Green Carnation- Blessing in Disguise

Green Carnation is a band strongly rooted in the 90s death/black metal camp. On A Blessing in Disguise, the band's third album, the members of Green Carnation lean toward heavy but melodic alternative rock while wearing their pasts on their sleeves in the form of black metal-esque chord/tempo changes, production, and intricate songwriting. The resulting album, their first on Season of Mist, is a blend of light and dark, a juxtaposition of the heavy and melodic. From beautiful ballads to crushing distorted guitar driven alt rock/metal hybrids, it's an incredibly solid album full of both energy and emotion.

The disc opens with "Crushed to Dust", an energetic, melodic, riff-driven heavy alt rock number, while "Lullaby in Winter", a considerably mellower and beautifully emotional ballad, shows the band's lighter side and also showcases composer Tchort's impressive songwriting abilities. "Writings on the Wall" takes things back in a metal-tinged alt rock direction with wailing lead guitars, a catchy chorus hook, and moody delay-laden vocals. After an interesting bass intro, "Into Deep" continues in the metal-oriented alt rock direction of the previous track with melodic doubled vocals and another memorable chorus. Despite the strength of the disc's first four tracks, the album doesn't really hit its stride until the middle. "The Boy in the Attic" is an incredibly touching and well-written rock ballad with an amazing 2-minute melancholy piano intro, while the stark vocals and piano/bass delivery of the moody "Two Seconds in Life" almost enter Nick Cave territory save for a brief rock outburst or two. "Myron & Cole" takes things back in a riff-driven rock direction with an impressive intro buildup and a strong melodic chorus, while "As Life Flows By" is a mellower rock number with a great energetic chorus. The album closing "Rain" is an incredible 8-minute melancholy epic that evolves from a classical synth string intro to a moody rock/metal hybrid.

Overall, A Blessing in Disguise is an exceptionally impressive release that blends melodic metal and various forms of alternative rock with excellent results. Immaculately written, performed, and produced, it's an incredible and stylistically diverse 9-song tour de force that will likely appeal to a fairly broad range of listeners. Whether you're into black metal, goth rock, or more straightforward alt rock, this one's highly recommended.