Arena
Pride

THE REVIEW

Majestic.

This is the most suitable term to describe a band like Arena. This group was born in the mid-nineties, thanks to two musical members not new to the musical world. The first is Mick Pointer, already known for being the first drummer of Marillion (see "Script For A Jester's Tear"). The second member is Clive Nolan, who is also the keyboardist of Pendragon.

Not just progressive.

Arena's music is also influenced by other musical genres. In their music, we find elements of operatic music, as demonstrated by some tracks in their musical repertoire. The first track that comes to mind is the extraordinary "Opera Fanatica". This little gem is contained in their latest studio album Pepper's Ghost. A truly magnificent track that highlights the band's originality on a compositional level.

Seven albums in total.

So far, Arena has released albums that are fairly appreciable but also debatable. Personally, I think the most interesting albums are the first two, namely "Songs From The Lion's Cage" and "Pride". Subsequent albums like "The Visitor" and "Immortal?" take a fairly different musical path compared to the debut albums. Especially "Immortal?" differs significantly from the previous records, containing some tracks that sound partly more in a pop style. A little curiosity, Steve Rothery played a solo in the track "Crying for Help III". The track is included in the first album they made.

Pride.

As I mentioned earlier, in my opinion, Pride is one of Arena's most interesting albums. I found this work very experimental, not only musically but also vocally, see tracks like "Crying for Help VII" and "Crying for Help VIII". The first track of the album is called "Welcome To The Cage", a very lively and direct piece that reminds me a lot of the progressive of Genesis. Another noteworthy piece is "Empire Of A Thousand Days", a track introduced by a very dark and cold sound until it ignites in all its majesty, a real gem. Followed by "Crying for Help VI", an instrumental track with medieval tastes, as well as elusive and melancholic. Other important episodes are "Fool's Gold" and "Sirens",  two fully progressive tracks that are more than enjoyable. However, I must say that the album's artwork does not particularly excite me.

Writing a review about this group was necessary.

Enjoy listening.