Visitor [Import]

Arena, ???? | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Inside Out
• ASIN: B000024Z49
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,692 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Basically Living Up To The Hype, February 16, 2001

By 

Jeff Hodges (Denton, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Visitor (Audio CD)

When Fish left Marillion, there were two paths they could have gone by. One was to get a lead singer that would be brave enough to follow in his footsteps and endure constant comparisons, and the other was to get someone totally different that was willing to endure constant comparisons. There was really no way to win. In the end, Marillion chose the latter. They got Steve Hogarth and eventually gravitated towards psudeo-alternative prog-pop with some bones thrown towards the old fans in the form of the occasional long song, and usually it works in its own way. Yet there are some of us that secretly wonder what would have happened if they had chosen the former. What would they, or could they, have done to satisfy fans that were accustomed to such fantastic albums?

Well, if you were (or are) one of these people, I highly suggest you pick up The Visitor. Arena's sound here is "more Marillion than Marillion", if you will. Sometimes it's a little heavier, and in this way accommodates the prog-metal sound that emerged in the late '80s. It's the path Marillion COULD have taken after Script for a Jester's Tear. Paul Wrightson has obviously been coached towards the wide range of vocal expression that Fish had, and drummer Mick Pointer was a founding member of Marillion. His low-technique high-concept style is unmistakable with Arena.

Other members of the band do not fit into the Marillion-ish mold quite as snugly, though, and this helps to set Arena apart. I knew keyboardist Clive Nolan's resume reads like a who's who of '90's symphonic rock, but I was only familiar with him through Pendragon, who I am not particularly fond of. Here I find his playing to be both bold and tasteful. He knows when to lay down a pad of strings for support and when to play really aggressively with that Rick Wakeman-esque moog solo sound that I am such a chump for. Another consistently impressive player with Arena is guitarist John Mitchell, who plays acoustic like Steve Hackett and solos with the intensity of David Gilmour with slightly metallic chops. The instrumental "Elea", which is a guitar feature, is an emotional point of the album, and it speaks very loudly without the support of lyrics. I would also be remiss if I did not mention the great bass playing of John Jowitt, who can be most closely compared with Chris Squire's post-90125 work.

The Visitor is a concept album, perhaps even a rock opera, that seems to be about a near-death experience. The man character realizes he has died and travels to purgatory where he interacts with characters that tempt him with lies, fears, greed, and self-doubt. He is snatched from his own demise by The Visitor, and is left a better person for the experience.

This concept may not be as tangible as the themes of lost childhood and alcoholism that pervade Marillion's early work, but it is compelling nonetheless. There are a few hokey lines from time to time, but overall the lyrics present themselves in a convincing manner. ....

Because The Visitor is best seen as a whole, it is difficult to suggest a definitive track, but I think that "Elea" segueing into "The Hanging Tree" can give the listener a fair picture. The last two tracks, "Running from Damascus" and "The Visitor" also show considerable compositional strength by bringing back previous musical themes that give the listener an idea of what the character is thinking and experiencing beyond what the lyrics imply. In short, Arena reminds one of the great classic symphonic rock outfits in the same manner as the Flower Kings and Spock's Beard does, but their influences differ. Here I hear shades of Marillion, Genesis, Pink Floyd, and Queensrhyche (only occasionally). They have made other recordings, but the Visitor is a fantastic place to start. It is at once both familiar and distinctive. I listened to it incessantly when I first got it, and it has proven to withstand months of subsequent listenings. It has fantastic playing, intelligent writing, and a great concept - quite possibly a classic album.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten years later, June 5, 2001

By 

Jose Ramon Hernandez (Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Visitor (Audio CD)

In 1988, Marillion gave us a great double live album called "La Gazza Ladra", but their fans did not know that it will be their last release with Fish as their (powerful)leader, (really great)singer and (inspired) composer.

During the next ten years, the Marillion fans have to buy less quality Marillion albums (pop influenced music and not so deep lyrics), or a few good progressive rock albums as Roger Waters'"Amused To Death" or greatest albums of Rush, Pendragon or IQ.

In 1998, Arena gave us "The Visitor", a concept album with: - Great lyrics (an history of a close death experience) - Great music ( Fine progressive rock with a little "Hard" touch) - Great and powerful vocals (you will remember Fish at his best) - and great art work from Hugh Syme (the designer of RUSH album covers and work art)

This is a must for all Progresive rock fans.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, Magical, Beautiful, June 26, 2005

By 

Justin Smith (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Visitor (Audio CD)

I've had this album for several years now, and it has always been one of my top favorites.

There are so many different kinds of prog these days that striking up comparisons is difficult. If "The Flower Kings" are the light side of prog rock, "Arena" is the dark side. The music here is filled with beautifully composed melodies. At times it sounds like the glory days of Pink Floyd.

While most of the songs have vocals, the two people I find at the forefront of Arena's music are Clive Nolan (keyboards) and John Mitchell (guitar). Let me say that, typically speaking, I don't like keyboards. I like piano, but that is different. I tolerate the keyboards in other prog-related bands like Dream Theater. In the case of Arena, I find myself actually liking the keyboards. Whatever Clive Nolan is doing differently, I hope he sticks with it. As for John Mitchell, this guy is a juggernaut of a guitarist. Frequently (The Hanging Tree, Serenity, The Visitor) he evokes the same magic that Pink Floyd's David Gilmour produces. He can play fast, but rarely does so because he recognizes that fast is not always the right thing to do.

I give this album 9.2/10, or 5 stars. This album is nothing short of a masterpiece. No one should claim to like progressive rock if they haven't heard this album.