Seventh Degree of Separation (Verglas Records, 2012)
There are albums that mark the end of an important musical phase in the life of a band; in this case a shift from progressive rock to another style. Genesis had ‘And then there Were Three’ and Yes had ‘90125.’ Arena’s is Seventh Degree of Separation. If you are looking for progressive rock, look elsewhere. Seventh Degree of Separation marks a solid genre change. Arena has moved from prog rock to a mix of AOR and tiresome heavy metal. The only piece that ventures into progressive rock is track 4, ‘The Ghost Walks.’
Seventh Degree of Separation is a concept album with interesting artwork. The deluxe edition comes with a bonus DVD with a documentary about the making of the album.
The line-up includes Clive Nolan on keyboards; Mick Pointer on drums; Paul Manzi on vocals; John Mitchell on guitars; and John Jowitt on bass.