There is nothing here which really changes my mind about this brand of prog metal. That being said, I have found things to enjoy here - and it has been good to finally catch up with Karnivool. Opening with Ghost, the album gets off to a slow start - with cold synths and a bit of a simple drum groove, before the big riffing of guitarists Drew Goddard and Mark Hosking kick in. The riffing throughout the album is generally quite dry and doomy, but perhaps not as mechanical and grinding as some of the riffs which sit on similar albums. There is a smoother, less tech metal sound to Karnivool's approach, then, which I do quite like - and the doomy riffs fit nicely with the atmospherics. Frontman Ian Kenny soon starts to sing, too, and his voice moves back and forth between a lower, semi-whispered style which have a vulnerability to them, and a higher, more powerful approach - and this song features the former during the verses and the latter during the chorus. Structure-wise, the song tends to grow towards its chorus. Despite moments of heaviness, which are welcome, much of the verses are slow-burning - with chiming clean guitar melodies, subtle grooves from the rhythm section, and the synths filling all the gaps. I am not sure that I would call anything Karnivool do anthemic, but the chorus certainly has more life to it - and Kenny delivers an emotive and powerful vocal during it, whilst he riffing behind him picks up a bit. Generally, though, the riffing only feels big during instrumental moments, and there are a handful of doomy moments here - such as where the song's ending and the final vocal-led section which feels more urgent. I think my problem with this kind of prog metal is that there is actually little variety to be found within its walls. The formula of Ghost essentially informs the rest of the album - with Drone taking a similar path. Despite this, though, Drone is perhaps more overtly hooky. The bass playing of Jon Stockman features more prominently this time, giving the verses a little more of a snappy vibe - despite Kenny still singing them in a downbeat and mournful manner. There are doomy moments, too, but the guitar melodies are perhaps a little busier throughout this time - and the chorus is perhaps the album's most catchy thanks to Kenny's slightly pacier and heartfelt delivery. There is also something of a guitar solo here, with tremolo, fast-picked guitar melodies adding a slightly different vibe to parts of the song - even if Kenny sings over much of it. Much of the album is quite one-paced, but this song does have a little more urgency to it - which does help it to stand out and be one of the strongest cuts here in my view. Opening even more slowly than what has come before, Aozora is very quiet as it starts up - but it gets going proper once Steve Judd starts to lay down a staccato and punchy drum groove. There is less big riffing here initially, with the drum groove forming the main focal point - whilst clean guitar melodies and Kenny's vocals wash over it. An off-kilter and exciting drum break then transitions the song into its next mode - and some riffs do crash in at this point. The song never feels as doomy as the opening cut here, but there is a heaviness which was perhaps absent from the previous number - with the verses backed by some big chords, whilst effects-heavy clean guitar melodies also add depth. This is another track with a chorus that utilises more overt hooks, although it is quite short so it never seems to fully capitalise on them. Despite this, though, I do quite like the song - largely due to the excellent drumming from Judd throughout and the fact that, once it gets going, Kenny pushes himself a bit more vocally.
Animation feels a bit sparser overall. This brand of prog metal is generally on the sparser side, especially compared to the more bombastic, symphonic prog metal I tend to prefer, but this song feels sparse at times even compared to Karnivool's core sound. There are riffy moments, with another pretty decent chorus feeling quite weighty thanks to some dry riffing and emotive vocal melodies, but much of the rest of the song is very low key - with rim shot drum work providing a distant groove and simple guitar and bass textures adding a droning backing. Kenny is a bit more expressive than some of his peers, but he does spend much of this song in that semi-whispered/mumbling mode which characterises this type of prog metal - but he comes alive during the chorus which is welcome. A rare guitar solo is also a welcome addition to the song, despite its short length. Conversations, which is the longest song here at just over eight minutes, opens similarly to the previous song - but the overall arrangement feels a bit more lush from the off, with warmer strings sitting over the top of the simple drum groove and fading guitar melodies. The song feels somewhat more cinematic than much of the rest of the material here, then, but once Kenny starts singing the strings largely retreat and the typical slow-burning Karnivool sound is back - albeit with busier, more melodic guitar lines in the background. Given the length of the song, though, the arrangement is given quite a lot of room to stretch out. As such, the sections generally feel quite lengthy. They do subtly change in tone as things move forward, with Kenny's voice becoming more powerful during certain sections and instrumental breaks with punchier drums adding accents. There is certainly smoothness to the song overall, and I do like how all the sections seem to mesh together nicely. Given the song's length, though, I would have preferred a bit more variety. The band's core sound is really pushed to its limit here, and