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By Jordan Blum

A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex arrives with a lot to prove. Not only is it the conclusion to the already superb namesake trilogy (inspired by Arthur Rimbaud’s 19th century poem about Hamlet’s Ophelia), but also because it follows several other superb LPs that established Green Carnation as Norway’s premier progressive/gothic metal ensemble. Thankfully, it’s a very fitting – if potentially polarizing – finale to what’s likely the band’s most ambitious endeavor yet.

Maintaining what worked so well from 2025’s A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia and this year’s A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis, The Messiah Complex delivers the emotionally charged and eloquently constructed ride fans expect. Its audacious choice to devote virtually half of its runtime to a closing classical instrumental, however, may divide listeners, and ultimately, it’s that choice that’ll truly decide how you feel about the LP on its own and in comparison to its two precursors.

As singer Kjetil Nordhus explains in the official press release, the Dark Poem saga is Green Carnation’s “biggest achievement since Light of Day, Day of Darkness.” Indeed, the roughly two-hour triptych equals (or even surpasses) what the group achieved on their 2001 masterpiece. Plus, Nordhus and bassist/lyricist Stein Roger Sordal were adamant that each chapter worked on its own while having more impact when taken together, and on that front, The Messiah Complex greatly succeeds as both its own thing and as the unifier of the whole Dark Poem project.

The band also say that the bulk of The Messiah Complex features more “rich strokes of prog” amid sustaining its predecessors’ “collective anxiety over encroaching technology, power-hungry leaders and social division.” As for the titular orchestral suite, it “waves in themes from across the trilogy,” and as Nordhus clarifies, they knew it had to be done no matter how others felt about it:

Everyone we’ve talked to is surprised by what we chose to do with the orchestra. It’s a bold statement. But from the moment we started our journey into this trilogy, everyone in the band agreed that we were not going to accept any compromises. To end A Dark Poem with an orchestra and all its capabilities is a very proggy thing to do, like the great bands did back in the late ‘60s.

We’ll get to that track in a bit, but first it’s worth exploring why the first three tunes on The Messiah Complex are business as usual in the best possible ways.

Gratifyingly, opener “Unconditional Artificial Chemistry” finds Nordhus dishing out his trademark anthemic hybrid of dejection and empowerment while surrounded by sophisticated yet fairly straightforward and biting arrangements. Then, “The Messiah Complex” largely channels Green Carnation’s softer, sparser, and proggier side via atmospheric breaks, erratic outbursts, beautifully nuanced instrumentation, mournful singing, and contemplative Biblical songwriting (“A sign that suffers, is due to rejection / A mind that thinks of its own / Judgement is upon you, the Kingdom of Heaven is found at the stairs of a church”). As for “Broken Souls, Common Enemies,” it comes closest to being a ballad, with its vulnerable verses and impassioned choruses being decorated by trepid acoustic guitars, synths, percussion, and other delicate textures. That said, it also features some growling and corresponding metal accentuations (making it the most dynamically wide-ranging piece of the bunch).

As already mentioned, the magnificent (nearly 17-minute) “A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite” serves as the self-reflective climax of the entire Dark Poem voyage. Beginning subtly with all sorts of symphonic timbres and choral chanting, it expertly interweaves various motifs as it alternates tools and temperaments. It’s undoubtedly a breathtaking and aspiring endeavor full of rich tapestries, but at the same time, listeners who do adore Green Carnation’s typical approaches and/or don’t adore classical music may not be wholly satisfied by – and enamored with – the composition.

As both its own experience and the conclusion to the Dark Poem trilogy, The Messiah Complex is extremely successful at returning to (and building upon) the victories of what came before it. It offers everything Green Carnation devotees could want with its initial tunes, and no matter how atypical and contentious the finale may be for certain people, it’s hard not to admire its daringness, integrity, and sheer splendor. Above all else (and like its predecessors), The Messiah Complex showcases that Green Carnation aren’t slowing down after roughly 25 years; rather, they continue to rank among today’s most reliable, idiosyncratic, and gratifying progressive metal masters.

