ARRIVE ALIVE

The debut album from Scotland's most successful prog band is a mixture of early neo-prog and hard rock. The live tracks were recorded in a small bar and have a raw quality, they are the equivalent of a good bootleg from the era, while the studio tracks lack the polish that a better budget would have provided. This album is contemporary with both early Marillion and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and has elements of both in its overall sound.

The singer on Arrive Alive is Euan Lowson and he brings a hard rock edge to the band. He provided a much needed focal point in the live setting and was a bit like Gabriel for the theatrics mixed with the Heavy Metal bluster of Di'Anno.

Best songs on the album for me are the longer tracks Queen Of The Night, The Ripper and best of all Crown of Thorns which was the live showpiece at the time. These songs show the bands prog tendencies but are all a bit naive in there approach compared to the next album 'The Sentinel'. They are all still enjoyable as complex songs from young musicians trying to emulate their peers and push the boundaries of the time.

I would recommend the album as an historic record of the bands early days but be prepared for the less than ideal production values of an independent 1981 release. 3.5 stars