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Immortal?

SKU: VGCD019
Label:
Verglas
Category:
Progressive Rock
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Well it seems like the boys have gotten the formula bit closer to my taste this time around. Arena shows off their British neoprog roots with Clive Nolan's trademark wall of keys prominently jammed into every nook and cranny. But this time the band has come up with just the right touch of crunch to the guitars and general heaviness to instill interest in veteran prog metal fans. New vocalist Rob Sowden isn't going to make me toss my Dio albums out the window but he isn't half bad at that! A Clive Nolan album wouldn't sit right without an epic and Arena produces one in spades - the near 20 minute "Moviedrome". My pick of the litter is the 9 minute "The Butterfly Man". Gobble 'em up lads and lassies...

Product Review

This CD was my introduction to this band and I'm very impressed.Real songs with a great singer to sing them. At last a true rock singer not a metal dude trying to sing past his range! Tasty guitar work too.Ghost in the Firewall/ButterflyMan and Moviedrome are all top notch tunes.Five out of Five!
- 2010-06-08 09:57
It has ugly artwork, but don't be fooled by it! This is the best Arena's album, IMHO. It has all you can expect from Arena: excellent melodies, great musicianship and production, epic and dramatic songs.
[email protected] - 2010-06-08 09:57
What "Script Of A Jester's Tears" was to the 80's prog scene, this release is to the current decade. Absolutely outstanding prog rock in the classic vein from messers Mitchell and Nolan. "The Butterfly Man" alone is worth the price of admission. Get it now before it disappears forever. Leyth
- 2010-06-08 09:57
I dont know why everyone gave it 5, I would say 4.6, yeah this cd rocks, pure prog very good production and sound as well, a joy to listen to and I never hesitate to put it in my player, everytime I see it I play very appealing so i guess I should give it 5 then? :)
- 2010-06-08 09:57
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It's easy to isolate the audience with solipsistic soloing and obtuse orchestrations, but from day one Moon Safari has made prog that—assuming the layperson were more amenable to songs that run upwards of thirty minutes—could lead them to something like a pop crossover hit.But while the union of hook-heavy vocal interplay and '70's prog stylistics gives Moon Safari an unmistakable, unique sound, it also handicapped them in a significant way for their first two LPs. The group's accessibility on A Doorway to Summer and Blomljud, along with its technical prowess, is unassailable, but the high-fructose sweetness of its style leads to a diabetic rush when stretched out onto songs that span ten to thirty minutes. For example, "Other Half of the Sky," the titanic thirty minute showstopper off of Blomljud, has so many memorable hooks that by the time it's run its time out, it's hard to remember all of them. The classic problem of "too many voices leads to a noisy room" was the defining problem of Moon Safari's otherwise enjoyable sound for some time. All that changed, however, in 2010 with the release of Lover's End.It is no exaggeration—even as the decade remains young—to say that Lover's End is one of the finest progressive rock records of the '00's. Hell, it's not even crazy to say that it's one of the finest pop albums of the '00s; anyone, even those turned off by prog's eccentricities, can find something to love on this mellifluous collection of songs. From the a cappella charm of "Southern Belle" to the hook-loaded "New York City Summergirl," Lover's End is chock full of goodness from beginning to end. What explains its genius is that in contrast to A Doorway to Summer and Blomljud, the songs are given exactly the amount of space they need, and not a second more. Some songwriters may feel hamstrung by the verse/chorus structure, but it's a perfect fit for Moon Safari's joyous approach to music.With their newest studio outing, Himlabacken, Vol. 1, Moon Safari continue the refining of their sound, and while this isn't the breakthrough that Lover's End was, it nonetheless attests to the brilliance of this group. Whereas the latter was bound by a loose concept (love and heartbreak), Himlabacken Vol. 1 is less a lyrics album than its predecessor. The cost of this is that the music is less distinct in its cohesiveness, but there are no shortage of catchy passages and amped-up solos. "Mega Moon" comes off as a tribute to musical theatre, with "The Very Model of A Modern Major General" vocal delivery interweaving with Queen-esque bombast to an impressive effect. "Too Young to Say Goodbye" sees and matches the polyharmonic beauty of "Lover's End (Part One)." 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Sating a sweet tooth brings to mind the phrase "guilty pleasure," but there's no guilt involved with music as first-class as this. Who knew being in a boy band could sound so classy? " - Sea Of Tranquility
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