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rod65 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Arena Appreciation Thread
    Posted: November 18 2010 at 22:56
I am a little surprised to find that so far, no one has started an Arena appreciation thread. With the band having re-formed after a fairly long hiatus for both a tour and a new album (The Tinder Box), now seems like a good time. To get things started, I'll pose a simple question. An obvious one, given the recent announcement of Paul Manzi as the new lead vocalist, is this:

Who is your favourite Arena vocalist so far?

1. John Carson
2. Paul Wrightson
3. Rob Sowden

Personally, while all of the band's vocalists so far have been excellent, I have to go with Rob Sowden, but it is very close between him and Paul Wrightson.

Anyway, and thoughts you might have on this great Neo-Prog band will be most welcome here.
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lazland View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2010 at 08:51
Paul Wrightson for me. I'm looking forward to the new oneBig smile
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rod65 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 28 2011 at 22:45
Well, this thread did not take off the way I had hoped, and considering the respect that Arena tends to get from many people on this site, I admit to being a little surprised. That said, the new album Seventh Degree of Separation, is now less than two months away, and I am quite happy to see that John Jowitt is once again playing bass for the band. As Jowitt invariably ups the game of any band he plays with (an dI think her has played with enough of them to be labeled 'The Official Bassist of the Neo-Prog Sub-Genre Smile), his presence is one more cause for excitement where the new disc is concerned.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 29 2011 at 03:07
Agreed.  I'm really looking forward to the new one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 29 2011 at 08:53
Originally posted by rod65 rod65 wrote:

Well, this thread did not take off the way I had hoped, and considering the respect that Arena tends to get from many people on this site, I admit to being a little surprised. That said, the new album Seventh Degree of Separation, is now less than two months away, and I am quite happy to see that John Jowitt is once again playing bass for the band. As Jowitt invariably ups the game of any band he plays with (an dI think her has played with enough of them to be labeled 'The Official Bassist of the Neo-Prog Sub-Genre Smile), his presence is one more cause for excitement where the new disc is concerned.

Amusingly enough, I give the same title to John Mitchell, the officially sponsored guitarist of Neo Prog!
-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------

I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 30 2011 at 12:30
Arena are one of the very few neo-prog bands that I actually enjoy and I'm mildly excited for their new album. I've enjoyed Pepper's Ghost quite a bit.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 11 2011 at 16:23

I am the biggest Arena fun ever. The new album The seventh degree of separation is brilliant, Paul Manzi has a wide vocal range, suits the band perfectly. They have just finished their tour, hard working and talented guys!Clap

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 15 2011 at 23:08
So, the I was looking for a reaction image online to properly portray how incredibly disappointed I am with the new album, but nothing really gets there. I'm just going to listen the "The Shattered Room" and feel bad for a few minutes.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 16 2011 at 17:13
Their guitarist is insane!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 17 2011 at 06:29
Could explain this further, pls?

John Mitchell is a brilliant artists!!!!!
Originally posted by AlexDOM AlexDOM wrote:

Their guitarist is insane!!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 13 2012 at 12:20
I really like Arena, and ironicly it was the magazine Metal Hammer that introduced me to them in 2000, with the song Chosen (tho it was edited).   Reminded me of the Lost Boys song Cry Little Sister lol.    I did check out other Arena songs and in 2004 i did buy the album Immortal? (after hearing the song Butterfly Man aswell, i just had to buy it).
 
I only liked the dark sounding songs tho from that album for a fair while, didnt care about the more happier sounding songs for a fair while, but in time grew to like them aswell.   Wasent until 2007 onwards i bought other Arena albums.   But to date i have The Visitor (best album) , Immortal?, Contagion, The Cry, Contagium and Peppers Ghost (that ones a fair bit of a let down im affraid to say).   Top three albums from best to least best would have to be.
 
The Visitor
Immortal?
Contagion
 
I dont have their early albums and am only vaugley familiar with them, so cant comment there.  As for favourite frontmen?.....dont have a list there, all of them are good in their own way.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2012 at 08:05
This thread really has sunk hasn't it, which is a shame.
 
