Arena-Immortal? (2000)

The British group Arena formed in the mid-nineties thanks to the gathering of a small constellation of musicians from several leading neo-progressive bands. These included keyboardist Clive Nolan (Pendragon), Mick Pointer (Marillion), Keith Moore (Asia), later replaced by John Mitchell (Kino), vocalist Rob Sowden, and bassist Ian Salmon. Their debut album, "Songs From The Lion's Cage" (1995), is a minor masterpiece of neo-progressive rock, followed by other important works such as "Pride" (1996) and "The Visitor" (1998). Two years later came the band's fourth album, "Immortal?", another spectacular record with a magnificent repertoire, most notably the epic suite "Moviedrome", an impressive musical canvas offering a dark vision of life at the end of the 20th century. The style on this new release is darker, heavier, and more aggressive than their previous albums, with sounds that often cross the line from progressive to harder metal. In addition to the aforementioned "Moviedrome", highlights include the majestic and haunting "The Butterfly Man", the chilling "Ghost In The Firewall", and the energetic "Chosen". With this release, Arena once again reached the pinnacle of perfection, recording one of the best progressive rock albums ever made.