Order: https://orcd.co/greencarnationadarkpoempart3

Tracklist
1. Unconditional Artificial Chemistry (6:09) [WATCH]
2. The Messiah Complex (6:48)
3. Broken Souls, Common Enemies (8:45)
4. A Dark Poem – Orchestral Suite (16:47)
Full runtime: 38:31

Kjetil Nordhus — Vocals
Stein Roger Sordal — Bass, Keyboards, Rhythm Guitars, Lead Guitars
Endre Kirkesola — Keyboards, Organs, Synthesizers, Effects
Bjørn Harstad — Lead Guitars, Effects
Jonathan Alejandro Perez — Drums

The post Green Carnation – A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex (Album Review) appeared first on The Prog Report.

by Dave Campbell

MASTODON’s legacy deepens. I don’t have to tell fans anything about their previous works such as ‘Leviathan,’ “Blood Mountain,’ or ‘Crack The Sky,’ which were a three-album run that put the band on the map and defined their sound. They also won a Grammy for the song ‘Satan’s Curse’ from their 2017 album ‘Emperor of Sand.’ In a surprise twist of events however, Vocalist and Guitarist Brent Hinds abruptly left the band five months ago and tragically died in a motorcycle accident. The band was left with the aftermath. Enter ‘Marrow Deep.’ Bassist/Vocalist Troy Sanders describes the album as “a moment of rebirth rather than an ending,” and drummer Brann Dailor comments that the music was a way for him to help process grief, rather than just sitting with it. Guitarist Bill Kelliher further adds that “I bawled when listening to the finished album, but some of them were tears of joy.” Five years have passed since ‘Hushed and Grim’ was released. Taken literally, the new album title refers to something vast and monolithic.

Three songs were released ahead of the album, and they are what I would like to start the review with. If the lead single, ‘Your Ghost Again,’ is indicative of what the album will offer, we are in for a beating. It opens with a bang, and it covers ground fast. The vocals roar with an echo, and the riffs are punishing. The band also shows restraint at times by holding back the pain and releasing the monster at just the right time. You can hear complexities in the song, as well some psychedelica, but they aren’t the main focus. It’s mostly about commanding, towering riffs. ‘Snakes for Dinner’ is gritty, heavy, and downright rowdy. Another fast mover, it stomps over the ground like a giant, crushing the earth beneath its feet. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are excellent, and they provide a melodic edge along with the bevy of flying fists. The song is nuanced, with sophisticated leanings, but at the same time, it’s also palatable. Some might even call it inviting.

‘In the Ruins’ is slower at first, with clean, gentle guitar tones, and was inspired by the terrible impact of Hurricane Helene and the personal havoc it wreaked upon Troy and his family. They were essentially displaced from their home for two years, and this event coincided with the death of Brent. But the song is not just about trauma, it’s about his resilience to work through the displacement and come out stronger on the other side. The vocals are raspy, and also very emotional, and they are reflective of the desolation he must have felt. It’s a gentler departure from the sonic presence of the first two songs, but don’t think for a minute that it won’t move you. In the end, rougher and sharper tones indicate the triumph he gained over the experience. A leading song should give the listener an idea of what to expect from the album, and that’s what ‘Barbarian Blood’ does. It’s slow and powerful at times, and moving, shifting and animated at other times. It shows a band who doesn’t want to rest on one predictable sound. The keyboard solo towards the end adds a distinct middle eastern flair to the song, as if it was plucked from the desert itself. The surprises keep coming.

‘Poisonous Weapons’ has a commanding sound that isn’t without melody or emotion, and the two wrestle with one another throughout the song. The bridge provides a change from the hardened core, with lyrics like “blood-soaked stains resurrect the dead, parasitic rats feeding on the wound that’s in your head.” You can feel a measure of lamenting as he sings these lines, but the delivery of them is almost nonchalant. The machine rolls on. ‘Out Like a Lamb’ refers to the month of March in the climate of the northeast…the saying goes, “in like a lion, out like a lamb.’ Animated bass notes dance behind the vocals and riffs, and it shows more of the introspective side of the band. They aren’t just a vehicle that stays straight on the tracks, and this song showcases their deep pockets. ‘They’re Coming for You’ is darker, more twisted, even sinister at times. The riffs climb and descend and are backed by a healthy does of keyboards. The bass and drum work hold it all together. They create a massive slab of concrete for the rest of the band to play on. You can hear more Progressive elements in this song, particularly in how they shift the meter, and the chorus pushes hooks in the vocals.

