Song of the Day: “Aozora” by Karnivool

Feb 24, 2026

After a decade-plus of silence that had fans wondering if the band was dodging the ATO (Australian Taxation Office), Karnivool finally emerged with IN VERSES, and even better, it arrives as a definitive statement on the band’s artistic maturity. In the meantime, we’ve seen the progressive rock landscape shift significantly, but IN VERSES manages to re-establishes the Perth-based quintet not as relics of a previous era, but as architects of a more sophisticated sound (more in-line with what pioneers like Leprous and Haken have been doing lately). While their previous efforts were often defined by a restless, jagged energy, this album leans into a grander sense of space and structural intentionality. It’s polished, it’s expansive, and it somehow manages to sound both like a natural progression and a total atmospheric departure.

The record marks a deliberate departure from the dense, often abrasive experimentation of Asymmetry. Where that predecessor felt like an exercise in friction and rhythmic complexity for the sake of challenge, IN VERSES integrates those technical hallmarks into a more fluid, cohesive narrative. It honors the foundation laid by Sound Awake, yet it trades some of the visceral aggression for a layered, cinematic density. The production is meticulous, allowing the interplay between the three-guitar attack to feel less like a wall of sound and more like a carefully woven tapestry of texture and tone.

Ultimately, IN VERSES is the sound of a band that has mastered the balance between intellect and instinct. It is a dense, rewarding listen that prioritizes the “song” without sacrificing the technical proficiency that defined their rise. By the time the final notes of the album fade, it is clear that Karnivool has transitioned from a band seeking a voice to one that is fully in command of its own legacy.

Being forced to choose just one highlight from an album of such high technical caliber, “Aozora” emerges as the best example of their newfound maturity, representing the peak of Karnivool’s songwriting evolution. It provides a great example of tension and release, balancing the band’s penchant for odd-meter grooves with a melodic resonance that is often missing in contemporary progressive metal (thankfully, avoiding the seemingly mandatory “cookie-monster” vocal style entirely). In fact, Ian Kenny delivers perhaps his most nuanced performance to date. He navigates the song’s shifting dynamics with a control that mirrors the instrumental intensity, moving from a hauntingly quiet opening to a soaring, emotive climax. The rhythmic complexity serves the emotional arc of the song rather than distracting from it, creating a sense of forward momentum that feels both inevitable and earned.