IMMORTAL?

Somehow, when listening to a new material produced by musicians from former bands like MARILLION, ASIA and PENDRAGON we can rely in absurd judgments to justify the lack of inventive and progress from inside out the amalgamated band and we're constantly expectative about getting some kind of mixed sounds from those top bands. This is certainly no the case surrounding ARENA.

In spite the old schools these great musicians may have, they definitely didn't take the fast lane to get access to the masses by rapidly composing something sticky and poppy out of the blue to get their attention. I truly believe that before their first production, the ARENA members went through a deep, inner transition that implied several changes like reforming the way the used to play, retaking and adopting brand new proposals from within themselves and most important, not letting be swallowed by the crushing industry which is always hungry to sell and to be consumed by the audiences.

ARENA doesn't resembles any sounds or formulas already done, au contraire, the band established considerable parameters to be adopted by some newly born neo progressive bands. That is more than proved in "Immortal?", not only because of its alternations and arrangements; where the quality of the material is indisputably marvelous, edgy and punchy.

The band clearly experimented several reactions through the entire production of the project, that in the end worked out perfectly. "The Butterfly Man" is the living proof of what I'm trying to point out with these arguments: the intrepid execution of Clive NOLAN behind the keyboards intertwines magnificently with the solid drum strikes of Mick POINTER on drums; a superb work that claims for admiration and deafly applause. The constant interaction performed all the way in this album is amazing, the success was more than foreseen and everything surrounding this production was spotlessly managed. Great stuff!