The Acoustic Verses (CD - 2006)

Green Carnation: Stein Roger Sordal (guitar); Tchort, Michael Krumins (acoustic guitar); Bjorn Harstad (strings, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, Mellotron); Tommy Jackson (drums, percussion); Kjetil Nordhus.

Personnel: Stein Roger Sordal (vocals, E-bow, background vocals); Kjetil Nordhus (vocals, background vocals); Bjorn Harstad (guitar, slide guitar).

Audio Mixers: Stein Roger Sordal; Hans K. Eidskard.

Recording information: Brown Sound Studios; Dub Studios; Jailhouse Studios.

Norwegian metal band Green Carnation take a decidedly less-traveled road with their all-acoustic release THE ACOUSTIC VERSES, which features similar blistering riffs and awesome guitar shredding to their previous albums, QUIET OFFSPRING and DAY OF DARKNESS--only much, much quieter. A particular highlight is the three-part opus, 9-24-045, which blends intricately woven melodies and technical brilliance in a magical musical tapestry.

Although most modern-day prog metallists list such bands as Led Zeppelin, Yes, and Rush as prime influences, most only focus on the hard-rocking side of the aforementioned acts. As a result, they overlook an important bit -- all three had their "acoustic moments" (side two of Led Zeppelin III; the intro to Yes' "I've Seen All Good People," the intro to Rush's "The Trees," etc.). Norway's Green Carnation is one of the few bands not afraid to pick up their acoustic axes and bring the intensity down a notch, as evidenced by 2006's The Acoustic Verses. The sextet's prog roots bubble to the surface here and there (such as during the three-part epic, "9-29-045"), but it's the more straightforward compositions that prove to be the standouts ("The Burden Is Mine...Alone," "High Tide Waves," etc.). And you have to give the lads credit for exercising restraint throughout -- even when a splash of distortion could have easily been used in the slow buildup of "Maybe?," they stick to the game plan throughout. The bottom line is that you don't have to be a prog rock aficionado to enjoy Acoustic Verses -- you just have to appreciate finely played and penned acoustic music. And it sure beats the hell out of all those foolers on the radio, that are on their eighth re-write of Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies. ~ Greg Prato minimize