2005-02-10
Green Carnation are overrunning themselves in their new album "The Quiet Offspring".
After the first listening session and in comparison to the previous album ("A Blessing in Disguise") and the 60 minute epic/album/masterpiece "Light of Day, Day of Darkness" – it seems that the new album is average, maybe even too average.
But after a few more listening- there wasn't a single fault to be found that could have caused judging the album as average.
On the contrary, they've perfected the melodies, lyrics and writing (not that they had any problem with any of these in their earlier releases) – they've managed to innovate with groovier riffs and more attention to the keyboards (whether it's a touching piano in "a place for me" or a more background-stratospherically use).
The atmosphere, which Tchort (one of guitarists who is also one of the founders and is perhaps better known from Emperor, Satyricon or Carpathian Forest) and his colleagues succeed in creating each and every time is so fitting to the lyrics, I'd even say it's perfect.
Although their music is defined as "Progressive Doom", it's much mellower and stores something aventgarde in it's essence.
On the first track, a title track, the innovativeness is well felt- the combination between the acoustic verses which are immediately interrupted by some distortion that following well into the chorus- not the song I'd choose as the leading track, but it's still surprisingly strong.
On the second track, "Between The Gentle Small And The Standing Tall", the groove is well felt in the riffs and in Kjetil Nordhus's voice (through the entire album he's using a wider vocal range).
The following track, "Just when you think it's safe", is much more similar to their previous album.
"A Place For Me", in my opinion the best in this album, starts with a gentle bleak piano until a bursting guitar riff, it continues with a Katatonia resembling order and builds on into another overtaking riff which is just as good as the first one.
The next two tracks, "The Everlasting Moment" and "Purple Door, Pitch Black"- can have the same honorable title as the third track, being very similar to the previous album but not recycling that material or being dull.
The first part of "Child's Play" (track 7) is quieter and therefor gives a gloomier feeling. The second part (track 11) which also closes the album, the lead is taken by the piano instead of the guitar along with the synthesized string instruments and thus creating and even gloomier and darker feel than the first part.
The most catchy track, actually with the most catchy chorus is "Dead but Dreaming" (track 8) could really do well as a single promoting the album.
Tracks 9 and 10, "Pile of Doubt" and "When I was you", in store the dominant sound of the album; where one has a heavy sound and the other starts in a softer manner and builds (kinda like the 4th track).
In conclusion, this album is worth a chance (listen to it a few times) because it might not give a good enough first impression.
Ofer Vayner
