Green Carnation – A Dark Poem Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia

Written by on 20-12-2025 at 09:05.

Green Carnation is certainly not known as a particularly prolific band. The Shores Of Melancholia is only the second studio album since the reunion in 2014, following the solid Leaves Of Yesteryears. The band promises to do better, as this album is part of the trilogy A Dark Poem, with the next two installments scheduled for release in 2026.

The epic opener As Silence Took You immediately sets the tone: immersive, layered rock with recognizable hooks and solid riffs, over which Kjetil Nordhus lays down his vocal lines with his unmistakable voice. At first listen the opening track may seem fairly straightforward, but halfway through the song, the guitars introduce a massive new riff, allowing the track to fully blossom. The tempo picks up with the grooving In Your Paradise. Here, Green Carnation demonstrates that it can retain its allure within a more traditional song structure, without losing touch with its progressive roots.

The melancholic Me, My Enemy evokes the atmosphere of symphonic rock bands such as Pink Floyd and Marillion, but unmistakably filtered through the Green Carnation sound. The backbone of this track is formed by Stein Roger’s pulsating bass line and the dynamic, almost jazzy drumming of Jonathan Alejandro Perez. Together they provide the foundation upon which this beautifully gripping song takes shape.

A sharp shift follows when the furious black metal riff of The Slave That You Are explodes from the speakers. On this track, Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved) delivers screams that form a striking contrast with the restrained vocals of Kjetil Nordhus. The black metal elements seamlessly go hand in hand with the grooving rock the song transitions into during its excellent chorus. A wonderful demonstration of the band’s versatility!

To further underline that versatility, the band effortlessly shifts to a straightforward mid-tempo rocker on the title track, before closing the album with a progressive epic of almost ten minutes. Too Close To The Flame is reminiscent of Sentinels from the previous album, but this time the band expands the track with various atmospheric and tempo changes.

A Dark Poem Part 1: The Shores Of Melancholia has become nothing short of an impressive piece of work. Everything about this album feels complete: excellent songs performed with conviction, a superb production courtesy of Endre Kirkesola, and stunning artwork by Niklas Sundin. I am eagerly looking forward to the remaining two parts of this trilogy.

Score:

95/100

Label:

Season Of Mist, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. As Silence Took You
  2. In Your Paradise
  3. Me, My Enemy
  4. The Slave That You Are
  5. The Shores of Melancholia
  6. Too Close To The Flame

Line-up:

  • Kjetil Nordhus – Vocals
  • Tchort – Guitars
  • Bjørn Harstad – Guitars
  • Stein Roger Sordal – Bass
  • Kenneth Silden – Keyboards
  • Jonathan Alejandro Perez – Drums

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