GREEN CARNATION – The Acoustic Verses

As a Metal listener, you have probably heard or been apart of a conversation that tries to stereotype Heavy Metal Music as loud and relentless. Obviously, there is a note of truth in that description, but it barely scratches the surface of the many variations of the Heavy Metal genre. There has always been a place for the slower, gentler side of Metal in most listeners’ catalogs. Usually, these slower numbers present themselves as the standard Power Ballad format, but sometimes there are purely acoustic celebrations of the harder side of music; Green Carnation’s The Acoustic Verses is just such an album.

Although it is completely void of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal foundational driving riffs, thundering drums, or screeching vocals, there is definitely a sense of tension and weight in this the band’s fifth full-length disc. Lush melodies and beautiful guitar arrangements set a mood like a somber grey day. Where their popular Light of Day, Day of Darkness disc was an epic studio master work, utilizing 150 separate recording tracks and over thirty musicians, The Acoustic Verses is a completely streamlined release showcasing this sextet’s musical competency.

“Sweet Leaf” is the opening track. Not a tribute to the Black Sabbath song, this tune is set to a cadence drum line that keeps the tempo marching like a doomed soldier into a loosing battle. The solemn keyboard overtones seem to wrap the tune in a shroud of bleak and foreboding mysticism, while the guitar shines like a voice of hope in the void. “The Burden Is Mine … Alone” is the next track, and is very sparse in its musical setting, just a guitar and vocals, with a few little overdub enhancements throughout.

There is a theme in the music, with all of the songs echoing the voice of apprehension and fear. This is a prime example of creating anxiety and power wrought within the simple sounds of acoustic guitars and simple percussion without relying on volume and speed. The album finishes out with “High Tide Waves,” which sounds reminiscent of early Fates Warning material.

These Nordic legends have secured for themselves another chapter in musical greatness with The Acoustic Verses. This disc is a cold and disarming release in the usual din of redundancy. Of course, this isn’t the disc that will kick off your weekend, and you probably won’t hear it at too many night clubs, but when you are alone and ready to face the darkness, this is the soundtrack to your getaway.