In Verses
Karnivool
Karnivool have taken thirteen years to follow up Asymmetry. That's a serious amount of waiting for ten songs. In Verses gives you plenty to work with, though: big bass lines, awkward rhythms and Ian Kenny finding a melody in places where most singers would probably ask for directions.
Ghost is a good introduction. The guitars move between quieter passages and much heavier sections, with Kenny keeping a clear line through it all. There's a lot happening around him, but the song still has somewhere to go. That matters with this kind of music. Being complicated is easy enough. Giving all those changes a purpose is the harder part.
All It Takes brings a more immediate punch. The bass and drums are a big part of the appeal here, giving the shifting guitar parts something solid to push against. Aozora is another highlight, especially when its busy verses open into a big chorus. Karnivool can make you concentrate on the playing, then give you a melody that needs very little explanation.
There are a few extra colours too. Guthrie Govan adds guitar to Reanimation, while strings and harp appear on Opal. These details suit a record with so much room in its arrangements. Kenny remains the main connection, though. His singing gives the technical playing a sense of vulnerability, and stops the album turning into an hour of musicians comparing equipment.
An hour is still an hour. Conversations takes its time, and the longer stretches won't work equally well for everyone. Some passages feel ready for their next step before the band actually takes it. A little trimming could have made the album more consistent without losing its character.
Then Salva finishes things with bagpipes. Yes, bagpipes. They fit the scale of the ending surprisingly well, giving the final stretch a lift rather than just adding another guitar solo.
In Verses asks for patience, and occasionally asks for slightly more than it needs. Its best songs make a strong case for staying. For anyone who likes heavy music with space, melody and interesting things happening underneath, there's plenty here to get into.
