured, confident comeback that picks up as if no time has passed, at points even recalling the highs of the band’s 2009 magnum opus Sound Awake.
Opening track “Ghost” builds the tension masterfully, beginning sparsely with shuffling drums and subdued chords before exploding into a dissonant wall of sound. Frontman Ian Kenny sings poignantly of clinging to hope while the world is crumbling around him, a theme that current events have given an unexpected poignancy. For In Verses, the band have reunited with producer Forrester Savell, who helmed the band’s first two albums, 2005’s Themata and the aforementioned Sound Awake. Savell excels at balancing the various shades of Karnivool’s sonic palette, with the low end in particular remaining a constant highlight. Bassist Jon Stockman’s tone sounds downright menacing, with a thundering rumble that keeps these multi-layered compositions anchored to reality.
Lead single “Drone” is as straightforward of a cut as In Verses will provide, with a lumbering alt rock groove that builds to one of Kenny’s catchiest hooks. “Please don’t look down / I wanna stare at the sun ‘til it burns out”, Kenny belts with a passion and clarity that reminds listeners why he’s one of the finest frontmen in the modern prog scene. No matter how esoteric the compositions around him can become at times, Kenny’s vocals and lyrics always keeps Karnivool’s tracks rooted in palpable emotional connection, a difficult balancing act that many bands in this scene lose sight of.
However, make no mistake, In Verses will thrill fans looking for the epic song structures and sonic push-and-pull that are Karnivool’s bread and butter. The average song length is over six minutes, and tracks like the sprawling epic “Conversations” reward repeat listens, revealing additional layers methodically rather than pummelling the listener with hooks.
In Verses is more sparing with its heavy passages than much of Karnivool’s past work, but there are still plenty of dynamics at play. When the band does go full-throttle, it is all the more thrilling for the contrast with the album’s many gorgeous melodic passages. “Salva” closes out the record on a reflective note, with Kenny singing of a transitional period where one chapter of life closes and another opens. As the track builds to a towering crescendo, one can’t help but wonder if it’s meant to symbolize a closing of an era for Karnivool as well.
After such a long gap between albums, it’s hard to know what the future holds for this band. If In Verses does end up being the group’s swan song, it stands as both a tremendous gift to patient fans, and a celebration of Karnivool’s history as a group. The band have returned on their own terms, outside expectations and pressures be damned. It’s the kind of comeback any band should aspire to.
9/10
In Verses releases on February 6 via Cymatic Records and can be pre-ordered here.