THE VISITOR

In a sentence, Arena's third studio album, 'The Visitor', is one of the most exciting albums one might ever stumble upon. Rooted in the tradition of neo-progressive rock, Arena's sound may well be said to have strong influences from symphonic and hard rock, too, with a very 'strict policy' on crisp production and masterful songwriting, while sparing the listener of any excess noodling, always in control of how every single minute of their music is developed, and this very record is the proof of all of the above - gracefully written melodies, pretty cathartic and dramatic lyrical content, maestro-level instrumentation, and above all, undeniably good vocals.

Not only is this album flawless from beginning to end, but it marks the beginning of a very important era in the band's history - the introduction of John Mitchell on guitars, later on involved with Frost*, Kino, and his solo project Lonely Robot. His playing on this 1998 release is simply incredible! Dominating the sound of the album with his elegant but always powerful tone, Mitchell delivers one of the most impressive and comprehensive guitar performances ever recorded on a prog rock album, his style and energy being especially recognizable. This record also happens to be the last with vocalist Paul Wrightson, who is quite undeniable, too. Simply put, 'The Visitor' is one of these classic neo-prog albums that also mark the beginning of the sub-genre's shift towards darker territories, as the overall sound became heavier but no less dramatic.

'The Visitor' has to be at least loosely a concept album, although this is often hard to tell with Arena, as the storylines are pretty chaotic, should they be present. Starting with the grim electronic sequence that will reappear several times later on to reassure the listener that he is still embraced in the spooky atmosphere of the album, opener 'A Crack in the Ice' unfolds into the main riff, one that would easily fit on most of the 90s heavy metal records. Then comes a more Fish-era Marillion-esque song in the face of 'Pins and Needles', after which we hear the playful 'Double Vision'. The instrumental 'Elea' and 'The Hanging Tree' might be the pinnacle of the album, cathartic and beautiful, simply an emotional explosion that is elevated even more by the gorgeous vocal performance, both of these are certainly band classics (as are most of the songs on 'The Visitor'). Even up to that point, the album impresses with the music, the choruses, the riffs, and the solo section - everything is quite flawless, cerebrally memorable, and always resonating, staying in the mind of the listener long after the final notes have ceased to play. Other very strong tracks from the album are 'A State of Grace', 'In the Blink of an Eye', 'Enemy Without' and the title track.

Excellent from track one up until the end, 'The Visitor' is a towering achievement of neo-progressive rock, equally challenging and accessible, the album is packed with intense and very theatrical compositions, as one should expect from the genre. Mick Pointer, Clive Nolan and company deliver one of the most impressive collections of songs ever recorder, sincerely creative and defining a sort of trademark sound for Arena, that they would go on to develop on further releases.