Narnia: X | Regaining Lost Ground
(2026 – Narnia)
We’d already had the chance to listen to the entire album thanks to the band’s generosity, and we’d published a brief summary of “X,” the new album from our beloved Swedish band. We’d said that “X” was perhaps among the best work Narnia had produced in recent years, and we weren’t wrong. Now it’s time for a thorough, in-depth listen, with the physical album in hand.
The release of “X” marks Narnia’s tenth studio album—which may explain the title—but 2026 also marks their 30th anniversary, so there are plenty of reasons why “X” is not just another album.
And the truth is, “X” is not just another album. It’s possibly Narnia’s best album since that brief hiatus between 2010 and 2014, and that’s due to the intensity and power inherent in every song. In fact, “X” feels like a sort of compilation of Narnia’s best moments, highlighted in 10 well-balanced and powerful tracks, always staying true to that Hard Rock/Neoclassical Metal style to which Narnia has put its own unique stamp.
An interesting detail about “X” is that, although Christian Liljegren remains the band’s lead vocalist, this time it was CJ Grimmark and Jono Samuelsson’s turn to shine as singers; they each contributed their own unique touch to the vocal variety—a major strength of the album—and brought a dose of innovation to a band whose trademark sound is defined by Liljegren.
This new Narnia album proves to be powerful, energetic, and brimming with intensity in every song, featuring memorable choruses and a musical arrangement that’s more than just interesting—it breathes new life into the band’s familiar style. In fact, this becomes clear right from the first track, “Like A Thief In The Night”—a powerful anthem in true Narnia style that evokes their early days and brings them back in line with their long-standing legacy.
We’d already had the chance to hear “Oceanwide,” the second track, prior to the release of “X,” since it was the lead single and Narnia had already been performing it live. The result is another powerful showcase of Narnia, conveying the energy that had been lost along the way on “Ghost Town.” Clearly, on this new album, the band has managed to reclaim their signature sound, and “Heaven’s Calling” is yet another prime example of this, with its abundance of clever riffs and melodic lines that take Narnia into progressive territory.
“Walk On Water” is a kind of melodic hard rock—one of the genres that has always defined Narnia’s sound, rooted in the distant ’70s but presented here in an updated and stylized version— and in between we have “God Under Fire,” a mid-tempo track featuring CJ Grimmark on vocals alongside Christian Liljegren—one of the most notable changes in Narnia—in a song with interesting compositional structures and deeply introspective guitar solos.
And then, like a bolt of lightning, comes the fast and furious “Remedy (SOS),” with hints of power metal and featuring Jono Samuelsson’s vocal debut, sharing vocal duties with Liljegren, followed by the magnificent “Jerusalem,” another example of how well Narnia handles the melodic side of things in a sort of classic hard rock style, with Samuelsson once again at the microphone. Maintaining the same vibe, speed, and intensity, “Every Breath” makes its appearance, featuring precise and direct riffs that lean more toward rock ’n’ roll than anything else.
“The War That Tore The Land” is one of Narnia’s greatest anthems; featured on the excellent 2019 album From Darkness To Light, it finds a sort of “reprise” or second part here, in a fully instrumental version with an impressive guitar solo by CJ Grimmark, which provides a beautiful backdrop to what is undoubtedly one of Narnia’s best tracks.
And finally, “X” arrives with yet another standout track. We’re talking about “The Man From Nazareth Pt. II,” which serves as a sort of continuation of that beautiful piece found on the 2006 album “Enter The Gate”—that is, 20 years later. This second part of the already well-known track delves into Narnia’s most experimental, progressive, and atmospheric side, and it’s where the band best showcases its great musical mastery. With CJ Grimmark sharing vocal duties with Christian Liljegren once again, the closing track of “X” becomes the missing piece—with its melodic notes and slow, precise tempo—that transforms it into a kind of anthem worthy of closing an album that, in our opinion, stands as one of Narnia’s finest achievements in recent years.
It’s true, “Ghost Town” left us with a bit of a bad taste in our mouths, but with “X,” Narnia is definitely returning to its roots and blowing us away with an album that undoubtedly deserves to be among the best of the year, featuring songs that are direct, powerful, and unpretentious. It lives up to the band’s rich history and, in the process, delivers an album with varied content, bearing the band’s signature style and production that’s every bit as good as the band deserves.
The inclusion of Jono Samuelsson and CJ Grimmark on vocals brings that touch of originality and renewal the band needed, adding a new dimension to the vocal tones. It’s a bold move—and a huge success at the same time.
The entire album was recorded at “The Lighthouse” studios in Norway and “JONO Studios” in Sweden, fully produced and mixed by CJ Grimmark and Anders Köllerfors, and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson, resulting in an interesting sound that highlights the interplay between the guitars, the band’s rhythm section, and the orchestration provided by the keyboards. The percussion hits hard, and the resulting sound comes across as powerful and very direct, without excessive technological intervention—just as it should be.
The album artwork may not be the standout feature, considering that Narnia has many excellent covers to its credit and that, for several albums now, they’ve stopped including the famous lion Aslan. In this case, the concept is a clock striking twelve—not very original—but I do want to highlight the interior design of the booklet, which features the lyrics and excellent photographs of the band in full view. The quality is undeniable, especially considering that this is, after all, an independent production; incidentally, in addition to the CD edition, it also comes in a vinyl version. Kudos for that decision.
Narnia made their move, got a head start, and released their new album in the first half of the year. An album that marks, as we’ve already mentioned, their tenth studio album and 30 years as a band. “X” proves to be worthy of such milestones, and without a doubt, it’s an album that shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Here’s the official music video for “Jerusalem,” which the band just released recently to promote “X,” and, of course, Narnia’s social media handles so you can follow them and stay up to date on their news…
https://www.facebook.com/narniatheband
https://www.instagram.com/narniatheband
