ARENA

(UNITED KINGDOM)

SONGS FROM THE LIONS CAGE

(1995)
LABEL:

VERGLAS

GENRE:

PROGRESSIVE ROCK

TAGS:
Neo
"Arena's first proper recording, "Songs From The Lions Cage" is an unqualified success, giving us the chance to discover a band that is sure to make a name for itself."
PETER HACKETT (30.11.2003)  
4/5
(0) opinions (0) comment(s)
"Songs From The Lions Cage" is Arena's first proper recording. The band's line-up at the time included only two of today's musicians - Mick Pointer and creative frontman Clive Nolan. The latter's experience with previous projects, notably Pendragon, undoubtedly contributed to the quality of this first opus.

The album opens with 'Out of the wilderness', a well-constructed eight-minute progressive piece with a 70's feel. The follow-up, 'Crying for help', begins with a surprising little acoustic guitar intro, then moves on to more classical, soaring parts, finishing in a more progressive style with the fourth section, which ends with a top-notch guitar solo.

Those who have discovered Arena via more recent albums will be surprised to hear John Carson on vocals. Although he's on a par with Rob Sowden, his timbre is reminiscent of the great Fish. This vocal perfection is particularly evident on 'Solomon', a key track not only for Arena, but for neo-progressive rock in general. There are acoustic and live versions of this song, but neither reaches the class of the original, and the album is worth listening to for this track alone. Let's also do justice to the excellent Keith More, whose guitar playing has nothing to envy John Mitchell's, and to Cliff Orsi, the technically perfect bassist of the time.

For a debut album, "Songs From The Lions Cage" is an unqualified success, with only the lightness of the first three tracks, "Crying for help", slightly tarnishing it. Arena's debut was the best possible start to a long career that was to make them a progressive band of the first order.
- Official website

TRACK LISTING:
01. Out Of The Wilderness - 8:02
02. Crying For Help 1 - 1:22
03. Valley Of The Kings - 10:11
04. Crying For Help 2 - 3:09
05. Jericho - 6:51
06. Crying For Help 3 - 4:24
07. Midas Vision - 4:36
08. Crying For Help 4 - 5:06
09. Solomon - 14:38

LINEUP:
Cliff Orsi: Basse
Clive Nolan: Claviers
John Carson: Chant
Keith More: Guitares
Mick Pointer: Batterie
   
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