THE VISITOR

Arena's kickoff as a relevant group inside the neo-progressive genre was due to the release of The Visitor, their third album.

It is pervaded with an obscure melancholy because of the constant death references. This topic is ideal for slow-paced songs fraught with deep emotions. That is the case of Hanging Tree, the album's ever-lasting paragon; or the hurting Tears in the Rain, which consists of a flawless blend of keyboards and guitars.

The guitar work of John Michell, a recently added member of Arena at that time, is astonishing: he stands out in the instrumental bits of Elea and Serenity, as well as in The Visitor's final solo, whose style is influenced by David Gilmour.

The rest of the songs keep a considerably good level, like in the case of A Crack in the Ice or the dynamics Pins and Needles and Double Vision. Maybe Enemy Without is the only dissonant part of the album due to its light sound: it doesn't add much to The Visitor, but it also doesn't decrease the album's quality as a whole.

Without a doubt, The Visitor is one of the best productions of the magnificent group formed by Clive Nolan and Mick Pointer.