SONGS FROM THE LIONS CAGE

Arena's debut album is a top quality offering from ex-Marillion drummer Mick Pointer and keyboard player Clive Nolan, abley supported by Keith More on guitar, Cliff Orsi bass and John Carson vocals. There are five excellent tracks linked very cleverly by crying for help parts I to IV. Out of the Wilderness begins the album and is for me the weakest on the album with a (dare I say) early Marillion sound to it. Next up Valley of the Kings is a long meandering track of top quality. After pt.II of crying for help comes Jericho which I think is the strongest lyrically on the album. Midas Vision is a hard hitting tune, penultimately comes the fourth and final part of crying for help leading into Solomon the final track and still a classic regularly played live.

My only real critisism of this album would be the fact that in places it does have a similar sound to the early Marillion sound. For that it loses a star.