Narnia is a melodic power metal band from Sweden founded in 1996 by guitarist CJ Grimmark and vocalist Christian Liljegren (Audiovision, Christian Liljegren (solo), DivineFire, Flames Of Fire, Golden Resurrection, The Waymaker). Across a nearly three-decade career, the band have released nine albums, emerging from Sweden during the nineties along with the likes of Evergrey, HammerFall, and In Flames, establishing themselves as one of Europe’s best melodic metal bands. ‘Ghost Town’ is Narnia‘s ninth album and was released in 2023.
Featuring ten songs across forty-seven minutes, the new album showcases the band’s varied approach to metal.
I say varied because there are elements of power, progressive, and traditional heavy metal blended into the band’s root melodic sound – ‘Rebel’ launching the album with an intro that reminds me a little of the theme tune to the eighties American military drama Airwolf! And as a teenager during the eighties, Airwolf was a favourite TV show of mine – but back to the present day, and Narnia, ‘Ghost Town’, ‘Rebel’, a heavy-hitting opener that grabs your attention and never lets go. The band, effortlessly turning heads, are in fine form…
…the album marches on with the more bustling ‘Thief’, and a moodier, meaner feel than ‘Rebel’. Yet Narnia still displays a very strong melodious intent, especially when ‘Thief’ picks up the energy level and parades a head-held high attitude. The blending of styles is seamless, the band masters of melodic metal, ‘Hold On’ moving forth with a hard rocking power-driven foot stomping and infectious, err, foot stomp! And I defy anyone to not be tapping their feet right now – ‘Hold On’ that forceful it can tap your feet and nod your head without you even knowing it! Great stuff from the Swedish outfit. With an injection of pace, ‘Glory Daze’ thunders forward with a glorious gallop echoing the sound and feel of “foot on the monitor” traditional heavy metal. And the chorus so sings a long able too – a cracking in-concert moment for sure. As long as the band perform this one live!
Keeping with the feel of traditional metal, Narnia stride on with the mellowest song so far – ‘Decension’ a hymn-like swagger of progressive tendencies and old-school majesty! The chorus-like all other choruses on offer – is a highly melodious affair and so singable too! The title song ‘Ghost Town’ is the heaviest song heard so far, thundering on at a head-bang-able friendly pace. With an infectious level that’s just rocketed off the charts!
The phenomenally melodious intent of the band is incredible, unbroken and unbowed from song to song. ‘Arise’ returns the heavy-hitting stomp from earlier – but with added oomph! The ground is gonna be shaking and walls crumbling as ‘Arise’ strides on by. So grab hold of something sturdy to steady yourself – it’s gonna get rocky!
And the power-driven stomp returns too – more emphatic and dynamic in the shape of ‘Modern Day Pharisees’. You can just feel the reined-in power as the band stifle an all-out gallop in favour of a mid-paced stroll. Narnia enter the realms of balladry with ‘Out Of The Silence’ and a more soulful vocal delivery than heard anywhere else on the album – and all with a bold hymn-like nature too! And mid-song, there is a chilling rendition of the Lord’s Prayer, narrated by Saviour Machine frontman Eric Clayton – with the atmosphere dropping to freezing as ‘Out Of The Silence’ plays out! The album’s final hurrah, ‘Wake Up Call’ roars into life, rocketing forth with an immense amount of energy, adopting a more sedate pace as it gets going – the band’s progressive leanings taking over. The blistering pace does return, though, the band changing gears a few more times before the song ends.
Overall, a heavy-hitting hard, rocking album of melodic metal with sky-high levels of energy and infectiousness.
TRACKLIST
Rebel
Thief
Hold On
Glory Daze
Descension
Ghost Town
Alive
Modern Day Pharisees
Out Of The Silence
Wake Up Call
Narnia: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: NARNIA SONGS
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
