Well, if you've ever considered buying a Narnia CD and you haven't yet, this would certainly be the best time to act on that consideration. I myself have always hesitated about purchasing a Narnia release. Why...I don't know. But after hearing many wonderful things about their new release "Desert Land" I had to see what all the buzz was about. Now I've heard some of their material from "Long Live the King" and "Awakening" and this disc is much, much better. The overall sound is much heavier. Just about everything I could say about "Desert Land" is positive. The production is terrific. The artwork is very eye-appealing. The layout and band photos are very professional. The music is nothing short of amazing. The vocals are superb. The lyrics are very bold, but in a creative sort-of way. Man, this band is just awesome! This is definitely one of the best Christian music releases this year. Heck, one of the best in the last five years. For those not familiar at all with Narnia, they play classic/power metal with great clean metal vocals. They play '80's styled metal, but they in no way sound dated. Every song is top notch, but my favorites would have to be "Trapped in this Age" and "Revolution of Mother Earth". "Trapped in this Age" is a slower paced song, but is very heavy. There is a breath-taking guitar solo here with a very emotional ending that cries out to God over and over. It clocks in at over 9 minutes! "Revolution of Mother Earth" is a killer ballad that I can't get enough of. The piano is very beautiful and calming, and like every song on the disc, guitarist Carl Johan Grimmark amazes us with his terrific guitar solos. He does amazing solos while still sounding like it should be part of the song. For those who like the faster Narnia songs like "Living Water" off their last release, the band keeps you happy with barn-burners like "The Witch & The Lion", "Walking the Wire", and "Inner Sanctum". There are also two great instrumentals here as well.
Well, I've praised and praised and by golly, I can't think of anything negative to say. This release is a must for anyone into classic/power metal. And if you are not into that style, it's high time you go out and buy yourself a Narnia CD. (Review by Matt)
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