On their upcoming Australian tour, Karnivool will be joined by special guests TesseracT and Car Bomb – but according to the Perth icons, ‘special’ hardly does them justice.  

The progressive metal band praised their supports in a recent interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, sharing that the pairing stemmed from a shared moment at ArcTanGent Festival, where both acts left a lasting impression.

Hailing from the UK, TesseracT are widely regarded as pioneers, expanding metal’s vocabulary beyond all measure with off-kilter riffs, soaring melodies, bending grooves and disorientating atmospherics.

Over the course of their career, the band have built a formidable reputation for powerful, mind-altering live shows and Australian legions came out in force to experience their landmark record, War of Being, in 2024.

“We saw Tesseract play for the first time in a while,” Karnivool’s vocalist Ian Kenny said of last year’s ArcTanGent festival. “And they just dominated.”

Meanwhile, New York innovators Car Bomb – who will bring their elite chops and maniacal arrangements to Australia for the very first time – hit differently.

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25 years in with a discography almost as lean as Karnivool’s, Car Bomb mines the depths of extreme metal to create a signature sound that is as confounding as it is cathartic with evolving polyrhythms, shifting tempos and deconstructive guitars designed to pulverise all senses live.

“I think they’re doing something with rhythm that’s really, really fresh and new,” Karnivool’s guitarist Drew Goddard said. “It really kind of changed my brain in the same way that J Dilla or Meshuggah did. I was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you could do that.’”

Taking their No. 1 album In Verses on the road, the band will kick off their tour with a hometown show in Perth on July 18th, before stops in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Landing 13 years after its predecessor, In Verses is a heavy prog masterpiece that stunned critics and fans who were both quick to forgive the band for the agonisingly long wait. A meticulously crafted, richly layered yet welcoming journey, the album is a rare chart-topper, becoming the first local album to do so in 2026.

It’s been over a decade since Karnivool have toured a new album. See here for details.

For complete tour and ticket information, see here. 

KARNIVOOL AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2026

Saturday, July 18th
Ice Cream Factory, Perth WA

Tuesday, July 21st
AEC Theatre, Adelaide SA

Thursday, July 23rd
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney NSW

Friday, July 24th
Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne VIC

Saturday, July 25th
Riverstage, Brisbane QLD