PEPPER'S GHOST

Maybe not as good as their masterpiece Contagion or The Visitor, but it's still marvellous. In this CD, Arena left a little their Neo-Progressive's face to introduce themselves into prog metal! Songs like The Shattered Room and Purgatory Road show the most hard side of Arena, whereas other songs like Smoke And Mirrors, Tantalus and the dark The Eyes Of Lara Moon are in the way of their last releases, but in a little less adorned and very much guitar-oriented way. Clive Nolan's keyboard lost their habitual protagonism in this release to open the way to the strong Mitchell's riffs and the heavy rythm section. Pointer's drums sound killer in this record, better than ever... But on the contrary the Ian Salmon's bass sounds less brilliant than Contagion, like the Rob Sowden's vocals, a little less inspired and spectacular, although I'm still thinking he's a great singer.

But there is a song that should be heard by every progressive's lover: Opera Fanatica, one of the most epic and well made songs of the Arena's history. A must!!!

An excellent album full of good songs. Recommended.

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