November 2025 Featured Release - The Infinite Edition

Every month, Metal Academy selects an album from each clan to show off what is the best of the best. Many of our selections represent a look through our members favourite records. I like to use this opportunity to highlight great recent releases from time-to-time and this month is no exception. We are looking at the newest album from Green Carnation called A Dark Poem, Pt. 1: The Shores of Melancholia.

https://metal.academy/releases/62313

It seems like bands who have reformed end up taking another long-but-not-as-long gap before their next album since their comeback. We should be grateful though, they're already starting a new album trilogy with A Dark Poem, Pt. I: The Shores Of Melancholia. 42 more minutes of gothic progressive metal greatness! The band continues to put their influences together, adding new aspects while never letting go of what they usually have. The instruments shine in the rifftastic guitars, audible bass, and expansive keys. As for the vocals, I'm still enjoying the baritone singing that should be easy for me to cover sometime, fitting well for both the softer sections and the heavier parts. More often than not, catchiness is in great balance with drama. Sometimes it's doomy, sometimes it's upbeat. And one track would be the heaviest, most blackened track Green Carnation has ever made by far (hint: it's the one featuring Enslaved vocalist Grutle Kjellson). All in all, Green Carnation have made a promising start of a new saga. It's great hearing the motivation they have for ambition despite already reaching their peak in the early 2000s. The music and lyrics are all in excellent shape. A potentially strong era of gothic progressive metal power and grace is up ahead!

4.5/5