Review
Toothy riffs and retro-sounding organ chords collide on the opening title track, signaling a sharper, more confrontational turn for Green Carnation’s progressive metal. Critics widely praise the Norwegian band for trading their usual grandiose atmosphere for a record that feels "uncomfortably, almost suffocatingly personal" in its lyrical confrontation of trauma and toxic relationships.
While less immediate than its predecessor, Sanguis is lauded as a more "volatile" and "restrained" journey. Rather than getting lost in flashy technicality, the group leverages negative space, allowing heavy guitar swells to clash against fragile acoustic passages. This emotional heft is described as navigating a "liminal space where forlorn mournfulness and agonising despair dwell in tandem," letting the music simmer with a slow-burning malice.
By the time the acoustic closer "Lunar Tale" drifts away, the band has woven an unresolved, deeply bleak narrative. This willingness to expose their "raw and tender edges" ultimately cements Sanguis as a cohesive, deeply felt chapter in their ongoing trilogy.
