Narnia

Biography

With so many heavy metal bands traipsing off to Tolkien's Middle Earth for mystical yarns with which to inspire their music, Sweden's Narnia chose the significantly less referenced but nearly as timeless works of C.S. Lewis instead, and not at all flippantly, since they share their Christian beliefs with that author. Musically, Narnia's personal "quest" consists of delivering a speedy and highly melodic style of heavy rock, adorned with progressive, neoclassical, and power metal tendencies, and was introduced to fans via 1998's Awakening album. Recorded by the founding duo of vocalist Christian Liljegren (ex-Borderline) and guitarist Carljohan Grimmark (ex-Sentinel) with the help of session musicians, the LP achieved a surprising popularity that quickly convinced the two men that they should flesh out Narnia into a proper working band. So they added keyboardist Martin Claésson, bassist Jakob Persson, and drummer Fredrik Junhammar for subsequent LPs like 1999's Long Live the King, 2001's Desert Land, and 2003's The Great Fall -- all of which were released through Nuclear Blast Records and featured a lion on their covers, in reference to the Aslan character in Lewis' books. All the while, the band steadily built its following on the road, despite having to share time with Liljegren and Grimmark's multiple side projects, but the years would nevertheless stretch out until Narnia's next album, Enter the Gate, which saw them transferring to Massacre Records. Now making do without the services of a full-time keyboard player and armed with a new bassist in Andreas Olsson, Narnia once again headed out on the road, including an all-Christian package also featuring Rob Rock, Mortification, and Exousia that toured South and Central America in November 2006. But when Narnia embarked on yet another extended break prior to recording their next album, their wandering eyes for side projects would finally come back to haunt them, when founding vocalist Liljegren decided it was time to leave the group. The remaining bandmembers chose to carry on regardless, however, eventually connecting with singer Germán Pascual (also of Mind's Eye) for the recording of 2009's Course of a Generation album -- their sixth overall and first to do without a lion on the cover, perhaps as a sign that a new era was dawning for the group, although its Christian-based fantasy themes remained intact. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide