The Magic Number

Green Carnation first spoke about creating a three-album saga in the mid-2000s. Two decades later, the Norwegians are finally releasing the first chapter of their A Dark Poem series: The Shores Of Melancholia. Singer Kjetil Nordhus talks to Prog about the themes and backstory of their long-gestated trilogy.

- Words: Matt Mills

Kjetil Nordhus has one piece of advice for anyone trying to make three albums at the same time: don't.

"I wouldn't recommend it," the singer of Norwegian prog rockers Green Carnation admits, the exhaustion almost audible in his voice.

"I'm 50 this year and over the last, say, 10 years, I've learned the difference between something being 97% good and 100% good. You use a lot of time on the last five or 10%." Nordhus is speaking from experience. Prog is joining the vocalist on a video call to talk about Green Carnation's catchily titled new album, A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores Of Melancholia, the first entry in an eventual trilogy. Without sounding too lofty about it, it's the start of what's going to be Green Carnation's Lord Of The Rings, with its constituent pieces coming out individually despite being worked on as one enormous whole, The band first had the idea of a three-part venture about 20 years ago.

Yet The Shores Of Melancholia wasn't announced and lead single In Your Paradise wasn't released - until mere hours before our interview. The initial feedback, mercifully, suggests that all the toil will be worth it.

"It's been quite amazing, actually," says Nordhus, who also serves as Green Carnation's de facto social media manager. "Of course, the label and a few journalists have already heard the album, and it's looking really, really promising."

As one of those journalists, this writer can testify: The Shores Of Melancholia is a bit bloody good. The follow-up to Green Carnation's 2020 comeback album Leaves Of Yesteryear - even though pre-production on it started at the same time (more on that later) it expands on the strengths of the music that brought this five-piece back to the dance.