A Jönköping based, Christian outfit with a fondness for Speed guitar influenced Hard Rock. Vocalist Christian Liljegren is ex-BORDERLINE whilst guitarist Carl Johan Grimmark was previously with SENTINEL. Both musicians were also active members of MODEST ATTRACTION, only severing ties officially upon the NARNIA album release. In 1996 MODEST ATTRACTION guitarist Stephan Mohlin bowed just upfront of a German tour and Grimmark was quickly drafted as replacement to fulfil these dates. When Mohlin signalled his departure was permanent Grimmark joined up as a full member. However, during this period the Liljegren / Grimmark axis would be plotting the future of NARNIA.

Although primarily recorded as a duo of Liljegren and Grimmark, NARNIA pulled in further musicians to provide a full band compliment after the album release. Enrolled were former SENTINEL bassist Jakob Persson, keyboard player Martin Claesson and drummer Andreas Johansson. NARNIA's debut album also featured a guest appearance from LOCOMOTIVE BREATH guitarist Janne Stark. The lyrical content of the 'Awakening' debut is sourced heavily from the works of C.J. Lewis.

With the tapes completed NARNIA became the subject of a global bidding war for the band signature. Eventually the group contracted 'Awakening' to the Japanese Pony Canyon label. At this stage MODEST ATTRACTION commitments still kept Liljgren and Grimmark busy on the road in Europe for a further bout of touring. NARNIA meantime, citing a line-up comprising Liljgren and Grimmark with bassist Jakob Persson, keyboard player Martin Claésson and drummer Fredrik Junhammar debuted on the live stage at the Swedish 'Ungkraft' festival in March of 1997. After this show Junhammer made his exit.

'Awakening' was released in the Far East in mid July and Andreas Johansson became the band's new drummer the following month. Shortly after the band took up another label offer from Nuclear Blast to license the album across Europe. The European version of 'Awakening' was delivered in February of 1998. NARNIA geared up for a lengthy bout of touring with support shows to STRATOVARIUS in Finland. NARNIA got to grips with recording a second album 'Long Live The King' that summer and once wrapped the group headed out on a package European tour in alliance with BLACK SYMPHONY and DIO throughout Germany and Switzerland.

1999 proved a reflective year for the band with 'Long Live The King' falling short of the healthy sales achieved by its predecessor. Christian Liljegren and Andreas Johansson took time out to unite with the STORMWIND duo of guitarist Andreas Olsson and keyboard player Per Hallman to forge the WISDOM CALL project for an eponymous album. Grimmark too embarked on a side venture, laying down a version of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN's 'Dark Ages' with singer Pär Hagström for a tribute album and put in a guest appearance on the debut LOCOMOTIVE BREATH album

During 2000 NARNIA regrouped to forge third album 'Desert Land'. The group also made space to cut a rendition of URIAH HEEP's 'Sunrise' for a tribute album. On the live circuit NARNIA criss crossed Europe and performed in England for the first time at the world famous Christian 'Greenbelt' festival. For Dutch gigs MODEST ATTRACTION's Mick Norström acted as temporary stand in. 'Desert Land' was issued just prior to Christmas in Japan and in February 2001 for Europe. The same year Grimmark unveiled plans for a side act billed as SYSTEM BREAKDOWN.

NARNIA, having enlisted bass player called Andreas Olsson of STORMWIND and WISDOM CALL, would spend much of 2002 in preparation for their fourth album 'The Great Fall'. Guest artists contributing in the studio would be Eric Clayton of SAVIOUR MACHINE and HAMMERFALL drummer Anders Johansson. This album would mark the advent of Christian Rivel, the NARNIA frontman having changed his surname since being married. As 2003 dawned NARNIA welcomed onboard former BRIGHTEYE BISON keyboard player Linus KÃ¥se.

