How it took so long for a Euro power metal band to churn out a Christmas themed-album I’ll never know, but Majestica knock it out of the park with A Christmas Carol. Destined to be a new Christmas classic, the band led by Sabaton guitarist Tommy Johansson take listeners on a journey through the timeless tale starring that curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge.

Nothing grouchy about the music on A Christmas Carol though as melodies from traditional Christmas hymns are interspersed throughout the nine selections. It is fun hearing them cranked through double bass drumming as Majestica does a brilliant job with storytelling and most importantly, making the songs memorable! Instruments connected with the holiday are used intermittently like bells and xylophones and it melds tremendously with the bright power metal backdrop. The vocal melodies and choruses are like a burst of holiday cheer especially in the gliding “Ghost Of Christmas Past” and the raucous “Ghost Of Marley”. Johansson keeps his vocals mostly at a mid-range rather than soaring in the higher register and it was a smart decision to take this route. The blustery tone that at times mixes with Alex Oriz melds terrifically within the subject matter of the story. “The Joy Of Christmas” mixes things up as it comes as a piano-led ballad and it is delivered with heartfelt emotion and would fit perfectly on a Trans-Siberian Orchestra record. “Ghost Of A Christmas Present” has the bounce and vehement vocals that sound as if Sabaton and Rhapsody Of Fire combined to make a holiday tune. Kept at a crisp 41 minutes, the instrumental ending, “A Majestic Christmas Theme”, reprises some of the main parts of the nine tracks, serving as reminder of the lessons that Scrooge learned on his adventure. If you love Christmas and love power metal; then you’ll love this!