PEPPER'S GHOST

A heavy change of pace, "Pepper's Ghost" is well-played and smartly produced, but somewhat repetitive and without the impact of previous albums; there are few of the emotional or virtuosic highlights we've come to expect from Arena's songwriting.

To be fair, "Pepper's Ghost" does try to do something new, and I think that it largely succeeds. The band experiments with new song styles and instrumental sounds, but their impact is largely a measure of the listener's taste. The songs here feature lots of vocal phrasing and heavy riffing, neither of which in my opinion generate as much as excitement as the band's trademark sound. Moreover, they do not come across as creative or complex as previous works.

However, "Pepper's Ghost" is certainly still Arena, and will likely please fans as a fine addition to the group's library; whether or not it will be remembered as highlight in that catalogue seems doubtful.

Newcomers should try their previous three excellent albums first.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 3