The Visitor ARENA |
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Arena are : " This is not my time I'm not ready Yet" The next track is 'Pins And Needles', this is a lot softer than the first track and more emotional. There's a nice interaction between keyboards and guitar. The third track is 'Double Vision', a heavier track with some great keyboards, super drums and a stunning guitar solo. The next track is 'Elea' an instrumental track with some nice keyboards, an acoustic guitar playing softly in the background. There's also a superb Dave Gilmourish guitar solo. 'The Hanging Tree' starts with an acoustic guitar with some haunting keyboards being played in the background, Paul's vocals are soft. Lots of changes in mood , direction and tempo on this track. This track has a nice melody and there's another Pink Floyd/Dave Gilmour sounding guitar solo from John. ( Sounds a bit like In The Flesh/ Comfortably Numb). The sixth track is 'A State Of Grace' which is another heavier track with a nice melody. Great guitar and has a very catchy chorus. Don't look for comfort In this house of mine Don't ask for mercy At my image or my shrine Don't look for comfort In this house of mine Don't break the Holy bread Or drink the Holy wine Don't seek foregiveness At this house of mine Don't build a temple here And wait for me To walk into the fire The fire, the fire The next track is 'Blood Red Room', which has some haunting, spacey type keyboards. The words are spoken on this track. 'In The Blink Of An Eye', which starts with with some great keyboards. There are some nice changes in direction, mood and tempo and quite a catchy song. Great guitar and more superb keyboards. Track nine is '(Don't forget to ) Breathe', starts with a distorted guitar and distorted drum sound, when the vocals start the tune reminds me a little of a slower version of The Lovin Spoonful's 'Summer In The City' The next track 'Serenity', is more of a pink Floyd style track, similar to the start of Shine On you Crazy Diamond or Sorrow, nevertheless it is still an excellent track. 'Tears In The Rain', a beautiful ballad starts with some excellent piano. Paul's vocals are soft and emotional. Excellent guitar solo from John in the middle. The track finishes with a haunting keyboard and the sounds of flowing water. Track twelve 'Enemy Without', the keyboards carry on from the last track for about 30 seconds before the whole band comes back into a superb track. Great melody, another very tune and catchy chorus. No! Don't let the child die here
Don't let the child die here Don't let his life just fade away Don't let the child die...
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ARENA |
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Arena consists of Paul
Wrightson on Vocals, John Mitchell on Guitars, Clive
Nolan on Keyboards of Pendragon, Shadowland, Stranger on a Train
and Casino, John Jowitt on Bass when not playing with IQ, and
Mick Pointer who used to be with Marillion.
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Breakfast In BiarritzARENA |
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Musicians: Rob Sowden
- Vocals Track list 1. Moviedrome
(21.57) Track list 1. Chosen (6.33) This is Arena's seventh release all in all, and it's their second live album. While their first live album "Welcome To The Stage" (1997) was focused on their first two studio albums, their newly released live album "Breakfast In Biarritz" is focused on their newest albums "The Visitor" (1998) and "Immortal?" (2000). "Breakfast in Biarritz" was recorded at the "Paradiso", Amsterdam, Holland on Tuesday 17th October 2000 during the European leg of the "Immortal Tour". The guitarist John Mitchell is truly amazing, and together with the keyboard wizardry of Clive Nolan, he's the brightest shining star in the band. Rob Sowden became the new vocalist in Arena on their most recent studio album "Immortal?" Although I preferred Paul Wrightson's vocals I have to admit that Rob is doing a great job here. Besides the music, there are many things that make this album worth buying: The sound quality is very good for being a live album. The talented Mattias Norén has magnificently designed the artwork as well as the 16 page CD- booklet. There's also a special limited edition package containing a full length CD with three extra tracks and a multimedia section with over 30 minutes of live footage, the history of Arena, interviews with all members of the band and much more. It was originally made for French Television. The quality of the footage is very good, and it's probably the longest multimedia section ever on an enhanced audio CD. As a live album this isn't a necessarily release but the multimedia section makes it definitely worth buying. This is perhaps mostly for the die-hard fans, but it's also a good introduction to the new Arena at the time of the "Immortal?" album. Released by Verglas
Music (VERGLAS VGCD021) Reviewer: Greger Rönnqvist greger.ronnqvist@infodata.sema.se Discography:
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“Immortal?”ARENA |
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Extremely imaginative and innovative Progressive-Rock that makes full use of modern technology but doesn’t forsake the complexities of the genre’s trailblazers. Arena sets out on its nearly hour long journey with, of all things, a very Hip-Hop sounding beat that quickly folds into a full frontal Progressive attack that is unique to itself yet understandable with a comparison to QUEENSRYCHE not at all out of place. From this point on to the end there will be guitars that dip and soar above, under and around and rhythmic base that allows for ample fist pumping and head shaking. Quite moving indeed. There is an overload of technical proficiency amongst ARENA’s players, Rob Sowden – vocals, John Mitchell – guitars, Clive Nolan – keys, Ian Salmon – bass and Mick Pointer – drums, but the musicianship is all in service to the individual songs, there being only seven of so that Prog-Rock convention is also maintained here. Though this is a nearly perfectly complete album there is a moment or two when the music does come dangerously close to others works for instance, if that isn’t exactly the same guitar line in “Waiting for the Flood” that Queensryche used in their “Silent Lucidity” it is still too close. Other than that what you have here is a brilliant record that by itself brings Progressive-Rock extravagance within the reach of today’s Attention Deficit Disorder addled music public. Released by InsideOut
Music. Review by David Lee |
