If good things come to those who wait, Karnivool fans deserve something extraordinary. It’s been thirteen years since the Australian five-piece released their last full-length record ‘Asymmetry’ in 2013, leaving us little more than the occasional out-of-the-blue single to chew on since then. More than a decade later, the landscape of progressive metal is near-unrecognisable, yet Karnivool are back once again with their fourth LP— ‘IN VERSES’ certainly has its flaws, but after such a long time in the oven, the project ultimately delivers.

Lead single ‘Drone’ was a dead-giveaway that the quintet have changed considerably in the past decade, adopting a wildly new approach to songwriting for their newest record. ‘IN VERSES’ is still very much a progressive outing, but Karnivool seem content not to flaunt their technical proficiency this time around— now that everyone’s heard the mind-bending time signature changes of a track like ‘Goliath,’ Kenny and company have reined in their performances to serve a somewhat more accessible collection of songs. This is a far more vocal-driven listen, packed with dazzling hooks and memorable melodies: Karnivool are taking quite a gamble here by forsaking the intricate turnovers that once made them famous. ‘Drone,’ as the first taste of this new style, had us a little worried upon its release, as this fairly straightforward mid-paced number plays things safe to an absolute fault. It’s a relief to be able to call the cut one of the weakest that ‘IN VERSES’ has to offer— the surrounding songs are far more successful in proving that the band’s adaptation suits them very well.

What the record lacks in, for lack of a better word, wow-factor, it makes up for in its songwriting: the signature awkwardness that tends to permeate progressive metal feels almost completely absent here, replaced by a quiet confidence from the band themselves. Opener ‘Ghost’ lays out the key ingredients that will go on to make ‘IN VERSES’ so enjoyable, gliding effortlessly between chilling ambient soundscapes, grinding phrygian-style riffs and vocal melodies that only seem to grow in catchiness and intensity, right up until the song ends. Even in its lyrics, the cut is far more direct than we’ve come to expect from Karnivool— they’re now a band that feel comfortable attacking the world around them, and that venom is absolutely to the track’s benefit.

“They sanction all the young

Infecting futures to come

Find their beds and watch 'em burn

Starting fires one by one”

It’s on this cut, and on similarly successful inclusions across the record, that the five-piece invite fairly apt comparisons to TOOL (and not just because both bands took thirteen years to release their latest albums): Kenny’s delivery of “waiting for the great escape” on single ‘Aozora’ couldn’t sound more like Maynard James Keenan if he tried. The comparison is far from a dig, but rather an acknowledgement of how Karnivool’s priorities have changed over time: ‘IN VERSES’ is best enjoyed for its bombastic riffs and haunting choruses, distancing itself from the ‘progressive metal’ label.

It should go without saying that Karnivool continue to sound excellent in 2026: the  performances on display here may not be noteworthy by this band’s lofty standards, but they absolutely serve the album as a whole. Ian Kenny’s voice can feel a little one-note, especially once the record begins to enter its final chapter, but his melodic crooning hosts just enough emotion to sell the powerful chorus of ‘Aozora’ as well as it does the bitter, grunge-tinged ‘Animation’— its much the same story for the rest of the group, who are using this opportunity to hone their craft (rather than truly push themselves as musicians). Goddard and Hosking’s guitars are way out front in the mix, given the maximum amount of room possible to blow out your speakers: this album has riffs a-plenty, and ‘IN VERSES’ absolutely indulges in its own heft and gravitas. Much like its bleak artwork, the record feels wide-open and atmospheric: it’s a little unconventional, but when the band have us head-banging so enthusiastically so much of the time, it’s hard to care.

It must be said that Karnivool’s comeback is a tad uneven, but what record thirteen years in the making isn’t— by the time ‘Salva’ rounds the project out, ’IN VERSES’ has bounced between truly impressive highs and unfortunately forgettable lows. ‘Conversations’ is stunning, honestly, turning its eight-minute runtime into a mesmerising collection of hazy sound choices, emotive performances and some of the strongest vocal writing on the album: the band really do achieve something beautiful here, leading us into a brief but well-timed soft passage in the middle of the LP. The following ‘Reanimation’ pulls from a very similar bag of tricks, and while this second go-around may not be quite as interesting— Guthrie Govan’s inclusion on the song is particularly forgettable— it’s still a thumbs up from us. Our problems really begin with the awkward jolt back into progressive antics that is ‘All It Takes,’ a song that feels shoehorned onto an already-lengthy record: once that dreaded sense of monotony begins to set in, the likes of ’Remote Self Control’ and ‘Opal’ begin to fall on dead ears. At least closer ‘Salva’ ends things on another promising note, building to a bagpipes-inclusion that might just leave you speechless.

2026 marks a new era for Karnivool, who’s fourth album is their most direct and accessible yet: the band have hardly sold out, but have taken their time to sand down the rough edges of past records like ‘Themata’ and ‘Sound Awake.’ Their long-awaited return may be victim to the odd misstep, especially in its pacing, but don’t let that take away from the extreme highlights the group have come out with here. Songs like ‘Ghost,’ ‘Conversations’ and ‘Aozora’ are some of the most definitive in Karnivool’s catalogue: let’s just hope the five-piece see fit to capitalise on their momentum in a more timely manner going forward.