Green Carnation Premiere A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis
Posted on April 2, 2026
More information about A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis
Had Green Carnation never returned from hiatus, the Norwegian prog bards would always be remembered for completing one of metal’s most ambitious individual epics. However, there was one tale – or three, to be exact – that eluded them for more than three decades, until last year. Now, after reaching crushing new highs on Part I of their forthcoming album trilogy, the band are descending into the deepest, darkest and most personal depths of their storied career with A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis.
“Sanguis is lean, purposeful, and emotionally devastating in the way only music built from genuine anguish can be”, Sonic Perspectives writes in an 8.8/10 review. “Green Carnation have distilled their identity down to something sharper and more potent than ever”.
“When it comes to progressive metal that’s particularly somber, eloquent and rustic, few bands do it better than Norway’s Green Carnation”, Loudwire says in an interview about Sanguis with the band’s vocalist Kjetil Nordhus and bassist/primary lyricist Stein Roger Sordal.
A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis comes out tomorrow, Friday, April 3 on Season of Mist, but you can hear all six heart-wrenching songs today by listening to the full album stream, which premieres on the Season of Mist YouTube channel at Noon Eastern Time.
During the premiere, the band will chat with fans about the latest installment in their forthcoming album trilogy, as well as what the future might bring on Part III.
A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis Full Album Stream Premiere
Thursday, April 2 @ 12 pm Eastern Time
“Sanguis invites listeners into our darkest inner rooms with some of the most raw and vulnerable songs that we’ve ever written”, Nordhus says.
“The lyrics are so personal that I had to go many rounds with myself over whether or not to tone them down”, says Sordal. “In the end, I chose to keep them as honest as possible”.
Pre-order
https://orcd.co/greencarnationsanguis
Pre-save on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/prerelease/7pUfKrzW4Q5vn0WAfPHCkS?si=uDZLcOH5Rh2-j8BcS956-g
Available Formats
CD Digipack
12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Black)
12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Yellow and Red Marbled)
12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Orange and Coke Bottle Green)
12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Gold Splatters)
12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Silver, White and Black Marbled)
12″ Vinyl Gatefold (Transparent Green and Purple Marbled)
If The Shores of Melancholia set sail from a familiar place of melancholy, then Sanguis opens with Green Carnation far out at sea, fighting to stay afloat against the storm that’s raging in their minds. Over the course of nine minutes, the album’s epic title track vows to forgive and forget familial wreckage, washing away the bloody stains of the past with impassioned cleans and a chorus that radiates conviction — only for a traumatic memory to come flooding back during its doomy coda.
“Father was boiling, mother was crying / The children left scared in their beds”. A fiery shiver of a riff slowly spirals downward, as if trapped inside a mental hell.
“It paints a pretty grim picture of my childhood”, Sordal says about “Sanguis”. “I do have great memories from that time, too, but parts were very dark. I had some tough issues with my father, but I now know that he had it worse. I didn’t think about that when I was younger, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that there is usually more to the story”.
“It took Stein Roger almost 50 years to understand why his father treated him the way he did”, Nordhus says about his dear bandmate. “He didn’t understand until he had kids of his own and was watching them grow up”.
The newfound heaviness from the Part I of A Dark Poem continues to age like a fine wine, balancing sweet meaty riffs with an underlying bitterness. “I Am Time” demands immediate recognition with a guitar melody that winds like the winds of change, while “Fire In Ice” stokes the political flames viewed from The Shores of Melancholia with pounding chills of double bass. But Sanguis reveals the band at their most raw with ballads that unfold with the grace of a wilted flower.
“The end justifies the means, you’ll see”, Kjetil Nordhus sings with an eerily quiet confidence on album closer “Lunar Tale”. As the song seeps beneath the moonlight, Sanguis leaves fans hanging in suspense over where this trilogy will end.
