One of Prog's Most Underrated Bands Is About to Fully Bloom (Interview)

When it comes to progressive metal that particularly somber, eloquent and rustic, few bands do it better than Norway’s Green Carnation. From 2000’s Journey to the End of the Night and 2001’s pivotal Light of Day, Day of Darkness to 2025’s A Dark Poem, Pt. I: The Shores of Melancholia, they’ve been blending fierce and fragile songwriting and instrumentation in the most earnest and dynamic ways possible.

That remains true with the upcoming second part of the saga, A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis. In honor of it (and of Green Carnation’s legacy), we spoke with vocalist Kjetil Nordhus and lyricist/multi-instrumentalist Stein Roger Sordal about how the two Dark Poem LPs compare; what fans can expect from the concluding chapter of the trilogy; and why melancholia is such a crucial part of their music.

How do the two Dark Poem albums connect thematically and/or musically?

Kjetil Nordhus: When we composed the music and lyrics, we didn't think too much about what was going to be on album one, two or three. This is not like a story that starts with the first song on Part I and ends with the last song on Part III. So, after feeling that we had enough music to fill three records, we started compiling three different albums from the songs we’d already composed.

You could say that Part I is all guns blazing with energy, whereas Part II is where we dared not to have as many drums and guitars in certain places. Lyrically, Part II is more introspective and personal, whereas Part I is more about society and things outside of ourselves.

Stein Roger Sordal: All three collections are dark. They’re about things I’m concerned about. I mean, I’ve lived to be 50, so I’ve experienced a lot and I wanted the songs to be interesting for listeners but also ripe for me to release things that’ve been building up inside of me. The second album is more personal, as I’m going into things about my life (whether it’s about childhood or the present or even the future). I think that If the songs come from deep inside and are honest, people will relate to it.

Absolutely. Both records are very poignant, and in general, Green Carnation are known for introspection and rawness. Why has beautiful melancholia been such an enduring part of the group?

Nordhus: Well, both of us joined the band with Light of Day, Day of Darkness, which laid the groundwork for what became Green Carnation. It’s this tragic story about loss and it sent us in a direction and mood that’s become natural for us. Even though we’ve written a new trilogy now, we’ve still not emptied ourselves when it comes to things we’re worried about. That tone is an important part of Green Carnation and I’d be very surprised if we suddenly started making super happy albums [laughs]. The melancholy always has beauty and hope, though; it’s not completely dark.

Sordal: Right. For instance, the title track is a piece about my relationship with my father and the anger I had until a few years ago.

Green Carnation, "Sanguis (Blood Ties)"

I started thinking about how he had a terrible upbringing, and of course, it took me years to figure out that these things happen for a reason. Now, it’s easier for me to rise above that and understand his youth. I felt sorry for him and we started reconciling, but sadly, he passed away last summer. Then, there’s the song “Loneliness Untold, Loneliness Unfold” from Pt. II, which I sing and which is about a friend whom I’m afraid of losing.

Nordhus: The way Stein sings it really stands out, as does the stripped-down arrangement. What’s funny, though, is that we have such a fun time on tour, which you might not expect if you just look at our lyrics.

How has the dynamic between you two changed over the years?

Nordhus: We’ve been better able to work together as time’s gone by. In the early 2000s, we made more music individually than we did together and we were never a band that’s gone to rehearsals and jammed. Since coming back [with 2020’s Leaves of Yesterday], Stein and I found a new way of working together with very different roles. He's the guy who plays all the instruments and I’m the guy who has more to say about the actual compositions. How different parts connect and how something might be perfected.

When we started working on the Dark Poem series (around 2018), we accepted that doing all three albums was going to take a hell of a long time. We even made a record in the meantime [Leaves of Yesterday] to give ourselves enough time to finish the trilogy. It’s been an inspiring process.

On that note, fans already know that A Dark Poem will be a trilogy, so what can you reveal about the upcoming third chapter?

Nordhus: Well, we have a concert in Norway on September 12th and we’re going to play all three albums in one evening. There will be an orchestra and a choir onstage, too, and we might also do a Dark Poem art exhibition during that weekend in our hometown that’ll be curated by [ex-Dark Tranquility guitarist] Niklas Sundin, who did the artwork.

Sordal: That’s just a little hint [laughs]. It’s exciting!

Nordhus: It’s something we’ve never done before and once people hear the whole trilogy at once, they’ll understand the bigger picture. We’re not making it easy for ourselves, but it’ll be another memory that’ll stay with us forever.

Sordal: Yes, and of course, there’s many hours of music that we left off the albums, so hopefully we can use some of it in the future. Right now, we’re very proud of the project.

Green Carnation, "The Shores of Melancholia"

As you should be! Plus, you’ve had one of the best comebacks in recent memory considering that 2020’s Leaves of Yesteryear arrived after a 15-year hiatus.

Nordhus: Thank you. When the 15th anniversary of Light of Day, Day of Darkness came up in 2016, we thought it was a good excuse to try doing something again. It wasn’t like we were enemies before; we just didn’t know what to do next after The Acoustic Version in 2006. We’d released some good albums but without the success we’d hoped for. When we returned in 2016, we enjoyed each other’s company and while doing concerts, we realized that we’d forgotten how much Green Carnation meant to people.

Sordal: Exactly. We have fans who’ve grown with us over the years and it’s been so wonderful to see.

Thanks to Green Carnation for the interview. Their latest LP, 'A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis,' is out Apr. 3 on Season of Mist. Pre-order your copy of the album here and follow the them on Facebook, X, Instagram and Spotify.