Narnia - Enter The Gate
Narnia, ain’t that? Yes, it actually is the name of a movie being promoted in the media too much. But, for those of you who think this band tries to get a bite of the film, I’d like to mention that ‘Enter The Gate’ is actually the fifth studio album in ten years of existence. I was familiar with their first record ‘Awakening’ while putting the other ones aside after only a few sessions.
And to be honest, the same goes up for ‘Enter The Gate’. Although I really cherish a band that’s been going on for ten years with an album every two years, I think Narnia just seems to be incapable of making a whole decent record. The opening song ‘Into The Game’ is a good opener with the emphasis of strong power metal songs, accentuating the strongest link in the form of the vocals by Rivel in a promising and varying way. But afterwards, the songs seem to be either pretty good or dull.
Whereas the vocals in the opening track are great, they seem to be struggling in ‘Another World’, not really singing at all but some sort of screaming instead. The ballad ‘Tale Me Home’ seems to be endless (in the negative way) making it clear that again, Narnia was not able to create a fine full-length album.
Still, mentioning the negative parts without naming the well worked out title track and ‘Show All The World’ as being nice progressive power songs would be unfair. There is thus proof that the band is able to create some good material, especially the choruses have the potential to stick in your head for a little while.
Maybe Narnia is a typical single band, being an act of which you only want to hear the three best songs of each record. Because, having experienced this for the third or fourth time in a row, fans will ask themselves whether they should buy the whole album instead of focusing on the single tracks.
58/1001Details Massacre Records
Released on Friday Apr 21st, 2006
Power Metal
Writer @CarpeSiem on Wednesday May 10th, 2006
Tags: #Narnia
Tracklisting
1. Into this game
2. People of the bloodred cross
3. Another world
4. Show all the world
5. Enter the gate
6. Take me home
7. This is my life
8. Aiming higher
9. The man from Nazareth
2. People of the bloodred cross
3. Another world
4. Show all the world
5. Enter the gate
6. Take me home
7. This is my life
8. Aiming higher
9. The man from Nazareth
Line up
Christian Rivel: Vocals, Additional backing vocals
Carl Johan Grimmark: Guitars, Lap Steel, Keyboards, Background Vocals
Andreas Olsson: Bass
Andreas Johansson: Drums, Triangle
Carl Johan Grimmark: Guitars, Lap Steel, Keyboards, Background Vocals
Andreas Olsson: Bass
Andreas Johansson: Drums, Triangle