JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE NIGHT

# 1300. I'm not sure even where to begin with this album. It is a record I have been trying to find for a long long time. I'm actually not surprised that it was delivered to me on my birthday, even if I wasn't expecting it. God is good. A little background information first about this band and album would be helpful. GREEN CARNATION did release an EP many years earlier but before they would release a studio album Tchort would leave to play bass for EMPEROR. The rest of the remaining members would get a singer and form IN THE WOODS... Tchort would reunite with the band after IN THE WOODS... called it a day. This album is very unique in the GREEN CARNATION discography for a number of reasons. It is their long delayed debut record, but the only one that would include the Botteri brothers(bass / lead guitar) from IN THE WOODS....In fact this album sounds like an IN THE WOODS... recording (dark, gothic, heavy, emotional and psychedelic), even including a guest appearance on vocals from Synne Soprano the gifted IN THE WOODS... singer. The other important fact to tell you about is that Tchort's daughter would die tragically previous to this recording, and in fact that awful event would be the concept of this album. This record is also dedicated to his deceased daughter. Of course knowing this makes Tchort's lyrics so meaningful as we are allowed a glimpse of his suffering, his questions and his sorrow. I'm reminded of the book of Job in the Bible where we read about Job's inner torment, thoughts and questions after losing his family and health. It's like Tchort takes us on a trip into the abyss. Yet there is no way for us to fathom his pain or loss. We can only listen helplessly.

The first song has no lyrics but for me this is the most emotional track on here. Even the title "Falling Into Darkness" conveys how Tchort must have felt when he heard the tragic news. It opens with bass and cymbals as drums and female vocal melodies arrive. The first time I heard the guitar come ripping in around 2 minutes and Synne start to sing those high vocal melodies over top, my eyes filled with tears. "In The Realm Of The Midnight Sun" is dark and haunting as female vocal melodies sing softly over top until she starts to sing the words : "Black lights, shattered dreams, broken hope, shadows over my pale face." "The world has casted me out and pushed me down into a darkness where only cold and fear can reach me." "I sink deeper, stumbling through the vast labyrinth of sadness, the track I follow leads me down to an ocean of sorrow and pain." The music is amazing ! In the beginning the guitar grinds away as the drums slowly pound. This song has both female and male vocals. It has calm and very heavy passages throughout. Screaming guitar 6 minutes in. Thunderous drums 9 1/2 minutes in and a minute later. Check out the drumming after 13 minutes.

"My Dark Reflections Of Life And Death" is very spacey to open as guitar comes and goes quietly. It's building as drums join in, until 4 minutes in the riffs hit us. Male vocals a minute later. He's asking questions at this point, longing for the past before all this happened. The lyrics are so depressing as he has just given up. The guitar grinds away powerfully as he sings. A calm 8 1/2 minutes in until we have silence after 10 minutes. It's starting to build until a crushing soundscape with male and female vocals comes in. Very powerful section where he sings "White bewinged angel of the light tempts me to change my life, come, come to me, she whispers, longing eyes, she stares through my soul and mind, wants me to become one with the light." He sings this over and over. Incredible section. Remember Tchort gave himself his name (Tchort) which is Russian for "Devil" or "Black God". Amazing section follows when the female vocals come in at 15 1/2 minutes. "Under Eternal Stars" is doom-like at times, very BLACK SABBATH sounding. I love this song that features female vocal melodies and male vocals. The guitar grinds and the drums sound incredible. I like the way they contrast the heavy passages with the calm ones. Great track.

"Journey To The End Of The Night Pt.1" opens with a cool guitar line. It's blown away a minute in by a distorted, blistering guitar solo as female vocals soar over top. Male vocals join in with drums. The rhythm rampages until after 3 minutes when it calms with a good bass line. Female vocals followed by more great bass. The tempo picks up 10 1/2 minutes to end it as it blends into "Echoes Of despair Pt.2". This is atmospheric and dark as drums build. Great sound ! Awesome song that blends into "End Of Journey? Pt.3". This is heavy and slow with male vocals. More incredible drumming as guitars grind away. The tempo picks up with male vocals 2 minutes in. Contrast continues. Violin late. It blends into "Shattered Pt.4" as Synne comes in singing in an uptempo soundscape. She changes to vocal melodies a minute in. Amazing.

It was worth the wait. Sure this album is not without it's faults, but this is one of those very special recordings that transcends the actual music.