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Arena - Pride CD (album) cover

PRIDE

Arena

 

Neo-Prog

3.65 | 390 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Menswear
Prog Reviewer
4 stars Better than everything Néo-prog has to offer.

When it comes to fusion of hard rock and prog, we use the term Néo-progressive rock. A new generation, as if progressive rock went new-wave. Plastic Yamaha keyboards in front, this sort of music will irritate deeply the listener looking for a challenge or new horizons. This is familiar ground, the emphasis is of course on the bling-bling, the catchyness of the songs. The ones who entertains the most AND bores the less wins. Unfortunetly, Marillion became a role model in this musical section, making the market invaded with clones of the Scottish sensation.

Could Arena be one of them?

Yes and no. At first, Arena really targetted on improving the concept developped by Marillion. They did actually, pretty well indeed. They ALWAYS had quality product, there is basically no weak Arena album. No jokes dudes. Nolan and Pointer, later joined by Mitchell, fueled on past experiences (Marillion, Pendragon, Shadowland) and go out the best of their talents to create the mighty machine that is Arena. Later with the Visitor album, Arena gained in originality...

Anyway, there is more good than bad in Pride. The bad would be Wrighton's voice, a nasty rip-off of Fish's vocals. And this is such a good cloning! Anyway, beyond this, the writing go higher in complexity and enjoyment. I mean, they don't abuse of their super catchy choruses so the songs stays fresh!

One last thing, in my amazement I must say that Clive Nolan SHOULD compose soundtracks for video games because, dude, he has amazing talent with the keys to create simple, touching and incredibly catchy little interludes (crying for help suite). Games like Final Fantasy and other Role Playing Games should ring a ding ding at Nolan's place!!

Rock on England.

Menswear | 4/5 |

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