there are very few genuinely heavy moments which seems strange given its length. Reanimation is somewhat similar, albeit not quite as a long, and it is a collaboration between the band and guitarist Guthrie Govan (Asia; GPS; The Aristocrats; Steven Wilson). Whilst similar in tone to the previous song, there are some weightier moments this time - but largely this is another longer, slow-burning piece with subtle verses and a chorus which rises above the murk just a little. This chorus is a bit more overt, though, which means that Kenny gets to deliver some strong hooks - and the chorus is another which pushes the band in a more anthemic direction. Given Govan's prowess, though, this song does not especially make use of his talents - save for a guitar solo which is melodic and soaring (especially compared to the band's usual approach). Elsewhere, though, the guitar playing is no different to the rest of the album really - so it would have been nice to see Govan utilised more to create something different. All It Takes was actually released back in 2021, so this album had been in the works for some time, and the shorter piece immediately feels crunchier than the two longer songs which came before. The guitar riffing is more prominent this time, and the verses actually feel weighty - with a grinding guitar and bass pattern grooving away behind Kenny's emotive vocals. This riffing style largely continues on throughout much of the song, too, with quieter moments featuring more of a bass presence than usual. As such, this song feels a bit fuller than some of the others here - but the band's core sound is very much stuck to in general.
Following some riffing being reintroduced in the previous song, Remote Self Control continues on such a vibe - and opens in a more frantic manner than is typical for Karnivool. Judd's opening drumming is faster and less controlled than usual, whilst dry riffing is laid over the top of it to create an interesting, off-kilter sound. Nothing on this album feels fast really, but this is possibly the song which feels the fastest and most kinetic thanks to this drumming approach. It certainly shakes things up in a subtle way, but much of the track remains firmly rooted in the band's core sound - with spacey verses and plenty of floaty vocals from Kenny. The riffing from the song's intro does crash back in fairly often, though, which does help to keep the song moving. It feels a bit more dynamic and hard rocking as a result, then, which helps the track to be another favourite cut of mine here. Opal returns to a slower opening, with chiming clean guitars and a distant beat opening things up - over which Kenny sings with his typical approach. I would not say that the album contains any true ballads, largely as the band's core sound is quite ballad-esque a lot of the time by default - but there is something more ballad-like about this number. This is likely due to the lack of any big drums during much of the piece - with programmed beats and percussive drumming utilised during much of the song - at least the first half or so. Big riffing is kept to a minimum, too, allowing an atmospheric sound to settle in - but this does change later on, when something heavier does crash in. This heavier moment is welcome, but it is quite short lived, and it is not long before the more atmospheric and ballad-like vibe returns - albeit with a bit more of a potent drum backing. The song does evolve in quite a pleasing manner, then, and the way the drums are utilised does make it stand out. Kenny really shines as a singer during this one, too, with the somewhat cinematic arrangement giving his vocals plenty of room to breathe. I would prefer a bit more grit from him at times, but songs like this really play to his strengths - with the pseudo-ballad a great home for him emotive and, at times, fragile delivery. The album then comes to a close with Salva, another lengthier song which opens in a very slow manner. Even compared to the band's usual approach, the sparse arrangement is very limited - and Kenny's early vocals are sung so quietly they can barely be heard. Thankfully, though, this extremely quiet approach does not last for too long - and something more typical soon takes over, with another cinematic vibe allowing for some big, expressive vocals from Kenny and plenty of chiming clean guitar melodies. The chorus-like section of the song is perhaps one of the album's most moving and emotive moments vocally, showcasing Kenny as a great singer, but the rest of the song feels a bit bland in comparison - and it really meanders along without ever really getting going, with the exception of a bit of a heavier moment towards the end. These arrangements are generally why I struggle with prog metal of this ilk - and this song is an example of some good ideas which are stretched thin without the riffs and melodies to truly back them up. Overall, then, In Verses is an album very much of a genre and a sound which I struggle with - but I did find songs and moments to enjoy here. Kenny is a great singer for the most part, and I like how drum-driven a lot of the material is - with Judd delivering some great grooves. It is not an album that is going to change my mind about this brand of prog metal, but I am glad to have listened to it and entered the world of Karnivool after many years. I imagine the album will do well despite the gap between releases - with lovers of this brand of prog metal likely to lap up each mournful melody and dry riff.
The album was released 6th February 2026 via Cymatic/Sony Music Entertainment. Below is the band's promotional video for Opal.
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