Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness (2001)
2018 marks the 20th anniversary of DPRP publishing album reviews. To celebrate, we have asked several former reviewers and some of the long-standing reviewers to take a look back at the album of one of their own reviews and write an article for in the Archives Of Prog section (now part of the Features section).
Also former team member Mattias Norén helped for the occasion by coming up with the image for this series at the top. Take a look at his website ProgArt Media.
Number seven in in this series has former reviewer Dries Dokter take a look back at one of his highest-rated albums he reviewed - Green Carnation's Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness!
One of the discussions in the DPRP team that kept popping up every now and then, was: "what about the rating, how do I decide a number". We did have a guideline for that which was referred to throughout these discussion, but that would not prevent it from popping up again later on. Most of the times, the discussion sparked again when a 10 out of 10 was handed out. When I was asked to write a piece in this series, I think it was because of those discussions that I thought of revisiting Light Of Day, Day of Darkness by Green Carnation.
Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness was Green Carnation's second outing. And to date, it is still my favourite. It is hard to describe just one reason for that, but catchy and returning melodies, doomy guitars, excellent drum and bass parts, great singing all kept together by a great (single) composition.
Even today I get all enthusiastic about this album. I still stand by my 10 out of 10 rating. In fact even more so, as 10 out of 10 should be given only to "master pieces, albums that will stand the test of time". It is now 14 years after the review (17 years after the release) and I still think it deserves it.
A lot has happened to Green Carnation since 2004. In 2007 the band threw in the towel after a financially failed and poorly organised US tour.
But since 2014, the band has resurfaced (kind of). A reunion in 2014 to experience a second Night Under The Dam performance, and a number of appearances at festivals throughout the world, including Roadburn 2016 and ProgPower USA 2017, where Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness was played in its entirety.
There are still rumours that Green Carnation will eventually release a part 2 of The Chronicles Of Doom (Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness being part 1) but I have come to the point that I only believe that once it is actually released and available.
Until then I will listen to Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness more than a few times. It is still a great album!