Search - Green Carnation :: The Quiet Offspring

From epic to still epic - Green Carnation amaze me

Dan Solera | Chicago, IL USA | 04/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once upon a time there was a Norwegian band who released "Light of Day, Day of Darkness," a fantastic debut in one solid 60-minute track. The work was phenomenal. Metalheads around the world were treated to an hour of progressive doom-metal through several movements which included strings, icy guitars, choirs, a saxophone and over 150 tracks of dazzling production. The "song" was symphonic, epic, and far from forgettable.



Two years later the band would release "A Blessing in Disguise", surprising fans and surpassing expectations. The band's guitarist and founder, Terje Vik Schei (also known as "Tchort", following in the metal tradition of interesting monikers) adopted a more conventional songwriting technique, but never strayed from mystic and melancholic elements that made "Light of Day ..." such a masterpiece.



In March, the band released their newest gem, "The Quiet Offspring". Although it certainly isn't quiet, the songs show Tchort departing farther from his inner forest troll and metamorphosing into a solid rock star. Only one song passes the 6-minute mark and there are few nerve-shredding guitar solos or double-bass rhythms to be found. Even calling this album a "metal album" is a stretch. With its softer approach and overall simplicity, the album is so far removed from "Light of Day ..." that it sometimes sounds like a completely different band altogether.



But don't let this stop you from buying it.



The album is great. It really is. The songs are easy to follow but never lack the diversity to keep the listener interested. Sure, there is a defined pattern in the song structure, but it works. Tchort applies it to a variety of moods, ranging from the gloomy to - believe it - the bouncy. Unlike Finland's Amorphis, who in their last album "Far From the Sun" fell into the pattern of using the same sounds in every song, Green Carnation have created 11 completely independent and distinguishable songs and contributed generously to their catalogue of gloomy and sorrowful metal.



Although the band uses many instruments and sounds to develop their music, it's singer Kjetil Nordhus' voice that really stands out on the album. He has broken free of his morose and reserved croon that held earlier albums together and shines now as a truly versatile vocalist. The title-track, "The Quiet Offspring", begins the album with a pounding riff that would remind the modern rock fan of Disturbed, and then quickly cuts into its main verse and chorus, which sound shockingly similar to what Alice in Chains would be writing today for its near grunge crunch. As the song changes, so does Nordhus.



The second track, "Between the Gentle Small and the Standing Tall" is a real surprise. It begins with a melodic death-metal guitar melody and where a death-metal band would succumb to repetition, Green Carnation changes completely with the subtle addition of a Hammond keyboard. From there the song is reminiscent of an early 80's rock anthem, a particular sound that the band visits for the first time in their career. The sensitive and mysterious elements of earlier albums are gone, having been replaced by a macho, high-octane romp. Keyboardist Kenneth Silden races passionately through the third and fastest song "Just When You Think It Is Safe", switching between filling the gaps with a Hammond and relentlessly hitting high piano keys to accompany the rapid drums.



The rest of the album continues the first two tracks' diversity. A piano and the sound of a gramophone introduce the bleak and idyllic "A Place For Me". The song climaxes with a spacey keyboard melody that takes from progressive bands like prog legends Arena and Marillion. The powerful "Purple Door, Pitch Black" sounds like Katatonia but without the profound depression and with a better use of keyboards and Nordhus' newfound pipes. "Child's Play Part 1" is the closest the album comes to earlier efforts with a string arrangement that explicitly borrows from the chilling, atmospheric tone of "Light of Day, Day of Darkness."



My personal favorite cut, "Pile of Doubt", begins with a pseudo-power metal guitar/keyboard pairing, moves smoothly into a heavier progressive riff and culminates in the most melodic chorus on the album. For all its unexpected changes in melody, the song is very catchy and accessible to metalheads and fans of softer rock.



Although "The Quiet Offspring" is not a woodland epic, it is a terrific album that perfectly balances experimentation with predictable metal bombast. With shorter, more direct songs, Tchort and company have crafted a beautiful album that never dwells on a single musical texture for more than four minutes. Like metal contemporaries Opeth and Porcupine Tree, Green Carnation have established themselves as a permanent force in the metal world, continuing to amaze their ever-growing fan base.



See also: Green Carnation - "A Blessing in Disguise", Green Carnation - "Light of Day, Day of Darkness", Amorphis - "Tuonela", Amorphis - "Am Universum""

Green Carnation-The Quiet Offspring

WARnerve | Chicago | 07/23/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Green Carnation is a band that holds a special place in my heart. "Light of Day, Day of Darkness" is one of the most brilliant musical releases I have ever heard, a pure work of genius. Two albums later, we have "The Quiet Offspring," an excercise in some of Green Carnation's other talents.



It is immediately clear that this is an even more stripped down version of Green Carnation than on "Blessing in Disguise." The simplicity of the title track and "Between the Gentle Small and Standing Tall" (among others) demonstrate a more commercial sound. This does not hinder the album whatsoever as you can tell that Tchort and Co. spent time on the songs and put some feeling behind the album. My favorite part of this album is not any individual playing, but the Pink Floyd-ish atmospheres. The last two Green Carnation albums utilized organs and pianos and, at least from my perspective, gives the album considerable Floyd influence (which isn't so surprising considering a majority of the band members were a part of In the Woods...). If I had to pick out my favorite individual performance, I'd probably go with vocalist Kjetil Nordhus. His singing has improved and he puts forth an excellent performance. Pick any song on the record and it is garunteed that the singing is well done.



