GREEN CARNATION

Enigmatic standard bearers for Norwegian prog metal, GREEN CARNATION have been releasing classy and atmospheric music since the turn of the century. From early triumphs like 2001's one-song, conceptual masterclass "Light of Day, Day of Darkness", to 2020's post-hiatus comeback "Leaves of Yesteryear", their dedication to making thoughtful, poetic and beautifully elegant records has never wavered. Everything the band have done has been imbued with the spirit of old-school prog, but a devotion to the sonic textures of artful, 21st century metal have ensured that nothing they have done has ever felt like a throwback or some other knowingly old-fashioned endeavor. Instead, GREEN CARNATION deal in timeless adventures in dark melancholy and gentle grandeur, and this sequel to last year's "A Dark Poem, Part 1: The Shores of Melancholia" continues that tradition. While the first half of this two-album splurge stood proudly at the aggressive end of their enduring remit, "A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis" purposefully delves into more personal and poignant territory, eschewing much of the bombast and blastbeat-infected thrust that made its predecessor such a startling entry in the band's largely flawless canon. Led by the sonorous tones of frontman Kjetil Nordhus, this marks the mid-point in a planned trilogy of albums that will, upon completion, represent a new and unassailable pinnacle in the Norwegians' fascinating journey. They really are extraordinarily good at this shit.

A deeply intimate exploration of childhood penned by bassist and primary lyricist Stein Roger Sordal, the opening "Sanguis" is arguably the most overtly prog-friendly thing GREEN CARNATION have released since "Light of Day…". Drenched in rippling organ tones and entangled in bittersweet melodic motifs, it retains much of the previous album's heaviness, but with a narrative momentum that tingles with raw emotion. It tells quite a tale, with lines like "Father was boiling / Mother was crying / The children left scared in their beds…" that erupt like stark glimpses of iridescent horror; deafening echoes of past trauma that could not be more firmly rooted in the real world. Nordhus sings it all with his customary passion, and his comrades conjure a hugely potent blaze of fury as the most fitting of backdrops. Truly, a stunning way to begin. Moving from ominous thunder to heart-breaking subtlety, GREEN CARNATION's shapeshifting mastery is even more apparent on "Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold": a tender but tormented ballad, with just a single delicate guitar underpinning Nordhus's tremulous croon. It flows seamlessly into "Sweet to the Point of Bitter", which wields its dark metal riffing and turbulent momentum as weapons of desperate retaliation: "One can suffer, one can flee / I will take the punches coming right at me…" is one of the more brutal revelations contained within, and the emotional magnitude of this whole project has never been more obvious or unavoidable. While musically grim and doomy, and infused with an almost CANDLEMASS-like sense of looming dread, "Sweet…" does offer occasional glimmers of light, but this is serious, profoundly heartfelt stuff.

Thereafter, "A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis" ventures into measurably brighter realms, albeit with the same dense shadow of sorrow looming overhead. "I Am Time" is a gorgeous song, swathed in feelings of resignation and regret, but touched by the tender hand of hope. "Fire in Ice" contemplates closure and compassion, with a dynamic and exhilarating arrangement that showcases Nordhus's impeccably expressive vocals with surging, metallic crescendos, and a shimmering barrage of ornate riffing. Finally, "Lunar Tale" strips away the clangor to expose the beating heart of this project, Sordal's grimly honest lyrics floating majestically over mournful piano, muffled beats and featherweight acoustic guitars. It is a stunning conclusion to an album that can, at times, be hard to listen to, at least in terms of its underlying themes. But in every other sense, GREEN CARNATION have added another superbly realized song cycle to their catalogue, and the third part of this trilogy cannot arrive soon enough. Just be prepared to shed a tear or ten.