Norway's Green Carnation, never a band who were easy to pigeonhole and categorize, continue to defy classification with their latest The Acoustic Verses. Gone are the hard rock sounds of The Quiet Offspring or the progressive metal of Light of Day, Day of Darkness, instead replaced here by rich acoustic soundscapes and soaring melodies. However, the music is just as dense, just as littered with layered instrumentation (acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums, plus guests on violin viola, and cello), and featuring the bands trademark passionate vocals. So, other than a stylistic detour, The Acoustic Verses is still the chameleon known as Green Carnation.
It is pretty easy to get mesmerized by the haunting "The Burden is Mine...Alone" or the emotional "Sweet Leaf", two intoxicating tunes that kick off the album. "Maybe?" is a chilling piece with layers of acoustic guitars, Mellotron, and the yearning vocals of Kjetil Nordhus, while "Alone" is a more upbeat number featuring some whispy violin from guest Leif Wiese. The three-part epic "9-29-045" has a strong Pink Floyd feel to it thanks to some neat Fender Rhodes effects and the haunting vocals of Nordhus. This one also has some great walls of synths, Mellotron, viola, cello, and slide guitar, plus the finger picked acoustic work from Tchort and Michael Krumins is just lovely here. On "Childs Play part 3" ( a continuation of the first two parts from The Quiet Offspring) Kenneth Silden gets to show off his prowess on the piano, and "High Tide Waves" sees the band mix rock rhythms with rich vocals, soaring keyboards, and lush acoustic instruments.
The Acoustic Verses sees the next saga in the career of Green Carnation complete. Word has it that Tchort has completed the writing of the second part in the Doom trilogy, so part two of Light of Day, Day of Darkness is just around the corner. Start counting the days.
Track Listing
1. Sweet leaf (4:38)
2. The Burden is mine... Alone (3:15)
3. Maybe? (5:02)
4. Alone (3:43)
5. 9-29-045 (15:29)
- My greater Cause-Part I
- Homecoming-Part II
- House of Cards-Part III
6. Childs Play part 3 (3:32)
7. High Tide Waves (7:49)
Total Playing Time (43:32)
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