ALBUM REVIEW: Leaves of Yesteryear – Green Carnation

GREEN CARNATION are, without question, one of the best examples of a music group who have gone through substantial revisions throughout their musical development, yet still preserved a high level of uniformity between their formless styles.

Returning to the scene some 15 years after the release of their latest full-length effort, looking back at the group’s origins, we can see just how prominent their progress is. The first two releases – 2000’s Journey to the End of the Night and 2011’s Light of Day, Day of Darkness – were wrapped with gloomy production, virtually touching on exposed pain and morose desolation against a backdrop of appealing doom metal. Tramping down numerous avenues of doom and prog nearly 20 years later, their sound has essentially revised its facade to moderate rhythms and delicate harmonies.

They are still attached to their roots and GREEN CARNATION’s fifth album, Leaves of Yesteryear, is very connected to their origins. In an aural sense, rather than agony and sorrow, in a way, it feels like the tragedy is the fundamental hunch that comes from the band’s origins. Most tracks on Leaves of Yesteryear replicate the same calamitous mood as GREEN CARNATION’s past work but in a different, more subtly purified fashion. Whereas early releases might rely on a heavily distorted, scowled riff, Sentinels utilises striking keyboard work, dark vocals and wavering rhythm section to display a spectral setting. In the same way, the mesmerising melody of the title track lightly sails from feathery synth to guitars that create an intended zenith. Additionally, Kjetil Nordhus’ exceptional vocal performance throughout Leaves of Yesteryear emits a scope of emotions from agitation to calmness with unharmed purity.

Leaves of Yesteryear maintains the atmosphere of the previous releases, mainly building upon the earlier explored musical motifs and taking them in new directions. The best example of that is the re-arrangement of My Dark Reflections of Life and Death, which originally appears on GREEN CARNATION’s debut album. Following it is the hugely rewarding and diverse Hounds – a song that, in the grand scheme of things, could be described as all over the place, exploring vast and unknown through prog and doom. The final track, Solitude, is the rendition of BLACK SABBATH classic, which comes across as a laid-back and optimistic ending, giving the overall journey a tranquil conclusion.

Leaves of Yesteryear is a gripping release and one of the darkest GREEN CARNATION have put out to date, embellished by the hope within certain music parts. With that kind of intensity, numerous listens are needed to truly determine the scale that this album has, with the reward of an enchanting adventure.

Rating: 8/10

Leaves of Yesteryear is out now via Season of Mist.

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