Catch Green Carnation during their upcoming hometown shows and European summer festival dates. During their headlining show in September at the Kilden Performing Arts Centre, the band will perform A Dark Poem in its entirety for the first and final time – including the as-of-yet unannounced Part III. Already, fans from 18 different countries have purchased tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Green Carnation 2026 Show Dates
June 6 – Tampere, Finland @ Ankea Festival [TICKETS]
June 14 – Kristiansand, Norway @ Odderøya [TICKETS]*
August 1 – Ungarn, Hungary @ Feke Zaj Festival [TICKETS]
September 12 – Kristiansand, Norway @ Kilden Performing Arts Centre [TICKETS]#
September 25 – Bucuresti, Romania @ Bucharest Prog Day II [TICKETS]
*Deep Purple, Turbonegro + Slomosa
#Performing A Dark Poem, Part 1-III
More praise for A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis
“Green Carnation have added another superbly realized song cycle to their catalogue, and the third part of this trilogy cannot arrive soon enough. Just be prepared to shed a tear or ten” – Blabbermouth
“A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis finds Green Carnation at their most raw and emotionally exposed, weaving crushing heaviness and haunting melody into a dark, unresolved journey that lingers long after the final note” – The Prog Report
“As Part I, Part II both causes instant delight and will doubtlessly show itself to be a grower in the sense that it contains many layers and nuances that will continue to unfold over time” – New Noise
“On the guitar side, the album sounds phenomenal. From the acoustic guitars to the heavier riffs, this album has it all: great execution, super rich, offering so many dynamics, still technical at times, especially the solos.” – A&P Reacts
“That is one thing you will notice throughout the whole album; the band will have something to say, in every song” – Metal Temple
“It is the band at their most introspective and vulnerable, baring their souls for everyone to see and this is very much reflected in the music” – The Razors Edge
“It’s always a delight to listen to the best in the business going about that business, and Sanguis is a very exciting exercise in just that” – Sentinel Daily
“This is not meant to eclipse Part I – it’s meant to complete it, to complicate it, and to push the narrative into deeper, more human territory” – Metal Epidemic
“Themes of loss and sorrow dominate, yet the record avoids sinking entirely into darkness. Instead, it gradually introduces a sense of inner peace, even as a persistent thread of melancholia runs through each composition” – Markus Heavy Music Blog
|
|
Related posts
Green Carnation Seize the Moment on New Single “I Am Time”
Posted on March 9, 2026Three decades into a storied career, Green Carnation continue to stand the test of time. Just last year, the Norwegian prog bards reached crushing new highs during the grand and gloomy opening chapter of their long-awaited album trilogy. Now, as the band descend into deeper, darker and more personal depths on Part II of A Dark Poem, they are breaking past the surface with the album’s emotional peak.
Green Carnation Announce Show with Deep Purple
Posted on March 5, 2026Since taking root in 1990, Green Carnation have reaped the success of their lofty ambitions. On just their second album, the prog bards authored one of the longest continuous epics in metal’s hallowed archives. Just last year, the band set sail on an epic album trilogy with The Shores of Melancholia, which washed onto best-of 2025 lists at PROG, Loudwire, Angry Metal Guy and other major publications. Now, as they descend into deeper, darker and doomier depths on the upcoming Part II of A Dark Poem, the Norwegian natives are adding another memorable scene to their storied career.
Green Carnation Announce Part II of A Dark Poem
Posted on February 4, 2026Green Carnation have never been afraid of a challenge. Just last year, the Norwegian captains of progressive metal finally set sail on an epic three-part voyage that had eluded them for more than thirty years. The Shores of Melancholia washed onto year-end lists at PROG, Loudwire, Angry Metal Guy and other major publications. Now, after reaching crushing new highs during its opening chapter, the band are descending into deeper, darker and more personal depths with Part II of A Dark Poem.
Green Carnation Premiere Grand and Gloomy New Album
Posted on September 4, 2025While they quickly amassed a cult following behind one of the most ambitious epics in metal history, for the past 35 years, there was one tale – or three, to be exact – that continued to elude Green Carnation. That is, until now. With The Shores of Melancholia, the long-accomplished prog metal journeymen are finally setting sail on an epic album trilogy that will take fans to the highest peaks and darkest inner rooms.
Green Carnation Face Changing Tides on New Single
Posted on August 4, 2025Had Green Carnation never returned from hiatus during the mid-2000s, the Norwegian band would’ve been remembered for completing one of the most ambitious individual epics in metal’s archives. But with their upcoming new album, the progressive metal auteurs are setting sail on a three-part journey that’s two decades in the making. A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia is the first in a trilogy of albums that promises to take new and lifelong fans to the highest tops and darkest of inner rooms.