Karnivool Bestows Elegant New Single 'Opal' Upon Us; Taken From Forthcoming Album, In Verses

There was once a time when the world waited (im)patiently for new material to surface from Aussie prog masters Karnivool, and now there's been a plentiful array of sounds from their forthcoming (and absurdly delayed) album In Verses - which is set to drop on Feb 6, 2026.

Alongside singles such as 'Drone', 'Aozora' and 'All It Takes' (and not to forget 'Ghost' which was played live on their recent Aussie tour), Vooligans have been gifted the sombre and delicate track 'Opal' to ooze over; and if the alluring sounds of vocalist Ian Kenny gets you all kinds of moist, then let's just say you're gonna be gushing like the Victoria Falls during monsoon season.

As Kenny guides us in with his vocal display, we're met by the band joining in at various times in the first act which continues to build the suspense and momentum, before edging us without a complex all-in assault... but just wait to hear that final section and you'll be screaming along in a chokehold at future shows.

There's string and piano action, thumping riffs and bass that'll make even the shyest of music fan let out a sigh of delight before the Perth maestros guide us down with a low tempo and fade out that'll have you begging for more.

If the arrangement sounds familiar in parts, it turns out the band utilised old compositions and riffs from their back catalogue recording sessions and breathed new life into them as Drew Goddard explains:

"'Opal' pulls together ideas from some of my earliest days writing with the band.

The riff in the middle and end was actually the first thing I recorded in the Themata era, on a computer at my parents’ house. Twenty years later, it found its place here.

Jon dug it up, and we made it feel more current. The verse that starts with 'You’ve been holding up…' was a section left off Aeons from Asymmetry. The whole track came together in a way we’ve never really experienced before - these old, separate ideas suddenly just fell into place."

Everything old is new again, but when Karnivool are at the helm, none of their quality musicianship gets left to waste. 12 years is a long time between albums, but one thing is for sure, Karnivool not only make the long waits worthwhile, but they're cementing their place amongst the icons of the genre by proving you can't rush perfection.

In Verses is set to be one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year (especially amongst Australian album drops) and we're keen to hear what else awaits on the remaining five tracks.

Words by Paul 'Browny' Brown @brownypaul