by Dave Campbell
Norway’s Green Carnation have had quite a journey in their career. Formed in 1990, they began as a Death Metal band before seguing into a Progressive Metal band with Gothic influences. Their roots go deep. Founded by Emperor’s bassist Tchort, they burned prolifically through five early releases in the 2000’s, and then took a hiatus in 2007. They regrouped just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and began to envision a trilogy based on Shakespeare’s tragic Ophelia, with reflections of life and death. A Dark Poem II – Sanguis is the second part of this trilogy. “We wanted A Dark Poem to start off with guns blazing. Judging by the reaction, The Shores of Melancholia was successful in doing that”, the band’s vocalist Kjetil Nordhus says. “But for Part II, we have some very personal stories that we want people to hear. Sanguis invites listeners into our darkest inner rooms with some of the most raw and vulnerable songs that we’ve ever written.”
The lengthy title track leads us off, and it has a weighted, groovy, and energetic riff coupled with old school keyboards…using the kind of vibrato from the 70’s that is nostalgic and sentimental. The harmonies in the chorus are warm gold, providing a sense of warmth until the snarl of harsh vocals rears its head. The two vocal styles trade off and move freely between dark, stormy skies, and passages of light, and varied emotions come with them…anger, and resolve. Sanguis means “blood” in Latin. “Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold” downs the noise from the thoughts in your head, and leaves you feeling melancholy. Loneliness can be a comfort for some, and a constant ache for others. For me, the song represents the dull ache of regret. “Sweet to the Point of Bitter” raises the raging tide once again, and the heavy riff buts up against the sweet vocals trying to push them down and away. It’s a story in contrast that the band tells vividly.
The first half of the album presents three distinct songs that have a common thread. In Shakepeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia’s death is viewed as a tragic suicide. Following the murder of her father, at the hands of her lover, she descends into madness, and accidentally drowns in a river while hanging flowers from a willow branch. Did she commit suicide, or what is an unforeseen accident? The music reflects this question by raising suspicion and doubt in the hardened passages and vocals fry, while also presenting the innocence of a senseless misfortune. “I Am Time” has dark and firm tones, but also a lot of melody, and it makes me feel melancholy, but also content. The vocals are heavy with burden, and so expressive. Time is a strange thing. When you are young, you think you have an endless amount of it. But when you are older, you begin to count the days and think of what might be next…if anything.
“Fire in Ice” represents the duality and conflict inherent on the album. The riffs are weighted at first, but they give way to smooth, gentle vocals, and a familiar lead break brings you back to the center so that you can find your way…for it’s easy to get lost in this song. “Lunar Tale” closes the album. Lunar refers to the moon, which has always had a sense of mystery for humans on earth. All of your fight has been drained from you, and you are left with your own thoughts. Is it time to rebuild, or stay in bed, defeated? It’s a gentle, nostalgic, and pretty ending to a wonderful album. “A Dark Poem II – Sanguis” has an anti-climactic ending, essentially leaving the way for Part III to come.
It’s a dark and tragic story at its core, and it’s the kind of darkness that envelopes you and doesn’t offer any beacons of hope. It’s also one without a defined resolution. This kind of suspension creates a heightened sense of wonder and even tension that does not offer relief. In more familiar terms, it’s an itch that you can’t scratch, or a heated fight where neither side was victorious. A Dark Poem II – Sanguis finds Green Carnation at their most raw and emotionally exposed, weaving crushing heaviness and haunting melody into a dark, unresolved journey that lingers long after the final note.
Release Date: April 3, 2026
1. Sanguis
2. Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold
3. Sweet to the Point of Bitter
4. I Am Time
5. Fire in Ice
6. Lunar Tale
Purchase Link:https://greencarnationsom.bandcamp.com/album/a-dark-poem-part-ii-sanguis
Kjetil Nordhus — Vocals
Stein Roger Sordal — Bass, Rhythm Guitars, Lead Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals
Bjørn Harstad — Lead Guitars, Effects
Endre Kirkesola — Keyboards, Synthesizers, Organs, Effects, Vocals
Jonathan Alejandro Perez — Drums
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