Metalcatto
Enough of helping the little bands! Time to get some clout by reviewing one of my most anticipated releases of the year: Green Carnation. If you need to know what the band is capable of, check our article here. After an epic comeback in 2020, the band is ready to start a full album trilogy with A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia. Long title, right? But not as long as the music itself! So get ready, because we’re about to dive into a poetic and intense journey straight into your childhood traumas.
Green Carnation continues along the same path it carved out on its previous album. The band explores emotionally complex landscapes with a surprisingly simple approach to songwriting. There isn’t much in the way of flashy shredding here—A Dark Poem leans instead on melodic strength and elegant transitions from section to section, almost reminiscent of 90s Prog. So yes, aside from all the sorrow this album delivers, you’ll also feel nostalgia seeping in.
I know I said the writing here is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s straightforward. There are so many details and intricate shifts that each track feels like three songs stitched together—or maybe more like a therapy session, depending on how well you deal with your feelings. Personally, since I embrace the pain, it works for me! Still, I have to admit there are moments that left me scratching my head. Some issues are obvious, while others appear out of nowhere and might even frustrate listeners, depending on their expectations.
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: the album feels long. But before you roll your eyes at my cliché complaint, the real issue isn’t length—it’s pacing. By the final tracks, the flow starts to feel disjointed and the mood swings come too suddenly. Yes, I enjoyed the heavier Black Metal passages, but without proper thematic buildup, they feel more like the band saying, “See? We can still crush you, but we’re choosing restraint.” I would have preferred stronger thematic consistency toward the end. It’s not that the album overstays its welcome—it’s that some choices feel a little uneven.
Overall, Green Carnation proves once again that, even after decades in the game, it can craft heartfelt and soul-shaking music with a sound few bands could hope to replicate. While I might not agree with every creative decision made here, if this is just the first part of a planned trilogy, then it’s a solid foundation. In fact, it gives me something rare these days: a bit of hope in the old guard of Metal. And honestly, that doesn’t happen very often anymore.
Label: Season Of Mist
Release date: September 5, 2025
Website: https://greencarnationsom.bandcamp.com/
Country: Norway
Score: 3.5/5.0 (maybe I’ll get back to it later on!)
Metal Eclipse Reviews 