Was Contagion Arena's last great album?
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=130277
Printed Date: November 27 2024 at 23:38
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Topic: Was Contagion Arena's last great album?
Posted By: Greenmist
Subject: Was Contagion Arena's last great album?
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 06:34
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Ive recently bought Arena's latest album The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance, and ive gotta say im pretty disappointed in it . I was hoping that Damien Wilson may have helped Arena get that mojo back, considering he has been involved in so many projects out there in the rock and metal world, but not to be. Was Contagion Arena's last great album?, been 20 years now since they've produced a great album. Here's my tier ranking of their albums Great/Excellent tier The Visitor (imo their best album), Immortal?, Contagion Good tier Songs From The Lions Cage, Pride Somewhat good tier The Unquiet Sky, Double Vision OK/Fair tier Peppers Ghost, The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance (this might go up one tier after some more listens.......might do) Not ranked The Seventh Degree of Separation Double Vision i only got a few days ago and only had a few listens through, and i need to give 7th Degree some more listens. The only songs that have decently impressed me so far is the opening track and the last track. The rest are just ok/passable or meh quality. Here's a screenshot of my track assessment of their latest album
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Replies:
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 07:22
| Well, being as Pepper's Ghost is still my favourite Arena album (even though it might not be quite their best), I'd better duck this one out.. |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 07:29
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I think the new album is a superb effort, right up there with their best. ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 08:40
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Molecular Inheritance is fantastic IMHO. I think it's as good as Contagion. There are very few albums that I find really exciting and enjoyable the very moment I hear them for the first time and don't need to grow on me, but that one is definitely one of them. ------------- “On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.” — Ernest Vong |
Posted By: Homotopy
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 09:25
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I more or less agree with the tiers given. The last album sucks. |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 12:38
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I would have to agree that Contagion was their last great album. Having said that, and knowing I'm an outlier with this opinion, I still think Pride was the best album they ever made. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 12:43
Me too ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
lazland wrote:Posted By: Greenmist
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 13:08
| The thing is tho, i wanted to find their latest album a good or great album, as i got excited the second i found out Damien Wilson was the new vocalist, as i really love Threshold too, and he has sung on 4 of their albums, and i thought he'd have much to bring to the table, but ive listened through the album, and the songs just arnt reaching out and grabbing me (except for the opening track and final track). |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: December 30 2022 at 17:34
| Probably. Never been a great fan of Arena, but some of their albums, like the Visitor or Contagion, are really good. After Contagion though, nothing has really made a good impression on me. |
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: December 31 2022 at 09:22
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I've just been listening to Songs From the Lion's Cage on the car CD, and it's an excellent album, with Valley of the Kings and Solomon ranking in the top tier of prog tracks. The Visitor, likewise is almost faultless. I also think The Unquiet Sky and The Seventh Degree of Separation are top drawer - I cannot understand why the latter is rated so low. I don't like Immortal much and Contagion is ordinary. I haven't listened to Pride or Double Vision much and I have never heard Peppers Ghost. The latest album doesn't impress me that much. I really don't like the vocals much and a lot of the songs sound a bit like recycled earlier stuff: enjoyable, but I had hoped for something more. I'm 100% certain that Arena have another great album in them - they are an amazingly talented group of musicians - but this latest isn't it. I think they would be well advised to see if Alan Reed is available, because he is better than Damian Wilson IMHO.
------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life. |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: January 02 2023 at 15:58
Yes, Hercules feels the same way I do about Arena.
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: January 02 2023 at 17:02
| Not a huge Arena fan and have not heard every release by them. From those I've heard, "Contagion" is their swan song. |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: January 08 2023 at 17:05
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not in my book: Songs From the Lions Cage 8/10 Pride 8/10 The Visitor 4/10 Immortal? 6/10 Contagion 4/10 Pepper's Ghost 7/10 stopped following them after that. Always loved Shadowland the most, from all Nolan-related projects/bands |
Posted By: PhideauxFan
Date Posted: January 09 2023 at 01:03
No for me because I really like Pepper's Ghost. 
