Artist: Arena
Genre(s):
Metal: Alternative
Metal
Rock: Progressive
Metal: Heavy
Rock
Discography:
Pepper's Ghost
Year: 2005
Tracks: 7
Contagium
Year: 2004
Tracks: 4
Contagion
Year: 2003
Tracks: 16
Breakfast in Biarritz
Year: 2001
Tracks: 10
Immortal?
Year: 2000
Tracks: 7
The Visitor
Year: 1998
Tracks: 14
Welcome To The Stage
Year: 1997
Tracks: 10
The Cry
Year: 1997
Tracks: 10
Pride
Year: 1996
Tracks: 9
Songs From The Lion's Cage
Year: 1995
Tracks: 9
With virtually as many lineup changes as one of their influences, Yes, Arena was nonpareil of the dominant neo-prog groups of the nineties. A supergroup of sorts, Arena has featured sometime members of Marillion, Pendragon, IQ, and Shadowland.
Field was formed in 1994 by Mick Pointer, the former drummer of Marillion, and Clive Nolan, the former keyboardist of Pendragon. The group was rounded out by the accession of Cliff Orsi (freshwater bass), John Carson (vocals), and Keith Moore (guitars). Their kickoff album, Songs From the Lions Cage (1995), was a unassailable neo-prog debut with aggressive playing that brought comparisons to Fish-era Marillion and contained lengthy tracks with long guitar and moog solos. Carson was even compared by many to Fish. However, a planned tour was scratched after Carson left the group. He was promptly replaced by Paul Wrightson. More card changes followed as Orsi left the band and was replaced by the early bassist of IQ, John Jowitt. Both Jowitt and Wrightson appeared on the group's next album, Pride (1996), which built upon the well-grounded the ring had begun on their number one record album and saw them develop away from some of the Marillion influences. The mini-compilation Edits followed later that year and was comprised of the group's singles and a new eight-minute track. Moore then left the group and was replaced by John Mitchell, world Health Organization instantly proved himself an able refilling on the 1997 mini-album, The Cry. Arena then embarked on a successful yearlong tour that was captured on the live album Receive to the Stage (1997). A conception album, The Visitor (1998), ground the band shortening their songs and told the history of a person world Health Organization recalls his life patch suspended between life story and death. Wrightson and Jowitt then left the group and were replaced by Rob Sowden and former Shadowland bassist Ian Salmon, respectively. God? was released in 2000 and was a move in a darker direction for Arena. The live album Breakfast in Biarritz followed in 2001.
