NARNIA – Ghost Town

Ghost Town is the ninth studio album by Swedish Metal band Narnia. It is the follow-up to their previous studio release, From Darkness to Light, which came out in 2019. Ghost Town was produced and mastered by guitarist CJ Grimmark, and mixed by Narnia’s sound engineer Viktor Stenquist. The album will be released to the public on March 17, 2023.

One Epic Journey

First of all, the band got their name from The Chronicles of Narnia novel series by C.S. Lewis, so there’s definitely a dramatic element to Narnia’s sound. They are a mix of Progressive Metal, Power Metal, Melodic Rock, and Christian Metal. Rock music and Christian music may seem like an odd pair, but they work well together. The music is heavy, and the lyrics are uplifting and hopeful.

“Different songs will appeal to different people lyrically, but we cover a variety of topics throughout the album, and I’m sure people will be able to relate to them, both musically and spiritually. Some of these songs stand out a bit from our previous repertoire, but without abandoning our historical influences,” said vocalist Christian Liljegren.

Narnia is more than just a straight up Metal band and the songs prove it. “Hold On” sounds like a long lost ‘80s Melodic Rock classic with its colorful keyboard parts, pounding drums, and a bright sounding guitar riff. “Wake Up Call” and “Alive” have the potential to be major concert staples with their big anthemic choruses. “Descension” is an epic Progressive Metal track with an eerie keyboard melody, powerful vocals, and atmospheric guitar playing. There are also headbangers like “Glory Daze” and the title track.

Final Assessment

Ghost Town is just as rocking as it is spiritual. Whether it’s due to the modern production, the lyrics, or the musicianship, the album is a breath of fresh air in a world with so much darkness and hate.

Album Tracklist

1. Rebel
2. Thief
3. Hold On
4. Glory Daze
5. Descension
6. Ghost Town
7. Alive
8. Modern Day Pharisees
9. Out of the Silence
10. Wake Up Call

Band Lineup

Chrisitan Liljegren – lead vocals
CJ Grimmark – guitars and backing vocals
Jonatan “Jono” Samuelsson – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals
Martin Härenstam – keyboards
Andreas “Habo” Johansson – drums