The problem I have with this record is its simplicity. I'm not asking for another "Light of Day..." but for a band with this kind of talent and the ideas I know they're capable of making, "The Quiet Offspring" just hits me a little flat. I know I have it ranked as four stars but I'm leaning more towards 3 and a half. This isn't the record I hoped they would make but it is well executed, most definitely honest (anyone remotely familiar with Green Carnation knows all about the child concept and why) and overall an enjoyable listen.



Fans of "A Blessing in Disguise" will probably enoy this while fans of "Light of Day..." may have a little trouble swallowing this one. This is not their best work but is by no means a bad record. There are rumors of a sequel to "Light of Day..." but while the fans wait for it, this one should tide them over just fine."

A musical energy that cannot be destroyed

Barry Dejasu | Rehoboth, Massachusetts | 07/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"According to the First Law of Thermodynamics ("Energy cannot be created nor destroyed"), energy can come in different forms, but never lost. Green Carnation is a band whose music largely epitomizes this theory, as they always find new and experimental ways of expressing their musical energy. With three albums already under their belt (including their most famous to date, _Light of Day, Day of Darkness_, an epic single-track piece spanning a total of sixty minutes!), Green Carnation have made quite a name for themselves in the progressive metal field. Their newest release, _The Quiet Offspring_, has some of their shortest and most "straight-forward" songs to date - but because of their knack for great musical composition and performance, Green Carnation have not lost a shred of their exceptional skills.



The band is in great shape, with all six members cranking out the best of their respective contributions. While none of the members are virtuosos, it is their way of blending their respective talents into good songwriting which makes their music so special, Band founder, rhythm guitarist, and overall mastermind Tchort continues to write epic-feeling songs, despite their short lengths (the longest one being 7:15). Lyrically, _The Quiet Offspring_ is much like Green Carnation's three previous albums, painting dark, yet beautiful, portraits of life and death (often labeled as being "gothic" - though this music is so much more) - perhaps the only consistence in their otherwise ever-changing music.



Vocalist Kjetil Nordhus' is highly expressive and involved, breathing emotional life into Tchort's lyrics like they were his own. His pleading cry of some of the verses in "When I Was You" is a particularly capturing example of this. He sometimes adds a slightly aggressive edge to his tone without sacrificing any of the emotion for an over-the-top scream or growl, proving once again that metal isn't all about screaming.



Tchort has a wide variety of guitar talents. Being that Green Carnation is, after all, a metal band, he usually plays heavy, distorted riffs. Just as often, he will create acoustic or clean electric melodies and passages, using emotion for the driving factor as much as technique - just listen to the title track, with its double-edged verses made up of heavy riffs alternating with melodic (and atmospheric) guitar/keyboard passages.



Lead guitarist Michael S. Krumins, while not specializing in five-minute guitar solos featuring endless tapping (like the typical progressive metal band will attempt), adds the perfect touch to songs when and where necessary. Just listen to his slightly suppressed solo on "Just When You Think it's Safe." Also, the solo on "Dead But Dreaming" is also particularly worth mention, with its brief tremolo break adding a dazzling quality to the climax of the song. Krumins' work on "Pile of Doubt" makes the song highly multifaceted; the verses are fast, thrashy, and driven by heavier guitar and drum rhythms, with a clean, bluesy guitar melody repeatedly played over all.



Kenneth Silden is a master of the keyboard. On many songs he utilizes unusual effects to add texture or melody; there are even songs which feature 70's prog-style synthesizer in the background. Silden also effectively employs programmed beats at times, like in the intro to "When I Was You" and "The Everlasting Moment." And this is not to say that all he does is make trippy sounds - in many instances he breaks from the effects, as well, instead playing beautiful piano melodies, effectively used in songs such as "A Place For Me," "Just When You Think it's Over," and "Child's Play - Part II."



Stein Roger Sordal is an immediately noteworthy bassist; though likely due in part to producer Terje Refsnes's touch, the bass lines in each song can actually be heard! Unlike most (repeat: almost all) metal bassists who simply mirror the guitar rhythms (merely adding a sort of extra-low-end hum to the wall of noise), Sordal creates lyrical melodies of his own which complement each song's rhythms. Just listen to the two-part melody he plays in the verses to "Just When You Think it's Safe," with its low-end riff which builds up to a sort of rest, and then a high-end one follows the same scale but in a different key - nothing terribly complex, but just different enough to stand out. Sordal also plays additional guitar parts on several songs, as well as being responsible for a lot of the songwriting throughout the album.



Drummer Anders Kobro adds the final touch to each song. As with the rest of the bandmates, he does not create anything particularly complex or outstanding, but obviously he knows a thing or two about his set, using the right cymbal or snare beat at the right time. Between him and Sordal's bass playing, Green Carnation's rhythm section is tight and well-crafted.



Overall, _The Quiet Offspring_ is just as compelling and epic-feeling as anything Green Carnation has created before. The songs are shorter, yes, but the band is just too talented to lose their touch. Perhaps that is what this album is all about; proving not only to fans, but to the members of the band themselves, that Green Carnation has a certain kind of energy, and like all energies, it cannot be destroyed."