In early 2003 Grimmark contributed a guest solo to the ROB ROCK album 'Eyes Of Eternity'. For their gig supporting DIO on 4th July 2003 at VästerÃ¥s, Sweden NARNIA employed the temporary services of PLATITUDE's Andreas Lindahl. Rivel revealed plans for an ambitious solo venture for 2004 entitled AUDIOVISION. This project saw contributions from such Rock alumni as the TALISMAN and ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and AXEL RUDI PELL credited singer JEFF SCOTT SOTO, ex-WHITESNAKE, BLUE MURDER and FIRM bassist TONY FRANKLIN, Mats Levén of KRUX, AT VANCE and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and Mic Michaeli of EUROPE. Besides this venture Rivel would also be working up endeavours with other side activities FLAGSHIP and DIVINEFIRE, the latter a union with Finnish composer and drummer Jani Stefanovic, a veteran of RENASCENT, AM I BLOOD and SINS OF OMISSION.

Carl Johan Grimmark maintained his work ethic by donating his skills to a new SAVIOUR MACHINE album whilst bassist Andreas Olsson committed bass parts to the DIVINEFIRE project. Keyboard player Linus KÃ¥se would be active with both FLAGSHIP and BRIGHTEYE BRISON and drummer Andreas Johansson enrolled into the ranks of E-TYPE.

With Linus KÃ¥se off on honeymoon and Andreas Johansson on the road with E-TYPE until August, a brace of NARNIA gigs in July of 2004 would see PLATITUDE's Andreas Lindahl stepping in as stand in on keyboards and Thomas Weinesjö from VENI DOMINE taking temporary command of the drums. The band confirmed an appearance at the first international 'Revolution Metal Fest' held at the Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City, Mexico on November 20th alongside fellow Christian artists SAVIOUR MACHINE, STRYPER, MORTIFICATION and EXOUSIA.

Both Carljohan Grimmark and Andreas Olsson featured as guest musicians on ROB ROCK's 2005 album 'Holy Hell'. They would also, alongside band colleague Andreas Johansson, join the singer's touring band for European gigs. In August NARNIA announced the parting of ways with keyboard player Linus KÃ¥se, drafting Andreas Lindahl as substitute. Meantime, Christian Rivel, Andreas Olsson and Andreas Johansson toured Japan with DIVINEFIRE in October.

In 2005 the Linus KÃ¥se and Christian Rivel FLAGSHIP album arrived. Musicians employed for the 2005 album 'Maiden Voyage' included BRIGHTEYE BRISON Per Hallman, NARNIA guitarist Carl Johan Grimmark, BRIGHTEYE BRISON bassist Kristofer Eng and drummer Mick Nordström of MODEST ATTRACTION. Notably, the record saw former KANSAS man KERRY LIVGREN donating the track 'Ground Zero', originally included on his 1980 'Seeds Of change' album, and also guesting in the studio.

Carl Johan Grimmark would also feature prominently on the 2006 PLANET ALLIANCE album project mentored by guitarist Magnus Karlsson of LAST TRIBE, MIDNIGHT SUN and STARBREAKER and CLOUDSCAPE vocalist Mike Andersson. Meantime, NARNIA's new album, 'Enter The Gate', would be signed to Germany's Massacre label. On the live front the group supported SONATA ARCTICA on their Swedish dates in April. The band teamed up with an all-Christian package comprising ROB ROCK, MORTIFICATION and EXOUSIA for a South and Central American tour in November 2006 hitting Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Costa Rica. The following month Carl Johan Grimmark joined the ranks of joint German / Norwegian band BEAUTIFUL SIN.

NARNIA in 2007 cut a newly recorded song, 'In His Majesty's Service' originally written and recorded by the Swedish band JERUSALEM in 1985, to be featured on the group's 10th-anniversary compilation album, 'Decade Of Confession', released via Massacre Records.

NARNIA entered the studio to begin recording their sixth album in March 2009, titled 'Course Of A Generation', for a 24th July European release via Massacre Records. The sessions, mixed by Fredrik Nordström and Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman, marked the debut of the band's new lead singer, Germán Pascual, of MIND'S EYE and MENDEZ.