Norwegian progressive metal veterans Green Carnation have released “The Messiah Complex,” the second single from their upcoming album, A Dark Poem, Part III: The Messiah Complex, due out September 4 via Season of Mist (pre-order).
The release closes the band’s A Dark Poem trilogy, which began with The Shores of Melancholia and continued with Sanguis. According to vocalist Kjetil Nordhus, the final chapter is the band’s strongest work in the series and one of their biggest achievements since 2001’s Light of Day, Day of Darkness.
“The Messiah Complex” explores humanity’s tendency to blame outside forces for its own actions. Bassist and lyricist Stein Roger Sordal said the song reflects on society’s growing dependence on the digital world and the consequences that come with it.
Nordhus also highlighted the track as a standout moment on the album, pointing to its distinct atmosphere while noting it still feels unmistakably like Green Carnation.
The new album culminates with a 16-minute orchestral suite that completes the trilogy’s story. Following the album’s release, Green Carnation will perform the entire A Dark Poem trilogy live for the first and only time at the Kilden Performing Arts Centre in Kristiansand, Norway, on September 12.
Green Carnation also have additional appearances scheduled in Romania and Spain this September, with a performance at Norway’s Karmøygeddon festival set for May 2027.
Green Carnation 2026 + 2027 concerts:
August 1 – Ungarn, Hungary @ Feke Zaj Festival
September 12 – Kristiansand, Norway @ Kilden Performing Arts Centrem#
September 25 – Bucuresti, Romania @ Bucharest Prog Day II
September 26 – Barcelona, Spain @ Be Prog! My Friend
May 1, 2027 – Kopervik, Norway @ Karmøygeddon
#Performing A Dark Poem, Part I-III
Photo by Lars Gunnar Liestøl
