Narnia - Long Live The King (1999)
This is classic power metal at its finest. Fresh off their European tour opening for Ronnie James Dio ('99 tour) Narnia is back with their sophomore release. "Long Live the King" sees this Swedish metal band going for a more "accessible" sound yet not forsaking the blazing fretwork that guitarist Carljohan Grimmark has quickly became noted for. Grimmark's playing can only be compared (in my book anyway) to classically influenced shredders like Malmsteen and Impellitteri. The vocals however are nowhere near Rob Rock (from Impellitteri) quality but are strong and quite suitable for this style of music. The songs are catchy and mostly mid-paced. Lyrically this a solid and bold cd. Recommended for fans of bands like Balance of Power, Impellitteri, and Veni Domine. -- Review by Norm