Norway's prog rockers Green Carnation are bringing their most recent trilogy to a close with this album. Hearing the first two parts of this is not a requirement, as it opens much like any band that plays this style of darker Scandinavian hard rock. They have been at this for so long that the definition of what metal is has changed, even though this band was formed by Emperor bassist Tchort. This shares more common ground with the prog era of Opeth than it does black metal. The guitar playing is very nuanced, with some great tones captured on this album.
There is some great reverb-ringing guitar on the title track that finds the vocals floating with a more graceful croon. In some ways it's not unlike Ulver in this regard. They jam this song out with a wandering atmosphere. The more metallic riff this one builds into is impressive. Lyrically, they have some pretty accurate social commentary with "Broken Souls". It finds a balance of graceful playing and metallic dynamics that packs a punch in place. The guitar playing is outstanding on this album. These guys are unsung guitar heroes with a great range of styles. The story becomes clear on this song with a spoken-word section.
The last song is "Bad Poem," which is a sixteen-minute orchestral suite. I think this would have worked better as an overture as the first track. It loses its impact as the last track and feels like, while it works for what it is dynamically, it has less impact. Musically, it feels like something from Bizet's "Pearl Fishers"; it works for what it is, but its placement on the album is the main problem. For this reason, I will give this albuma 9; the rock songs are great with outstanding guitar playing.
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