Album Review: Green Carnation – Leaves of Yesteryear (Season of Mist)

Norwegian prog/avantgarde metal act Green Carnation announced their return to the international metal scene for the anniversary of their cult classic ‘Light of Day, Day of Darkness’ in 2016. After a successful comeback with festival appearances and special shows both in Europe and North America, the Norwegians are ready to release their first new record in 14 years.

Green Carnation from Kristiansand, Norway, was founded as early as 1990. After founding member Tchort joined legends-to-be Emperor and continued in Satyricon and Einherjer, the band was laid to rest until their debut album ‘A Journey To The End Of The Night’ came out in 2000. Following a period with line-up changes, 2001 marked the release of the bands epic ‘Light of Day, Day of Darkness’.

With their albums ‘A Blessing in Disguise’ (2003) and ‘The Quiet Offspring’ (2005), Green Carnation shifted towards a more rock orientated style, before they surprised everyone with the stripped-down record ‘Acoustic Verses’ in 2006. What followed in the same year is perhaps one of the most spectacular DVD recordings metal history. The band played a show in the mountains, under a 30-meter-high dam. Only a year later, Green Carnation disbanded.

After playing their first reunion show in 2016 and a few more in the following years, the musicians decided it was time to write new material. The end result of that is ‘Leaves of Yesteryear’, out on May 8th 2020 via Season of Mist.

Mixing new music with a recorded classic and a cover of Black Sabbath’s Solitude, Green Carnation offer up a taster of where they have come from and where they are going. The ethereal beauty of the title track serving up a gloomy and melodic track that touches upon doom, rock, progressive and metal sounds over an 8-minute period. The eerie vocals, expansive guitar sound and delicate percussion making this a return to take note of.

An exceedingly good start, Sentinels comes next with a faster and more energetic pace. The harder riffing working well alongside the clear singing and unusual effects. Before the re-recorded My Dark Reflections of Life and Death, 20 years old now, has fresh life breathed into it. Without losing that sense of other-worldliness, odd melodies, proggy elements and more. It’s a track to get lost in.

With one eye on the future, Hounds is the last new track. Beginning so softly, airy guitar melody and mournful vocals. It shifts gears for a rhythmic and harder set of riffs and much more nuanced rhythm. A classy guitar solo is an unexpected but exciting addition.

Wrapping up their return, Green Carnation dabble with a Sabbath classic but not a cover you see often. Solitude given love and care, retaining its ghostly attractiveness but in Green Carnation’s very impressive way.

Green Carnation – Leaves of Yesteryear Full Track Listing:

1. Leaves of Yesteryear
2. Sentinels
3. My Dark Reflections of Life and Death
4. Hounds
5. Solitude

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