Customer Reviews

Acoustic Verses

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

GREEN CARNATION - The Acoustic Verses
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This is my favorite Green Carnation since Light of Day, Day of Darkness. Both Blessing in Disguise and The Quiet Offspring were good but they seemed to lack the emotion that makes both this album, as well as their first, so damn inviting. There is just something captivating about these seven songs that draw you in.

Every single song on this album is stunning on its own merit... The beautiful `The Burden is Mine... Alone' gives me chills every time I listen to it... Sincerity is hard to fake, and this entire album is full of it. From start to finish this is simply put... Beautiful.

Highly recommended for fans of progressive, folk and/or acoustic rock, People that liked Opeth's Damnation album or bands like Porcupine Tree or Riverside will likely enjoy this. Also at times has a toned down rock feel like Alice in Chains or Stone Temple Pilots Unplugged.

Anyway enough yapping... If you do not get this album it is your loss!

Favorite Songs: The Burden is Mine... Alone, Sweet Leaf and 9-29-045
-5 Stars

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I love "Light of Day, Day of Darkness" (LODDOD) as much as anyone. But when the two albums after that were coming out, I listened to some samples, and one whole song I think, and they really didn't interest me. However, when I heard the swift violin sweeps and touching acoustic harmony of "Alone" I instantly kept pressing the "Order Now" button until my mouse broke (maybe that's why I received 847 copies).

So, unfortunately, my review is slightly incomplete since I will be unable to compare this to "Blessing in Disguise" or "The Quiet Offspring," but that isn't really essential to review something.

"Sweet Leaf" opens up with some quick acoustic strumming and keyboards, and then adds percussion and soft singing. The percussion gets thicker, and after a while the vocals get much more prominent and powerful. The calm, crisp, cascading acoustic melodies in between more upbeat verses remind me a lot of Nest if you've heard of them. This song really changes pace a lot for something truly exciting and refreshing. This is actually probably my favorite song on the album.

"The Burden is Mine... Alone" is primarily somber, fast-paced plucking and straight-forward singing. Remind's me a lot of the folk songs on Antimatter's "Planetary Confinement": very simple, yet emotional and effective. However it is not really an ultra-depressing folk style, it is fresh, but retains a trace of melancholy feeling.

"Maybe?" starts off slowly similar to the song before but about halfway through, blooms into more of a full band, the rest of the song being instrumental.

"Alone" is a gorgeous, harmonic, upbeat piece, guided primarily by precise, clever violin strokes between the verses. The strumming, especially at the beginning is stunningly similar to Opeth's "Harvest". At the end the violins develop into a dancing harmonization beautifully executed.

"9-29-045" is a fifteen minute acoustic-based epic that visits many different ideas, pace changes, buildups, progressions and moods. The first part is quite slow-paced, with harmonized vocals and lots of keyboard melodies. Then it shifts into an instrumental section, with what I can best describe as romantic sounding Italian-influenced acoustic strumming, and then some violins. There are so many unexpected, abrupt changes of pace yet they sound perfectly natural at the same time, with some of the most beautiful melodies I've ever heard. I really admire a band that can successfully write music that flows so naturally through so many different moods. This song is truly epic and amazing, like a mini "LODDOD" in itself, however being acoustic-driven now and not metal.

"Childs Play Part III" is a very mysterious, distinct, piano-driven instrumental that will inject eerie muses in your mind and chills down your spine. This is honestly one of the very best instrumental tracks on an otherwise vocalized album that I've ever heard, up there with Agalloch's "The Misshapen Steed," Pain of Salvation's "Pluvius Aestivus" and perhaps Anathema's "Violence" (replace with your favorite three)

"High Tide Waves" explores deep contrast with very subdued verses and more "extreme" choruses while still being acoustic, with the use of thick percussion and aggressive vocals.

Fans of Porcupine Tree, Opeth (especially Damnation), Anathema, Riverside, and Antimatter's "Planetary Confinement" check this out.

I will definitely look into the two albums between this and LODDOD. If I love these two so much, I must have been missing something on the other two.

Edit (11/14/06) Wow. Since writing this I've got "The Quiet Offspring," I don't know what I was thinking not to buy this when it came out. Amazing.

Green Carnation have officially slated themselves in the annals of talented metal bands.