‘Golden Spires’ begins with a succession of tom drum rolls that sound like rocks breaking free from a mountain, and the riffs are always on the move. Sometimes dissonant, and other times melodic, it’s the balance of might and power with restraint that I find most compelling here. They move these passages with the skill of a race car driver shifting gears through curves in the track. Towards the end, they throw in a flurry of dexterous lead guitar notes just to remind you of their prowess. ‘Moth and Bone’ is a total surprise, but also a welcomed one. Too many bruisers in a row can suggest the album is less dimensional, and this song shows the band at their most vulnerable. Vocals and keyboards are like the mist that clings to the air in the early morning, and the melody is tender and ethereal. You make an immediate attachment to the catchy nature of the song, just before they descend back down on top of you with hands extended and fists flying.

‘A Vampire’s Demeanor’ is as dark and nefarious as the title suggests, and the vocal screams and steady riffs act like a typhoon’s raging winds trying to bring down the mountain. For as heavy as the anger is, however, there are also gentler passages that provide a little reprieve from the ass kicking . ‘The Vanishing’ is a song that is steeped in the deep traditions of the band and their past albums. Fuzzy, powerful bass notes lead off the song in a psychedelic haze of sorts, before the guitars and vocals enter. The vocals have that heavy reverb that reminds me of the song ‘Planet Caravan’ by SABBATH. Bassist Sanders has mentioned that he was influenced by Geezer Butler, after all. The song is like an LSD trip…colorful and peaceful, but also strange. ‘The Three Fates’ is the final song, and also the longest. It’s a journey, even an exploration, across a plethora of landscapes and textures. In a spoken word segment, they talk about a curse that “slithers across the floor at a snail’s pace,” and “every brick, every stone stacked against you.” The message is as emotionally crushing as some of the music.

Twelve songs is a lot for an album these days, but it seems that the band has a lot to say. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that this might be their most diverse album to date. In addition to bone-crushing sludgy riffs, and vocals that strike like lightning bolts, it’s the bass and drum section that I admire most. They lay the foundation that the entire album is built on, and it’ something that won’t crack under pressure. There are other things at work…psychedelica, bossy lead guitar runs, and even some introspective features of the album that may reflect the band’s previous sense of trails and tribulations. It’s a statement for me. A statement of pain that transforms into revival, turning grief and uncertainly into one of their most focused efforts to date. This is MASTODON clawing their way back to the top and admiring the view.

Released on August 28th, 2026

Order here: i.mastodonrocks.com/shop

1. Barbarian’s Blood
2. Poisonous Weapons
3. Your Ghost Again
4. Snakes For Dinner (feat. Josh Homme)
5. Out Like A Lamb
6. In The Ruins
7. They’re Coming For You
8. Golden Spires
9. Moth And Bone
10. A Vampire’s Demeanor
11. The Vanishing
12. The Three Fates

Brann Dailor – Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Bill Kelliher – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Troy Sanders – Bass, Vocals
Nick Johnston – Guitars, Backing Vocals
João “Rasta” Nogueira – Keyboards, Synthesizers

The post Mastodon – Marrow Deep (Album Review) appeared first on The Prog Report.

Hip surgery, the future of Ghost, a stage tour and more.

The post Here’s This Week’s Top Ten Stories On Theprp.com (August 30th, 2026) appeared first on Theprp.com.

And they had a new lineup addition.

The post Watch: Harm’s Way Played Their First Set Since The Death Of Bo Lueders appeared first on Theprp.com.

(written by Islander) As I did yesterday morning, I began today by again bleakly stared at my enormous list of links for new music. I could hear the list chortling at me. “You fool,” it muttered in between cackles, “you won’t even scratch the surface.” The truth of that mockery made it no less degrading. […]

The post SHADES OF BLACK: KOSTNICA, LAUGH TRACK, OAKENTHRONE, I HELVETE, THERMIDOR, HALO OF TEETH appeared first on NO CLEAN SINGING.

The return of two tracks that hadn’t been performed since the early 00s.

The post Fear Factory Kicked Off Their European/UK Tour With The Live Debut Of “Roboticist” & A Few Setlist Rarities appeared first on Theprp.com.

The Women of The Fall Weekender comes to South Manchester on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September 2026, bringing together women from The Fall’s history with a younger generation of musicians, writers and artists. Following on from the Futures and Pasts Event at Band On The Wall a couple of months ago, next weekend sees […]

The post A Unique Weekend Celebrating The Women of The Fall… appeared first on Louder Than War.

Strings personally curated a stage of metal and hardcore heavy hitters for his inaugural bluegrass event.

The post Watch: Bluegrass Star Billy Strings Joined Cryptopsy Onstage At His ‘Ionia Freak Fair’ appeared first on Theprp.com.

