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Melodic Passion

    
       
       
       
     
             
Christian Liljegren is a metal & rock artist from Sweden, probably best known as the vocalist for Swedish power metal band Narnia. In a career spanning more than three decades, Christian has also fronted Trinity, Wisdom Call, DivineFire, 7dats, and Golden Resurrection, and is the current vocalist for Audiovision and The Waymaker. 'Melodic Passion' is the debut offering from Christian as a solo artist, and was released in 2021.    
             
Featuring musical inspiration from the hard rock, heavy metal, AOR, blues, and classic rock styles of music, 'Melodic Passion' is quite literally, a passion filled melodic rock album. Ten songs span a fifty minute play time, with the title song 'Melodic Passion', a sprightly and infectious opening salvo. The galloping rhythm is akin to the free flowing melodic rock genre. Add a catchy and memorable style chorus, 'Melodic Passion' (the album) is up and running. Bringing a touch of the atmospheric and fantastical feel of mid tempo symphonic power metal, 'Salute For The King' is a heavy hitting and bold march of melodic metal. Both hard rock and heavy metal fans will be attracted by this one. And keeping the foot tapping pace alive, 'The Rock' injects more energy and sizzle, as it swaggers majestically on. The rock and metal communities have a new melodic album to bridge the gap between them.    
             
Unsurprisingly, 'This Is My Love Song' takes the listener into ballad territory, via a whole load of mellowness and acoustic aural delight. A much more soulful vocal performance than has been heard so far, 'This Is My Love Song' is a highly emotional ballad. By stark contrast, 'The Victory' heavy's things up a bit, well quite a bit actually, marching on at a mid tempo foot stomping pace. Get your neck muscles warmed up, this is an opportunity for hard head nodding. 'Dead Or Alive' takes a massive swerve toward ballad territory with its mellow and highly soulful start - slowly building the tension, and then exploding into a heavily blues inspired swagger. The bouncy and "get up and dance" feel is overwhelming, with visions of saw dust covered floors in bars a mass of people shaking their booty to a party rock song.    
             
At over eight minutes in length, 'I Breathe' is the longest song on the album, and sees us back in the land of ballads - with the lights turned down low, and slow dancing the order of the evening. As 'I Breathe' progresses, it becomes much more epic, with a knife edged tension to thrill the senses. And talking of thrilling the senses, 'History' swaggers into the arena of the late, great Ronnie James Dio, and his hugely epic and atmospheric style of mid tempo majestic metal. Enough said! Moving once more to the land of mellow and chill, 'Third Day' is the most soulfully sung song yet - and lyrically, it surrounds the resurrection of Christ. And at just over two minutes in length, is also the shortest song on offer. The album is brought to a close with the operatic thunder of 'My King', a hymn-like symphonic rock offering, with the most soaring vocal performance of the entire album.    
             
Overall, a mix of styles from rock to metal, AOR to classic rock, ballad to blues, there is something here for every rock and metal fan.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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