Narnia’s 3rd release< Desert Land, finds the band settling very comfortably in the classically influenced arena alongside fellow Swede Yngwie Malmsteen. However, Narnia appears to be a totally cohesive band effort as opposed to an individual solo project. Desert Land is a relentless heavy metal romp with blazing guitars, catchy songs and great vocals.
The big difference with Narnia over many other European metal bands is the lack of an early Helloween influence. Christian Liljegren vocals on “The Witch And The Lion” are intense and very complimentary of the fascinating fretwork of guitarist Carljohan Grimmark. “Walking On The Wire” has a definite Malmsteen feel in terms of songwriting and style. However, that is not to say that Narnia lacks originality or feel. Closing track “Trapped In This Age” is an epic 9 1/2 track that gradually builds momentum and finishes the album on a most powerful note.. There is also a bit of a late 70′s influence to the songs ranging from Black Sabbath (Dio era) to Rainbow.
Desert Land is a great diversion for fans of classical heavy metal who are not big fans of the progressive or power metal genres.