Artist: GREEN CARNATION
Album: ACOUSTIC VERSES (CD)

Release date: 2005
Media type: CD

As with its namesake blossom's first appearance, peering from beneath the permafrost of Norway's winter, each successive Green Carnation album is a welcome sight in the dreary sameness of today's metal scene.
After the start, in 1990, and through some quiet years, up until the critically acclaimed albums, Journey to the End of the Night, nobody really knew what Green Carnation was going to become. But after their debut, the band has become one of those that always seem to stun their audience.

With Light of Day, Day of Darkness, the six piece format recorded one of the most ambitious (and critically praised) projects of all time, Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness. The hour-long platter is comprised solely of the title track. Recorded on 150 tracks, employs thirty musicians (including a children's choir), and more than 600 distinct samples, many reviewers were at a loss to pin down precisely what they heard, but there was no denying the brilliance within the sounds, declaring Green Carnation amongst the most innovative acts in metal's history.

Surprisingly strong sales (given the unique nature of a one-song album), coupled with all the great reviews: twice being selected Album Of The Month, including within the vaunted pages of Metal Hammer (Germany), helped garner a 2002 slot on the prestigious Wacken Open Air festival, where Green Carnation re-created Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness, in its entirety, in front of 8000 fans. Not bad the first show outside your hometown!

Just a few months later, work began on a follow-up. During it's creation, longstanding bassist Stein Roger Sordal played an integral role, helping flesh out the lush sound. The actual recording took place from Jan-Feb. 2003, after Green Carnation had signed with French label, Season Of Mist.
“A Blessing in Disguise” was released on June 16 th of the same year, and the Norwegians returned to the top of the global metal charts, was awarded Album Of The Month honors six times, internationally recognized giants Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, and Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, amongst them.

That fall, the band played throughout Europe, headlining, just their first time on tour! In January 2004 they recorded their first DVD, in Krakow, Poland, and in September a new album was recorded, in Marseilles, France, with producer Terje Refsnes. The Quiet Offspring was released in February 2005 release through Season of Mist (world) and The End records (North America). And again, the record brought rave reviews from both the big magazines and smaller zines all over the world.
Althoght the band decided not to go on a full tour after “The Quiet Offspring” they did a lot of important and impressive gigs, and made a very successful debut in North America, on the Day of The Equinox festival in Toronto, Canada in October.

2005 also saw Green Carnation members Tchort and Kjetil Nordhus starting their own record-company, Sublife Productions. They signed Green Carnation, and the band recorded their very first acoustic album. Yet another musical challenge for the musicians, and yet another album they hope will stun the fans.

Singer Kjetil Nordhus says: “The Acoustic Verses” is in many ways Green Carnation through and through. It’s yet another album where you’ll find the band explore new music, but as always with the focus on the quality within the songs, and very strong melodies. We are delighted with the outcome, and I think we will make old Green Carnation fans happy; we are blessed with an open minded fan-base. I also hope that we can gain some new fans with this album. For Sublife Productions this is a great debut album to work with. It’s great to feel the cred of Green Carnation while working with people far away from Norway, and it makes everybody involved very much optimistic for “The Acoustic Verses” and for the future og the band.

TRACKLIST:

1 Sweet Leaf 4:38
(music & lyrics by Tchort)
2 The Burden is mine…alone 3:15
(music & lyrics by Stein Roger Sordal)
3 Maybe? 5:02
(music & lyrics by Kjetil Nordhus)
4 Alone 3:43
(music by Tchort, lyrics based on the poem “Alone” by Edgar Allan Poe)
5 9-29-045 15:29
- My greater Cause, part I
- Home Coming, part II
- House of Cards, part III
(music & lyrics by Stein Roger Sordal)
6 Childs Play part 3 3:32
(music by Bernt Andrи Moen)
8 High Tide Waves 7:49
(music by Michael S Krumins, lyrics by Tommy Jackson)

Total playing time 43:32
Produced by Green Carnation

LINE-UP:

Stein Roger Sordal
Bass, ebow, coffe, lead vocals and backing vocals
Tchort
Acoustic guitar
Kjetil Nordhus
Lead vocals and backing vocals
Tommy Jackson
Drums and percussion
Michael S Krumins
Acoustic guitar, semi hollow guitar and theremin,
Kenneth Silden
Piano,rhodes, strings and mellotron
Bjшrn Harstad
Tremolo guitar, slide and guitar effects

Guest musicians:

Leif Wiese Violin
Gustav Ekeberg Viola
Bernt Andrи Moen Chello

www.greencarnation.no
www.sublifeproductions.com