Photo by: Lars Gunnar Liestøl
Official press release:
No matter how long or where the journey has taken them, Green Carnation have always sought to climb the highest mountains. While founded by Emperor’s former bassist Tchort in the early ’90s, the Norwegians quickly amassed a cult following while blazing their own trail through fields of symphonic doom, hard rock, acoustic plucking and progressive metal.
Had they never returned from hiatus during the mid-2000s, this band would’ve been remembered for completing one of the most ambitious individual epics in metal’s vaunted archives. And yet, one mighty tale – or three, to be exact – continued to elude them. That is, until now. Two decades removed from its initial conception, Green Carnation have finally completed their masterpiece.
Today, the prog auters are announcing the first part of A Dark Poem, a grand and gloomy album trilogy that was inspired by Arthur Rimbaud’s dreamy ode to Shakespeare’s Ophelia. The Shores of Melancholia remains grounded in the band’s newfound heavy hooks, but though heavenly to the ears, lead single “In Your Paradise” is awash with doubt over our distorted view of the world.
Green Carnation says:
“We are so excited to announce our long-awaited album trilogy. A Dark Poem promises to take listeners to the highest tops as well as their darkest inner rooms. Its opening chapter begins in a melancholic place that we have long associated with our music”.
Watch the video for “In Your Paradise” via the Season of Mist YouTube channel below.
The doom and gloom that creeps over “In Your Paradise” spreads across all of The Shores of Melancholia. Vocalist Kjetil Nordhus explains:
“The album reflects the troubled relationship between our personal lives and the external world. It’s about losing faith in the world we’ve come to know and how that leads to an inner dystopia”.
On “In Your Paradise”, Green Carnation set sail on a grand and gloomy journey into an epic dark night of the soul. The video for “In Your Paradise” was directed and edited by Rikard Amodei.
A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia comes out September 5th, 2025. Pre-order and pre-save now at this location.
A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia track listing:
- “As Silence Took You”
- “In Your Paradise”
- “Me My Enemy”
- “The Slave That You Are” feat. Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved)
- “The Shores of Melancholia”
- “Too Close to the Flame”