I have to say I was pretty disappointed with the latest album.  Don't get me wrong there's some great tracks on there, The Ghost Walks and Trebuchet for starters.  However they really miss Rob Sowden.  Manzi is technically great but it just doesn't seem right to me without Sowden.  I see he chose to leave as he didn't like the move into commercial territory and that was understandable.
 
TSDOS is not a patch on the previous four albums, all of which were tremendous.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 04 2015 at 05:28
I am actually sad to see this thread not taking off either!!

I can listen to ARENA all day. I am a huge fan and this is a band that deeply one if my musical heroes. Not much better in the Neo prog world, especially for metallic edge combined with melody.

Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 04 2015 at 05:41
Nice save with this post, Nick!

Dang, three years ago?! What the actual F?!

Let's make it a personal mission to keep this popping up now and then, a form of Prog Viagra if you will!   

Edited by Aussie-Byrd-Brother - July 04 2015 at 05:41
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 04 2015 at 09:35
I listened to the new album again last week and it always gets better. One of my favourite albums of 2015 so far Thumbs Up
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 06 2015 at 13:43
Been exploring the Neo world of late to see what it is about and have been struggling with some of it (lose interest in them), but got my first Arena album about a week or so ago,  "The Visitor" and have been enjoying that quite a bit.


Also really like The Mystery's, The World is a Game album.  Anubis, Comedy of Errors, and Psychedelic Ensemble are others in the genre that I have taken a shine to.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2015 at 14:59
It would be nice for this thread to have some regular posts, although, having tried to keep the Marillion one going after Eric took a hiatus, and giving up, I don't hold out much hope.

Anyhow, I have The Unquiet Sky on now. Only the first listen, and that is always dangerous to post comments, but this is a huge return to form for these ears. Manzi, especially, has really come into his own on vocals, and Nolan is right back where he belongs - at the heart of all that is good about Arena.

Really enjoyable.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2015 at 20:00
Oh yeah!!! Feel the Viagra!!! This thread is growing!! Don't keep your comments and opinions to yourself about this great band!!

Yes. Last night I again cracked the Unquiet Sky. God....how did it come to this? No seriously how did it come to this? The album is absolutely beautiful. Not to mention the album artwork requires a very serious look. Really goes with the music. And oh my goodness do you girls and guys see all those very f**ked up and crazy demon faces throughout the album booklet??? I sure do. It's really dark....or as you Michael (Aussie-Byrd) would say..."it's deadly serious!" :)

I am very pro Arena right now. I have so much to say. I pretty much have their complete catalog and all hard copies of course! I recently grabbed a hold of 'the cry' EP, contagion Max and their first official live album 'welcome to the stage.' All of these albums are beautiful. Arena, I can officially say, do not have a weak spot in their entire discography!! How many bands can you say that about? Even IQ has a couple of clunkers...'are you sitting comfortably? (No I am not!) and 'nomzamo (what the hell?) lol.
Anyway, I am making an official announcement. Arena are the kings of the Neo cage!
In other words, I feel Arena are the best Neo Prog band of all time.
Bold statement? I don't feel it is now given their track record. There is no crack in the ice with this band, so let's give this band the damn respect it deserves!

Prog on. :)
Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2015 at 20:18
Well, I'll be honest, Nick, just last night I noticed that there are a few kinds of `Alchemy' t-shirts available from Clive Nolan's site, and I just about blew my load, err, wadd just looking at them! They're my next purchase!

You know, I'm determined to not let `The Unquiet Sky' be ruined for me! I had it playing in the car when I first met that recent `She Who Shall Not Be Named', and until her little scary mental episode, I was sure that album had been a good luck charm that I'd forever associate with meeting someone I thought might have gone on to be the love of my life!

So I need to give `The Unquiet Sky' a new purpose! I shall devote it to you, Sam and all the other Arena-ites singing its praises!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 27 2015 at 08:34
^ It sucks when you associate great music with really bad memories Ouch You need to listen to it on a happy moment to forget about it Smile
I think of you and Nick when I listen to it too, I would probably not see them if you didn't rave about the album. I'm so glad I did Big smile
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