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Posted By: Greenmist
Date Posted: January 10 2023 at 06:44
| Dont mean to sound opinionated but, how anyone can give The Visitor only a 4/10 but propel Peppers Ghost to a 7/10 is beyond me. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: January 10 2023 at 07:17
| Damien Wilson is generally a massive presence. I get slightly depressed that no one cares about the Headspace albums he did with Adam Wakeman. Haven't heard this recent Arena album though as its not yet on Apple music . I've therefore directed my attention elsewhere , especially towards the Verbal Delirium album which is very Arena like and kicks some serious ass. Also love the Collage album , again has very strong ties to Arena's classic sound I think. |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: January 10 2023 at 07:46
The Visitor has grown on me over the years (never a fan of Wrightson's theatrics and I thought it was very poor man's Fish when it first came out in 1998), to 7/10 but I'll never enjoy it as much as Pepper's Ghost (9/10). Whilst I think Contagion is possibly their strongest, PG will probably always be my favourite... there's just not a bad track on it and the album hangs together very well indeed. I'm pleasde that there's a couple of others here at least, who tend to agree.
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Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: January 10 2023 at 12:01
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2Greenmist: not a fan of 12-15 samey boring tracks thrown together for a cOnCepTuaL effect, so both The Visitor and Contagion are not my favourite Arena records. Actually the same goes for Marillion's most loved albums, Brave and Marbles: the highs are indeed high there ("The Great Escape", "Goodbye To All That", "The Invisible Man", "Ocean Cloud", "Neverland"), but all other tracks are weak and forgettable for me |
Posted By: Greenmist
Date Posted: January 10 2023 at 13:39
On the contrary.......1 thing that i do give The Visitor praise for is its variety
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Posted By: Boojieboy
Date Posted: January 13 2023 at 17:14
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Pepper's Ghost is my favorite, and that came after Contagion. So there you go.
Like Prog-Jester, I stopped following them after that
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Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: January 14 2023 at 07:31
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So in general, and I’ve thought this for years, Arena are very much like I.Q where by they don’t have a bad album in any part of their respective discographies. The latest Arena album was an absolute hit with me. I did end up buying the 2CD Mediabook edition and to hear some of the songs acoustically makes me think just how clever and thoughtful the song writing is in general. Also, D.S’s voice sounds as strong as ever. He really hasn’t lost a step and he fits well with Arena. He really does, but honestly so did every other singer! My favorite album from Arena is IMMORTAL? So maybe that rules me out of this discussion cause it pre dates contagion. My opinion though. Like I.Q Arena can do no wrong. I just don’t like Arena using their guitarist as their mixing and mastering engineer. Believe me it shows and the compression is ridiculous. ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: January 14 2023 at 08:58
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I haven't ever been able to find a "great" Arena (or, for that matter, IQ) album. Obviously, it's all a matter of personal taste. I just don't have yours--and that's okay! The only bands/artists that I know that for me "can do no wrong" were Everything But The Girl, Cicada, Five-Storey Ensemble, and maybe Ryuichi Sakamoto and Robin Guthrie (though he did divorce Elizabeth Fraser). ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: January 15 2023 at 04:11
| Now that I've acquired it (Mp3) I'm really glad to listen to it. Indeed absolutely zero originality and its almost exactly what you expect from modern NEO prog but that said the playing and sonic quality is as good as it gets and Damien is one hell of a vocalist. Yep it will divide prog fans between those who don't regard Neo as progressive and therefore will ignore it and those like me that just enjoy listening to a kick ass band! |
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: January 17 2023 at 11:04
And me. Crack in the Ice, The Hanging Tree and The Visitor on their own make it a must buy, and the rest of the album is superb. ------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life. |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: January 18 2023 at 10:47
Well said, Richard. I agree with you my long time friend on here. :)  ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Greenmist
Date Posted: January 19 2023 at 13:29
Here Here, Variety is what makes that album so good. Want a song that just packs a punch?, you got that in A Crack in the Ice, Enemy Without and A State of Grace Want a nice gentle soft song?, you got that in Pins And Needles, Elca and Tears in the Rain (one of the best rock ballads ever) Want a song that imitates Pink Floyds song Marooned or the ending of Comfortably Numb?, you got that in Serenity Want a song that takes you on a journey?, you got that in The Hanging Tree and the title track
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Posted By: Encrenous23
Date Posted: January 26 2023 at 19:58
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I’m a new Arena fan and have climbed aboard the Arena -train with TTOMI. I’ve just finished a first run through of their discography and would probably agree about Contagion being their best agreeing with the general consensus. However, the addition of Damian Wilson has improved the band with his dramatic and dynamic vocals that bring the songs on TTOMI to life.it’s my favorite Arena album so far and the way these songs come off live are even more powerful. I’ll give it 4.5/5 stars. Probably my favorite Damian Wilson vocal performance as well. |
Posted By: Greenmist
Date Posted: January 27 2023 at 01:42
I would have to agree that TTOMI is Arena's best album this side of 2002, because aswell as using nice piano melodies on that album, they also make good use of Damien Wilsons vocal range.
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