Under low-hanging grey skies, Edinburgh Summer Sessions was getting ready for its heaviest night yet. The lineup for the night was made up of Ecca Vandal, Idles, and headliners Deftones. Ecca Vandal took the stage at 6:00 pm. It’s impossible to pigeonhole her performance or her music, as she blends hip-hop, pop, electro, punk, and … Continue reading Gig Review: Deftones / Idles / Ecca Vandal – Royal Highland Showgrounds, Edinburgh (27th August 2026)

TRIVAN: VANJA ŠANTAK TALKS LOSS, INNER DEMONS, AND THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND ETERNAL SHORE

Croatian extreme metal band TRIVAN recently joined The Zach Moonshine Show on Metal Devastation Radio for a powerful conversation about music, loss, self-discovery, the band’s unique philosophy, and their upcoming debut album, Eternal Shore .
Vanja Šantak, the driving force behind TRIVAN, opened up about the deeply personal experiences that have shaped the band’s music, including the recent loss of his beloved dog.
The conversation began with “Abyss of Crawling Shadows,” an emotional track originally inspired by someone Vanja knew who was struggling with depression. At first, Vanja wanted to write about something he didn’t personally understand. That changed after his dog suddenly became seriously ill and was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Vanja was forced to make the heartbreaking decision to put his dog to sleep.
The experience gave the song an entirely different meaning.
For Vanja, dogs aren’t simply pets. They’re family, companions, and beings capable of communicating through a language of pure emotion. His loss became one of the major emotional forces behind the music he is now creating.
A STRANGE NEW BEGINNING

Not long afterward, Vanja encountered another dog under circumstances he described as almost impossible to explain.
He discovered a litter of puppies born on the same day as his previous dog. Among them was a black male puppy who wasn’t originally shown in the photographs.
When Vanja eventually met the puppies, that particular dog immediately ran toward him.
After bringing the puppy home, another strange thing happened. Despite being only a few months old, the dog seemed to know exactly where he was going and already understood basic commands.
The experience even caused Vanja to reconsider his previous disbelief in reincarnation.
The story has already inspired another TRIVAN song, which is currently being mixed and mastered.
WHAT DOES TRIVAN MEAN?

The name TRIVAN combines the ideas of triviality and vanquish , representing the band’s desire to defeat the trivial things that can consume our lives.
The band began taking shape in 2018 after Vanja had stepped away from music for several years. Following lineup changes and the disruption caused by COVID, he eventually returned to his original goal of creating darker and more extreme music.
By around 2023, the TRIVAN lineup had come together.
But the band wasn’t interested in simply repeating the usual black metal themes.
Instead, TRIVAN’s philosophy is about confronting your own darkness.
Vanja describes the band’s demons as the darker parts of ourselves that we often try to avoid. Rather than simply destroying those demons, he believes we should understand them, confront them, conquer them, and ultimately learn from them.
It’s a philosophy that runs through the band’s music.
FROM PERSONAL PRESSURE TO “BLACK AND HARD PLEDGE”

One example is “Black and Hard Pledge,” which came from a period when Vanja was working toward his PhD.
The pressure to become the best student of the year began consuming him. He stopped training, gained weight, and eventually realized he had lost sight of himself.
Looking in the mirror became the breaking point.
The song became a promise to himself to stop allowing outside pressure to destroy his inner peace and to become the best version of himself.
Another track, “Dance of Death,” takes a wider look at society, conformity, hypocrisy, and the constant pressure people face to follow whatever trend comes next.
The title references the medieval concept of the Dance of Death, where death dances with everyone regardless of wealth or status.
The message is simple: eventually, everything ends.
Ironically, just weeks after the song was released, Vanja had to say goodbye to his dog, making the song’s themes of mortality even more personal.
ETERNAL SHORE

All of these experiences eventually became part of TRIVAN’s upcoming debut album, Eternal Shore .
Originally planned as a 13-song album, the record was eventually reduced to eight tracks because of the length and depth of the songs.
The album is heavily influenced by Vanja’s own life.
One of its most personal songs, “Eternal Shore,” came from spreading his dog’s ashes on a beach where they had spent time together.
Vanja explained that he wants the same thing for himself someday.
Rather than being buried in a casket, he wants his ashes spread on that beach so he can symbolically spend eternity there with his dogs, watching the waves, sunsets, and sunrises.
It is a surprisingly peaceful image for an extreme metal record, but it perfectly captures what TRIVAN is about.
Darkness doesn’t always mean despair.
Sometimes you have to walk through the darkness to find peace.
OLD-SCHOOL METAL AND THE CROATIAN SCENE

