(Neoclassical Power Metal) Narnia - Awakening (Japanese Edition) - 1997, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Narnia are mostly a throwback in terms of sound, they've had their share of evolution since this debut, but ultimately this band is the closest and purest example of a band that has followed the standard first set by Malmsteen's Rising Force. They don't dabble in symphonic sounds as Rhapsody does, they avoid the progressive genre mixing of Magic Kingdom, but they also largely avoid the blues/rock influences in much of Yngwie's later material. What results is a concentrated re-visitation of what is heard in the mid to late 80s or classic era of Rising Force.

Although stylistically there isn't really much original going on here, the execution is near flawless. Carljohan Grimmark's approach to soloing makes use of the same neo-classical tools that Ygnwie is known to employ, though the execution is a bit more reserved, and comes across as more of a storyteller than an impresario. His solos are showy enough, but methodically structured and tend to be shorter than the famed Rising Force axe man. Likewise, the riff approach of many of these songs tends to be somewhat derivative, though very well realized and memorable.

The truly distinctive factor in Narnia's sound, aside from the Christian themes, is the squeaky clean vocals put forth by Christian Liljegren. He is often derided for lacking power, but this mostly owes to people being used to sleazy approaches to vocals going with this style such as Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner and Michael Vescara. There aren't many vocalists who just simply put forth a classical tenor range with no grit or grime, not to mention the sometimes over-the-top vocal acrobatic the way Michael Kiske and Bruce Dickinson are known for, but in this particular case it works.

Looking for that one standout track on here is a bit difficult because it is a very consistent listen, but there is some noticeable variation for those looking for different aspects of the power metal sound. Shred fans will obviously go for the well realized hybrid instrumental homage to Yngwie's "Trilogy Suite" and "Little Savage", aptly titled "The Return Of Aslan" as its sense of triumph matches the event in the first book in the C.S. Lewis series perfectly. Fans of catchy speed metal will like the opener "Break The Chains", while fans of melodic hooks and powerful choruses will enjoy "No More Shadows From The Past" and "Touch From You". Even the most unoriginal song on here "Heavenly Love", which is about as close to sounding like "Dreaming" from the "Odyssey" as you can get without getting sued (complete with the bass and classical guitar noodling during the ending fade out), is an enjoyable listen.

As far as Narnia's total catalog goes, this is as good as it gets. It has a crisp production and a consistent approach to songwriting that will sit well with old guard Yngwie fans who didn't like the changes that began occurring on "Eclipse". It's only slightly better than "Long Live The King", which has virtually the exact same sound and influences but is slightly inferior in the execution department. "Awakening" can be best summed up as a familiar place to return to, it's predictable, but it never fails to deliver on those few occasions where I do break it out again.

Christian Liljegren - lead & backing vocals
Carljohan Grimmark - electric, acoustic & bass guitars, keyboards, backing & lead vocals, drums & programming
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Janne "Metal Warrior" Stark - guitar on 2
Janne Samefors - backing vocals on 5
Jake - bass on 8
Mart Hallek - violin on 8
Stefan Selvander - all guitars on 9
Richard Eriksson - keyboards on 9
Simeon Liljegren - bass & backing vocals on 9
Per Selvander - drums & backing vocals on 9
Mick Nordstroem - backing vocals on 9