Arena - Unquiet sky afterthoughts and Review

20 years for the group of Pointer, Nolan and Mitchell. 20 years of neo prog métal, a genre by itself.
 Now with a new bass player here comes the new album with new Vocalist Paul Manzi.


The new album, concept like the last one is based on the short story Casting the runes (which you can read here).
The songs, much like the previous album are rather short ones without an epic like the band used to do.
They seem primarly composed by Pointer and Nolan, Mitchell, being on his Lonely Robot album, managed to still placed great crystal like soli here and there.
 The album flows strangely as right after the kick ass opener, the band gives us a oddly and yet powerful slow song, very moving before re-attacking. As usual the songs are a testimony to the writing skill of the creative force, leaning a bit to the metal with Pointer hammering on his drums.
 Of course the band does not reinvent its sound. It is still the neo prog metallish they created and perfected for the last 20 years.
Mitchell delivers still great solos and rythmns, a truly underrated guitarist in Prog world.
But the bigger asset comes from Paul Manzi who delivers, either powervul vocals and intimate, with this second album he can truly make his claim as Arena's best vocalist so far.
The album in itself does not really gives itself away but cautious and regular listenings makes it shine as a great melodic constructed album with solid songwriting and good performers.
 A good addition to the band, a good jumping point to néophytes and maybe not the best but definitly a great sum of what the band can achieve, just behind the golden duo of the Visitor and Contagion to my opinion.