Green Carnation: A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia

Green Carnation is a progressive metal band from Norway. The band and its sound have evolved and developed over the years. The band was at their most active between 2000 & 2006 before going on a hiatus. They reformed in 2014 and have been relatively active in the time since. Up to this point, they’ve released 6 full-length's and an EP. Their latest album, and 7th full-length, A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia, is the first in a trilogy of albums inspired by Arthur Rimbaud's ode to Shakespeare's Ophelia. The album is set for release on September 5, via Season of Mist.

The Shores of Melancholia is 6 tracks of top-quality prog metal. This isn't Hyper virtuosic stuff like a Dream Theater, Haken or Symphony X release, but more of a cerebral and emotive style in the vein of Katatonia, Soen, Riverside and potentially some late era Opeth.

The album is exceptionally cohesive and flows remarkably well. Every track has some really strong and memorable vocal melodies, and the overall arrangements are absolutely stunning. Fusing heavy, doomy riffing, with sophisticated drumming, and a layering of synths and lead guitar melodies. The band's ability to craft beautiful, yet sombre melodic metal is first class, and they are able to create elaborate tracks that are so well crafted that they don’t actually seem overly complex (despite the complexity!).

The album leads off with "As Silence Took You" followed by the lead single "In Your Paradise". Both are largely up-tempo prog metal tracks with strong riffs and fantastic vocal melodies. Both run in excess of 7 minutes, and they use the time to develop and transition their melodies and grooves to perfection. The 3rd track, "Me My Enemy", stands out for being a ballad of sorts, that builds from a nice little bass groove into an uplifting mid-tempo anthemic climax...perhaps this is where I’m hearing the Riverside comparison. The ballad is followed by the heaviest track on the album, "The Slave that You Are", which sees the Norwegian band embrace some traditional black metal influence. On this track they have Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved) employ his harsh, black metal shrieks to the fold. These are perfectly juxtaposed with the clean vocals in the chorus.

Title track "The Shores of Melancholia" is perhaps the most concise and straight forward on the release founded around a strong vocal hook. The album is closed by "Too Close to the Flame", which is probably the best track on the album. However, there is no weak track on this album at all. I feel like this statement can be made a lot, however in this instance we’re talking about 6 tracks of absolutely top-tier quality.

I can’t say enough good things about this album. The fact that it is part one of a trilogy of albums is extremely exciting. I cannot wait to hear the next two parts which I believe will be released before 2026 is done and dusted. I won't pretend that I’m a diehard fan of the band, but I am familiar with some of the past work. However, this new album is absolutely brilliant and I can see myself becoming a diehard fan in due course.

There have been a lot of great albums released this year, and probably some I will rank a little higher when all is said and done. However, there is nothing I’ve heard this year that has provided a pleasant surprise quite like The Shores of Melancholia. A brilliant prog metal release that I will have on high rotation for years to come.

Tracklist:
1. As Silence Took You (7:12)
2. In Your Paradise (7:04)
3. Me My Enemy (7:17)
4. The Slave That You Are (6:16)
5. The Shores of Melancholia (5:38)
6. Too Close to the Flame (9:16)

Added: July 23rd 2025
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 913
Language: english

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