Review by Saxy S for Green Carnation - A Dark Poem, Pt. III: The Messiah Complex (2026)

After almost exactly one year to the day of the release of A Dark Poem Pt.1: The Shores of Melancholia, Green Carnation release the final act of their trilogy. This one, The Messiah Complex, is a little less refined than the previous two. For starters, this one only features three songs, followed by an orchestral suite that recalls the different themes to bring A Dark Poem altogether. 

There are some really good ideas on display here. I enjoyed how well Green Carnation are able to transition seamlessly between motifs on "Unconditional Artificial Chemistry" and how heavy the apex of "The Messiah Complex" gets. But the real letdown of this final project is just how "non-progressive" it is. I never found myself being challenged by these songs like how I did on Sanguis and especially on The Dark Shores of Melancholia. And I think a big reason for that is because this part does not develop enough. Having only three distinct, "new" ideas could work in some contexts, but here it just feels like needless banter. It's like watching a three hour long movie where the plot twist has already been poorly spoiled by the writers, but you have to sit through the rest of it just to see if your predictions are correct. The Messiah Complex could stand on its own as a solid EP, but when you carry the title of A Dark Poem with you, it does lose some grandeur that one might expect, especially when it comes from a band as renowned as Green Carnation.

Best Songs: Unconditional Artificial Chemistry, The Messiah Complex

For Fans Of: Evergrey, Leprous, Thy Catafalque, Foscor, Vulture Industries