Scott's Song by Song #62: Karnivool - In Verses
Welcome to issue #62 of Scott’s Song by Song (#scottssongbysong). For more information about this series, click here:
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Time to go back “Down Under” for this review. I am taking my first close look at an album by Aussie prog-metallers, Karnivool. The band has roots going back to their high school days in the late 90s, when they began covering grunge bands. Before long they began writing original material. Their first EP, “Persona” came out in 2001, followed by their first full album in 2005 called “Themata”. “Sound Awake” came in 2009 followed by “Symmetry” in 2013. They were quiet for several years following that before releasing a new single in 2021 called “All It Takes”. The single “Drone” was released in June of 2025, before finally releasing their fourth full album on February 6, 2026 called “In Verses”; the subject of today’s song by song review. I have heard and liked some of their previous material, but have never taken a deep dive until now. I have noted that the first letter of each word in the title are highlighted, implying the Roman numeral “IV”, as this is the fourth album of theirs.
The line-up for the album is as follows:
- Ian Kenny / lead vocals
- Andrew 'Drew' Goddard / lead guitar, backing vocals
- Mark Hosking / guitar, backing vocals
- Jon Stockman / bass
- Steve Judd / drums, percussion
With:
- Guthrie Govan / guitar (6)
As usual, this is a cold listen.
Track 1 - Ghost (6:25)
The song fades in with synth sounds. A rimshot drum groove enters after around 3 seconds, which opens up to snare drum hits when the bass enters. The song explodes with heavy guitar just after the one minute mark. The vocals enter with odd meters shortly thereafter. There are alternating heavy parts with more mellow moments. The sound is very dense in the heavier parts. They remind me a little of Tool, but I like Ian Kenny’s vocals better. Pretty good opener, with a catchy refrain of “Like every other day”.
Track 2 - Drone (4:59)
This one also fades in with sound-effects before kicking into a moderate tempo shuffle beat. The vocals are a bit subdued before the band kicks into high gear at around 1:25. The instrumental break that precedes the second verse is heavy and complex. The second verse returns to the shuffle, but with vocal harmonies. The next heavier part has a bit of lead guitar. I am enjoying Steve Judd’s drumming on this. Once again I am reminded of Tool, although not quite as tight and complex as they tend to be. Good track, I like it a little more than the opener.
Track 3 - Aozora (6:26)
This begins with a tricky drumbeat, soon joined by guitar and vocals. The band kicks in hard at around 45 seconds. I like the riffs here. The chorus has more sustained vocals compared to the verses. There is a quiet section in the middle of the song. The refrain of this one is “Still waiting for the great escape”. While the guitars and bass are well done, it is Steve Judd’s drumming that is stealing the show for me, instrumentally. Cool track. So far I have enjoyed each song a little more than its predecessor. So far, I have noticed that the focus is on an overall band sound, and there have not been any full-on guitar solos. Wondering if that will continue.
Track 4 - Animation (4:58)
It starts quietly with sounds that sound like pizzicato string instruments. The bass, drums and vocals enter with a dark, quiet vibe. Guitars interject some accents as it builds up to the chorus explosion. They seem to apply the classical music concept of “Sturm und Drang”, meaning “Storm and Stress”. The alternating minor key sections of quiet and heaviness give me that impression. There is a short guitar break at around 3:50. It’s really more about the soundscapes, though. Well-done track.
Track 5 - Conversations (8:03)
Let’s see what the album’s longest track has to offer. It begins with a drumbeat and distant sounding guitars creating an atmosphere. The vocals enter after 1:30. Unfortunately, the vocals aren’t very exciting. Things finally begin to build up at around 4:15. It is gradually becoming more dynamic. A guitar countermelody enters around 5:40. I appreciate the atmosphere they are trying to create, but everything is so drenched in reverb, that there is not much clarity to the melodies or rhythms. A slow fade begins at 7:15. I had high hopes that there would be more development to this song, but it never really seems to go anywhere. It is my least favorite track thus far.