Every album manages to surprise me, even when I think they're reaching their creative limits. "Light of Day, Day of Darkness" was a towering monument to musicianship and progressive metal, just as "Blessing in Disguise" and "The Quiet Offspring" demonstrated their ability to stray from their original path in remarkable ways, forging such standout tracks such as "Into Deep", "A Place for Me" and "The Everlasting Moment".

And now we have "The Acoustic Verses", an album worthy to be placed among the ranks of Pain of Salvation's "12:5" with the added bonus that all the songs are new.

The album is all-acoustic (as implied by the title) and exceptionally touching. From the bleak and somber "Sweet Leaf" to the crippling "The Burden is Mine ... Alone", each note resonates with the emotional power behind both Tchort's songwriting and Kjetin Nordhus' increasingly touching voice. The folk-heavy "Alone" is a real treat, giving listeners a dance between acoustic guitars and a violin.

The cryptically titled "9-29-045" is by itself worth the price of the album. The 15-minute, 3-part song is astounding. Beginning with "My Greater Cause", it explores many guitars and Nordhus' soft croon with great economy. The second part, "Homecoming", is instrumental and builds to a lovely crescendo before ending the painfully beautiful song with its third and best part, "House of Cards". Few songs can capture the overpowering emotion in the songs final minutes ...

My confidence in these Norwegian metalheads rises exponentially with each release. "The Acoustic Verses" proves yet again that Green Carnation can and will continue to amaze.

See also: Green Carnation - "The Quiet Offspring", Pain of Salvation - "12:5"

Green Carnation has taken many forms but this one(an acoustic one) is by far their best. Though very simple, it is very moving and beautiful. Nordhus(vocalist) has a powerful voice that flows over the acoustic guitars and synths. Songs range from catchy 3 minute tunes to a long epic 15 minute piece. This epic composition alone is worth buying the album, oddly titled 9-29-045. Though my favorite song off of this is, Alone, which has the most memorable lines and shows the band's most creativity and elegance. Anyone who likes any type of acoustic music should definitely pick this up, this is not an album to dissapoint.

Green Carnation return with an all new effort. This is an acoustic journey through the night. Acoustic guitars, strings, and strong vocals lead this album straight to a must buy. It is by these Norwegian fellows but it is not a folk album such as Empyrium, Nest, Tenhi, Ulver ect. This is acoustic rock much more akin to acoustic Alice in Chains or Days of the New but very distinct in its own style. This album should appeal to anyone into intelligent and well composed and performed music and not just the bands previous fans in the metal genre. Suggested listening includes Sweet Leaf, Alone, The Burden is Mine... Alone

i really enjoy acoustic albums from metal bands because i feel like i can at least expect competent playing and interesting arrangements; and that i'm not gonna wind up with some vapid collection of major chords and all-but-identical strumming patterns. this album is quite good. kind of a proggy, folky collection of [acoustic] guitar-driven songs with ample strings and other atmospheric flurishes, not unlike PAIN OF SALVATION's _12:5_ album, and enough twists and turns to keep the music from feeling one-dimensional. track five, "9-20-045," perhaps demonstrates this best. though the song is a bit compartmentalized, there is a strong enough fluidity so that, in the end, it seems like a nice long ride. what keeps me from giving the _acoustic verses_ a 5 star rating is the general lack of drums or other percussion throughout much of the album. drums have a way of tying everything together, and giving it that final omphf of approval. it's that missing omphf that i think leaves this album feeling a bit cold. the editorial staff says this is a lush-sounding album- i think i'd have to disagree. though there are certainly layers to it, in the end it's just a tad too chilly for 5 stars. still, it's worth a place in any progressive music fan's collection, especially at this price.

More melancholic metal serenely strummed, with a share of hit and missed opportunities, but a majority of inoffensive competency.

for $5 this is an amazing steal!the other reviews are mostly spot-on:it's a really beautiful acoustic album with delicate vocals and the perfect atmospheric mood.goes great by candlelight.

The Acoustic Verses is the only album driven completely by acoustic guitar I've ever heard that I like. The music, vocals, and lyrics are perfect and original. Also, every song sounds different from the others; it is not too consistent. Anyone who is interested in hearing rock music with acoustic guitar should definitely buy the album.

I was surprised at how good this album is. It is subtle and dark. I love the piano on Child's Play Part 3. High Tide Waves initially was sketchy but after listening to it over and over you warm up to it. All the other songs are brilliant. This is a great album to listen to any time of the day although I prefer it in the morning to slowly jump start my brain.