by Sosefina Fuamoli / photo by Court McAllister

Being a Karnivool fan requires patience. 

It has been twelve years since the Perth-based group released a studio album – 2013’s Asymmetry – and despite scattered tours of Australia, Europe and the UK, and India in more recent history, the prospect of new music was never quite certain. Threads of new sounds and ideas would manifest themselves in demo form, studio sessions would be had. Ultimately, the fourth studio record from Karnivool existed as a whisper of an idea rather than tangible reality. 

That is, until now. 

Midway through 2025, fans were blessed with an insight into the band’s new chapter with the release of ‘Drone’ – a song that landed with impact, dirty riffs and a heavy sound that fondly harked back to their Themata-era, while also excitedly pointing at what was to come. 

At that point, it meant live shows across Australia, Europe and the UK; the international shows bringing Karnivool to festivals including ArcTanGent in Bristol, Brutal Assault in the Czech Republic, and for the first time, a headline show in Dublin. But that was just the beginning, as Karnivool quietly prepared for the long-awaited announcement of a brand new album: In Verses.

From it, the band shared a succession of revelatory singles – enough to whet an appetite. The rhythms and the builds that feature heavily indicate a renewed sense of purpose that Karnivool has engaged with; the sonic world both songs have established point towards the band having fallen back in love with the process, finding their way back to their creative heart after so long away. 

For guitarist and songwriter Drew Goddard, finishing In Verses is a surreal milestone for Karnivool to reach.

The quietly spoken musician’s intensity is a key player in all of Karnivool’s work to date - stretching right back to Themata, the band’s seminal debut album that Goddard wrote all tracks for. With In Verses, his work is emotive and cathartic; sometimes yearning while at other points, brutally poignant in a way that he has described as “emotional acupuncture”.

For Goddard, the heart of the music and the core intention of Karnivool’s songs is what he remains intrinsically tied to and with In Verses, he hopes that new and longtime fans alike will also find that kindred sense of connection, despite the long and winding route taken to get here.

“The thing that matters most to me are the songs and the effect they have on me, the other guys in the band, and on people,” he muses. “I hope it energises and soothes; that it is a cathartic thing for people, and that it does all the things. I hope it makes people smile.”

When we speak with Goddard, Karnivool approached the end of the first phase of their ‘Ad Complementum Tour’ – the band’s first tour with some of this new music included in the set. Being able to massage the intricacies of the new music around Australia began as a clever way to prepare for the band’s European return but of course, it wouldn’t be Karnivool without a slight hiccup thrown into the mix.

In this case, vocalist Ian Kenny found himself struck down with a nasty chest virus that led to a few Australian dates needing to be rescheduled, while the shows that did go ahead were done so with tentative caution. 

On this particular night, spirits remained high with the band; it was clear that Karnivool had been thoroughly enjoying being able to take these first steps into a new era together. Reflecting on the ever-evolving nature of this band, Goddard is candid about his own feelings of uncertainty regarding the future of this project. 

“It’s been good to get some confidence back, because there have been some moments where I wasn’t sure if I was able to do this anymore. It seemed so overwhelming,” he says. “We all still enjoy each other’s company and we love what we do. It’s strengthened things over the years.”

“Most of the album had come together back in 2016, 2017, but we just had no perspective,” Goddard adds. “Having that break and then the deadline come into play, it forced us to just do it. It was really refreshing to have that mindset back, not overthink things, and trust ourselves again.”

Noting the input of Karnivool’s longtime producer, Forrester Savell, Goddard says it really was a group effort, from the ground up, in pulling In Verses from its infancy into its final result.

“Forrester was a massive part of getting this finished. He’s great with his ear and what he does sonically, that’s a big part, but he’s just a pro,” he says. “He’s so good at what he does; managing the project, listening and managing people and their emotions.”

“We met him very early on. It just felt like it all made sense, as far as the story goes,” Goddard continues, noting In Verses provided a reunion moment for Savell and the band – Asymmetry saw Karnivool work with producer, Nick DiDia (Rage Against The Machine, Bruce Springsteen), with Goddard also forging forward as a co-producer.   

“We did our own thing on that record [Asymmetry] and it was a real learning experience,” he remembers. “That album was a challenging one, but I feel like I learned so much from it and some of my favourite songs are still on that album. It’s probably not my favourite album, but I’d love to remix it someday. It was a big learning curve, that one.”

With In Verses having now landed, Goddard is optimistic when thinking about where the album is set to take Karnivool. Hopefully more shows in different countries are on the cards – Goddard, who loves the travel aspect, is excited to explore the new experiences music will afford him and the band this time around.

“It’s a consolidation of everything that has happened until this point, I’m so ready to let it go!” he smiles.

“I’m looking forward to it just getting out in the world and doing its thing. I’m hoping to get to a whole bunch of new territories; maybe South America, finally. I get enough messages from Chilean fans – they’re quite organised, in terms of their approach! I’d love to go back to North America, it’s been a very long time. We’re trying to get there!”

“I’s an exciting prospect for me,” Goddard says of the prospect of In Verses being a gateway for new Karnivool fans to jump onboard.  “I remember Rick Beato did a video on us and it was great to see it was, for a lot of people, their first time discovering the band.” 

“Karnivool fans, as a collective, are friendly and supportive; I’m just glad we could get it finished for them. They are so loyal. I didn’t think it was going to happen at some points, but I’m glad it did.”

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In Verses, the new album from Karnivool is now available via Cymatic Records / The Orchard. Get the album - HERE

Catch Karnivool live throughout Europe this April and May with support from Intervals. Check the list of dates below. Get tickets - HERE