Vanja also talked about discovering metal growing up in what was then Yugoslavia.
His uncle played in a rock band, so guitars, drums, bass, and rehearsals were part of his childhood.
Later, Alice Cooper’s Trash became a major influence, followed by bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Marduk, Cradle of Filth, Satyricon, and Immortal.
In the 1990s, discovering new music meant listening to radio programs, visiting record stores, and actually hunting down physical CDs.
Vanja reflected on how different that was from today’s streaming world, where virtually every band on Earth is only a few clicks away.
The Croatian metal scene itself remains active, with concerts happening regularly and international bands frequently passing through the country.
TRIVAN hopes to eventually expand beyond Croatia, with plans for shows throughout Slovenia and Austria and, eventually, the United States.
MORE THAN 10 MILLION VOTES

TRIVAN also made serious noise recently by winning a Battle of the Bands competition with more than 10 million votes .
Vanja explained that the band’s massive support network stretches across the globe, including Croatia, Chile, Japan, and elsewhere.
He even mobilized people in his own apartment building and neighborhood, including a local Facebook group with tens of thousands of members.
The band’s supporters didn’t simply click a button once and walk away.
They went to war.
And the results were undeniable.
THE ROAD TO AMERICA

TRIVAN is currently preparing Eternal Shore for its planned February release while continuing to release singles and build its audience.
The band is also working with Blood Red Covenant Records to expand its presence in the United States.
And Vanja has one particular American goal in mind.
Tennessee Metal Devastation Music Fest.
After watching footage and a documentary about the festival, Vanja said he and the band would love to make the trip to Tennessee, experience the festival’s raw energy, and eventually share a stage there.
That would be one hell of a way to bring this story full circle.
TRIVAN’s Eternal Shore is shaping up to be more than a metal album. It’s a musical journey through grief, pressure, darkness, self-discovery, mortality, and ultimately finding your own path.
As Vanja Šantak puts it, the goal isn’t simply to run from your demons.
Conquer them. Become friends with them. And come out stronger on the other side.
Listen to the full conversation with Vanja Šantak of TRIVAN on The Zach Moonshine Show below:
Full Track List: 
Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:
1 – Okl’s FruitLoops – Scream Of Silence – (1,096,368 votes)
2 – Soul Of Sheol – Paradise Is Not For Us – (60,371 votes)
3 – Rage of Justice – Digital Prison – (17,728 votes)
4 – Heidbekka – Völva – (9,670 votes)
5 – Leach – Serpent Of Time – (5,540 votes)
6 – Mistress – Terrified eyes – (4,271 votes)
The Zach Moonshine Intro
7 – Ozzy Osbourne – See You On The Other Side
8 – Dolly Parton – Purple Rain
9 – Heaven & Hell – Heaven And Hell
Trivan – Interview featuring Abyss Of Crawling Shadows/Dance of Death/Dark Malicious Desire
10 – Ola Englund – DOGMA PROGMA
11 – Smoulder – Water Wars
12 – DOWN – Blood Oath
13 – Superjoint Ritual – Everyone Hates Everyone/Fuck Your Enemy/Dress Like A Target
14 – Burnt Witch – We Hate You – (Electric Wizard Cover)
15 – Hellripper – Blakk Satanik Fvkkstorm
16 – Starved of Light – Wander the Holler
17 – Soothsayer – Catfish
18 – THE BLEEDING – Immortal Flesh
19 – Wildfire – Sweet Sensation
20 – Megaton Communion – Echo’s in Time
21 – Dread Witch – Cult
22 – Lord Gryphus – Troops of Doom (Sepultura)
23 – Netherdred – Necrodancer
24 – The Red Mountain – N.I.B.
25 – Webb Of Deceit – Hellswithin (Feat. Dave Frost & Jason Aaron Wood)/In My Wake (Feat. Raven & Jason Aaron Wood)
26 – NEMESIS – Hell’s Last Kiss
27 – Stryfe – Breathe
Full show streaming on Mixcloud: 


The interview is also available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple..


Check out the band on bandcamp and support: 

Abyss Of Crawling Shadows by Trivan
Super huge shout out and thanks to the 279,001 metal maniacs from around the world that tuned in to the live broadcast!