IMMORTAL?

Immortal? kicks off with a 80s drum loop accompanying an "Take a leap of faith if you want to find out!" chant from the opening song "Chosen". This rhythm-section driven song is a mid-tempo track that would simply put you to sit tight in your chair (well, it shows clearly through the album cover), wondering what are the offering from ARENA this time. "Waiting For The Flood" is pretty a beautiful acoustic song, while the acoustic solo in mid-section (starting at approx. 2:40) very much reminds me of the intro of the song "Silent Lucidity" from Seattle progressive rocker QUEENSRYCHE. But it doesn't matter anyway as the lyrics penned "It really doesn't matter now, the end will be the same/It really doesn't matter how the world will rise again/There's nothing you can do to stop the river flowing blood.".

"The Butterfly Man" is probably the darkest song in this album when it sings ".He's proud of his human collection/Of losers who give up the chase/Of winners who fail to look round/He creeps up behind the fallen and blind.", who is this Butterfly Man anyway? While he is also asking to himself ".Don't even know what my purpose ever was/I don't even know where I belong/Through the years I've been waiting."? Out of the first three songs, I think this one stands as the strongest song. But don't get me wrong. There are 4 more songs to go.and they are worthy as well.

The fourth song "Ghost In The Firewall" is -similar to the first song-opened with a 80s drum loop. Pretty much of an experiment for ARENA, so it seems. However, its mid- tempo through the entire song unfortunately shows its (somewhat) lack of musical structure. It's getting a bit boring as the song approaching the end. Now ARENA is building the up-lifted spirit of their listener through "Climbing The Net" with its charming guitar-driven intro. This MARILLION-ish song is also chanting about hope. I guess this is a fresh approach after being so dark and gloomy in the first 4 songs when it says ". Got to build a tower/Need a better line of sight/We're climbing up the net/We're reaching for the sky/Got to keep on rising.".

Now, get a ready for a 19 minutes plus of "Moviedrome". In my opinion, this great mid- tempo ARENA-penned song is supposed to be placed as the album closer. Especially when it has one beautiful lines of ".So we're standing in the Moviedrome/Staring at the shadows and the falling lights/Prisoners forever in the Moviedrome/Letting all the pictures be the guide to our fragile lives/Did we ever really learn?/Did we never really learn?/The human race has found it's own true home/The dwelling places of these high tech lies/The few that see the world beyond the Moviedrome.". But I can't complain much as the album closer, "Friday's Dream", is a great ballad. This is the kind of song that would calm your heart and emotion as well as wash your fears and dark clouds after listening to the six dark songs. This song is medicine that would help you from suffering too much after listening to Immortal? as a whole. All you need to do is close your eyes to listen to this beautiful song and after it's done, open your eyes and you may feel the comfortable feeling that would give you the strength to live your day. I am not going to say that this one is a song of hope. But it is indeed the song of strength when it says ".When I close my eyes I pray we'll find/A shelter from the rain/What I dream tonight may rest with me/Till morning comes/Till morning comes and I wake up.".

I don't have much reference on ARENA, but I surely believe that Immortal? Would stand as one of their best effort. I would suggest for those who are new to ARENA to include Immortal? in the menu.

"What I dream tonight may rest with me/Till morning comes again/From the truth comes light/We're vulnerable, as we shelter from the rain/This is a place where all I touch/May not be as it seems". (4/5)