Track 6 - Reanimation (feat. Guthrie Govan) (7:21)
For those who aren’t aware, Guthrie Govan is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists in the world at this time. He plays in the supergroup The Aristocrats as well as numerous guest appearances and session work on albums like this. Let’s see what he brings to the table. It fades in with a slow tempo. Harmonized vocals enter prior to the lead vocals. Things fully kick in just before the 2-minute point. This one is much more dynamic than “Conversations”. The bass adds a bit of rhythm at around 3:20. Govan enters at 4:40, and his presence is immediately felt. There are harmony vocals behind the solo. The solo was great, but too short! The song has built up nicely, however, and has much more energy than its predecessor. There is a big drop off with about one minute remaining, and it remains very quiet thereafter. Pretty good track, made better by Govan’s too brief of a solo.
Track 7 - All It Takes (2025 Remastered Version) (5:25) This is the 2021 single mentioned in the opening paragraph, remastered. It begins with some synth sounds then a heavy beat begins. This one has a pretty interesting riff, very syncopated. The vocals are much more prominent in the mix. This song really feels “tight”. I can see why it was released as a single. I like the breakdown around 2:45. So far, I would say this is the best track on the album. It’s heavy and complex, but has grooves that one can sink into. I really like it.
Track 8 - Remote Self-Control (5:40)
This begins with big open chords and a riff underneath. This one also has something to latch onto as a listener. If I were an A&R man I’d recommend this one as a single as well. I like the loud/soft sections, which seems to be a big part of their sound, but again, it seems a little more accessible than in some of the earlier tracks. The song is super heavy, but with great grooves. Steve Judd stands out again on the drums. Great track.
Track 9 - Opal (6:09)
They released a music video for this in December. This seems like it is going to be more of a ballad. It’s a nice change of pace. It is indeed a ballad with some nice harmonies. It begins to build up at around 2 minutes with more heavy guitar presence. There is an actual guitar solo at around 3 minutes, and Jon Stockman stands out a bit with a nice bass line. I love the big vocal harmonies at 3:45. As the song approaches the 5 minute mark, it quiets back down again. There are some sound effects as the track fades out. Great track!
Track 10 - Salva (7:51)
This is the second longest track to close the album. Let’s see how it fares compared to the longest one (“Conversations”). It seems to emerge from the sounds that closed “Opal” out. Some atmospheric guitar plays over a droning low note. The initial vocals are semi-whispered, and nearly inaudible. A beat kicks in just before the 2 minute mark. The vocals become more prominent at that point with nice harmonies. I am liking how this is shaping up. Bug power chords kick in at 3:25 or so. It’s staying moderately slow as well. As we pass the 5 minute point, the beat drops back out for ambient sounds. At 5:40, though, it explodes with a key change! .Nice! Then …out of nowhere…Bagpipes! Awesome! I now think that THIS is the best track on the album! There are guitar and synth licks over a tribal beat. A very strong finish! They truly saved the best for last here.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
I was getting worried as I listened to the first half of the album that I was not going to be able to give this one a very good review. I mean tracks 1-4 were pretty good to varying degrees, but not really blowing me away. Then I was very disappointed with track 5, “Conversations”, as the longest track on the album that never seemed to go anywhere and sounded really murky. But then things started to look up. Guthrie Govan’s guest solo started to breathe life into “Reanimation”, which is very appropriate, given the song’s title. Things just kept getting better after that. “All It Takes” and “Remote Self-Control” were both strong with great grooves and hooks. “Opal” was a nice ballad, and then the closer, “Salva” REALLY blew me away. So I suppose that if I consider the album as a whole, it’s a very slow burn. So overall it is a strong album with some flaws. Maybe someone will get something out of “Conversations” that I was missing. I’ll give it a 4.25 out of 5 stars (85%). The second half of the album by itself would garner a higher score. If you only check out one track though, make it “Salva”; it really pays off by the end. Check out the “Links for Listening” below.
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Scott
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LINKS FOR LISTENING (And buying).
Here is a playlist of all of the songs on the album:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_liotP6X_oz-FwvSvdKiIWk1FoSsjyPqNk
Here is a landing page with purchasing and streaming info on the band’s official website:
https://karnivool.lnk.to/inverses
The page to purchase the album in various formats along with related merch on the official page:
https://www.karnivool.com/#merch
And a special Grey Vinyl version is here, but it isn’t cheap!
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