Stormbringer Webzine

Metal Reviews


"Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness"

Green Carnation

 

At first glance I must admit to putting up the Cross sign with my fingers for fear of dread and senses dulling monotony, but looking onward, first I had to see what exactly is behind this thing called…Green Carnation?

Bold enough for a name like that and even bolder still to create an hour-long recording contained entirely of only one song.

Well name's aside, their history is about ten years long, having previously rooted themselves in a "Blacker" surrounding, none too surprising for the many who've ascended the abyss to afterward paint the sky red, here's a combination that begins somewhere far beyond and reaches further than most of this often baron genre where only the truly
capable dare extend themselves.

Of Norwegian roots, Green Carnation reformed back in '98 and after tempering their craft for a stretch set forth on the listening journey that became "Light Of Day, Day Of
Darkness."

The end result being this hour long odyssey that embodies its revealing title by way of a thunderstorm type principle; which is to employ a wide use of calming instrumental pieces with bold streaks of illuminative electricity and sudden earth-shaking bursts of double-bass
backed Power Metal.

Majestic chants and mournful singing additionally serve to illustrate and document an ongoing saga of what reads as mythical and mystical.

Difficult as it is to keep looking down to see the play counter stuck on "one" and the time reading seemingly replenishing itself, yes we are in fact still progressing quite nicely between day and night, light and dark… past and future.

Encompassing further ranges of orchestrated brilliance, their musical capacity is one for the ages using no less than 600 samples, 150 tracks, along with various musicians and choirs to complete this far reaching project.

In fact the "song" is broken up effectively into several smaller though continuous and contiguous parts which naturally run off course time and again but in most cases possess enough energy and ingenuity to maintain listener awareness-particularly going back near the halfway point with a stellar break between percussive, brass, and string harmonies.

Altogether, this is a well composed piece that encompasses Black Metal, Traditional, Goth, Celtic, Nordic, Classical, New Age and Nocturnal musical styles that'll be an acquired taste for some and a revelation for others.

Released by The End Records. 556 S. Fair Oaks Avenue #101-111. Pasadena. CA 91105 USA.
Tel : 626 403 6952
Fax : 626 403 2848
Website : http://www.mythosmedia.com/theend
Emial : theend@mythosmedia.com

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]
______________________________
METAL STORM PRODUCTIONS
Vinnie Apicella P.O. Box 763 Brewster, NY 10509
845-669-9470