5/5

Fate is back - and with a vengeance! I kindda like when things are not what they "used to be"... and the band is surely not what they used to be! Thank God for evolution!!!
Fate anno 2006 features Peter Steincke as only original member, but Per Johansson (aka Henriksen) was also vocalist on "Scratch'n Sniff", guitarist Søren Hoff was involved with the band around 1992 on several demoes only really "new" member is Micke Kvist from Sweden. But this four-some combined with the tight production by Tommy Hansen in the Jailhouse Studios is a very explosive cocktail.
The whole CD is far more innovative and daring than any of its predecessors. Tracks like "Nobody loves you the way I do" with its ballad-esque attitude but a real rocker under the surface really shows the potential of Per's voice from the almost growling and talking to some high pitched multi-layered choir work - simply great! Not to mention "Burned child" with the nice keyboard intro and smooth bridge combined with slick guitar work and a catching verse it is also a memorable track - the one track that mostly reminds me of the "good ole days" is "Everything about you" especially the intro could be from around 1990 - but the guitar work is simply clever! But the album is not listened to unless you have heard the track "I'll get by" at least twice - this is absolutely my favorite - a great intro followed by som catchy verses and exploding with the screaming chorus and the blizzering guitar solo. Nice....
As you might have guessed i'm very impressed by these 4 guys as they have walked the thin ice and given us (at least me) some unexpected music and attitude - keep up the good work and let's put the melodic rock from Denmark on the map for its innovation and dareness!

3/5

Narnia has the two main things that help characterize a good band - power and authenticity! These four musical wizzards from Sweden led by charismatic record label owner Christian Rivel (Rivel Records) and supported by guitar ace Carl Johan Grimmark (Savior Machine), bassist Andreas Olsson (Divinefire) and drummer Andreas Johansson simply combines the best of the melodic rock, the metal and the prog scene in one attractive blend!
The band Narnia was born back in 1996 in the ashes of melodic rock outfit Modest Attraction - and Rivels had very exact plans for the sound and attitude of the band... as you may figure - according to the name and so on - this band is as BIG as its gets! A top class production, with high class musicianship, a lot of power, mythology and fairytales, experience playing with Dio, Stratovarius, Judas priest and Europe it cant go that wrong. And tracks like the epic "Take me home" is absolutely outstanding - very bombastic, but as in a good opera with some dramatic highlights. But also opener "Into The Game" is great
All in all a very dramatic record with a lot of highlights -if you are into the more theatrical melodic metal as in Evil Masquerade or so - this will absolutely be right up your alley! BUY BUY...

4/5

Danish prog rock outfit Beyond Twilight is first and foremost the brainchild of keyboard wizzard Finn Zierler - but on this third album under this moniker (debut "The Devil's Hall of fame" from 2001 and "Section X" from 2005) the overall feeling is that it is now a band thing more than a single man's project. The tracks are even more dramatic, more progressive and more rough than anything they did before - just listen to the whole concept from the following press material "... one of the most unique pieces of music in history of metal. One ongoing composition containing 43 sections. The sections are all pieces of a puzzle you, the listener can put together to find the secrets of this master piece. The album have a meaning from start to end but if you set your CD player on shuffle new doors to the meaning of the album will open for you".
The core of the band is as mentioned Finn Zierler, who played in the band Twilight with guitar player Anders Exo Kragh supplied with drummer Thomas Fredén - on this album thay have changed American vocalist Kelly Sundown Carpenter with Swede Björn Jansson from Tears Of Anger but as on the former record guitarist Jacob Hansen from Danish metal mentors Invocator is with on board supplied with bassist Anders Devillian Lindgren.
This is the biggest sound ever... from Beyond Twilight and produced and mixed by Zierler himself and Tommy Hansen in the Jailhouse Studios this is a very exciting release.
To give this record a nice visual expression, too the cover art work by Mathias Norén at Progart is outstanding. Dark and dramatic like the rest of it!
It is hard to point out individual tracks - you should really listen to the whole package in one unbroken piece (and on shuffle - perhaps) and enjoy! You can get support on the bands website... i had to! This is avery challenging piece of art!?