The Seventh Degree of Seperation

[The Butterfly Man]

But what really matters is the music, and I'm going to listen to it NOW!

So? First impression? Come on!!!

Tom

[PH]

So? First impression? Come on!!!

Tom

Well, you know... It's good.

It's very different from other Arena albums. It's more... accessible, in a way... I think.
I dunno. I need to listen to it more, but there are some songs that are total winners. I guess you'll have to wait a few weeks to hear more about my views.

[The Butterfly Man]

I guess you'll have to wait a few weeks to hear more about my views.

I don't mind, I will have the album tomorrow!

Tom

[debsss]

I don't mind, I will have the album tomorrow!

So will I!!!!  Make a race who will be the first at the merch stand??? I'll race you!
whahaha
I'm so overexcited for tomorrow! I can hardly wait! Feeling hyperactief! 

[erik]

The booklet is looking like something of a metal band, it's got some pretty sick pictures. (I'm not really a horror-loving person.)
It's also my first cd with a parental advisory sticker on it.

The pages accompanying the tracks Close Your Eyes and Echoes Of The Fall are indeed quite horrid. Clive said to me yesterday he likes those best and it's basically images from his dreams/nightmares.. Clive's dreams are an important source of inspiration for the Arena themes, concepts and lyrics (and also for other projects, take Shadowland's Dreams Of The Ferryman for instance). It's what Clive calls "stuff from the sewers of my brain".

Bar those two pages that are a bit too much for my taste, I think the artwork looks really great. Just like The Visitor and Contagion, the music, lyrics and artwork of Seventh Degree together create an experience, a journey in unknown territory.

[Niquicho]

Please, mr Postman! http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1mpd1_the-marvelettes-please-mr-postman-1_music

[Niquicho]

Still waiting for the mail, that is. 

[Nicky007]

Just like The Visitor and Contagion, the music, lyrics and artwork of Seventh Degree together create an experience, a journey in unknown territory.

Super, Erik, that's Arena alright 

It's also my first cd with a parental advisory sticker on it.

Whoa, got masses of those 

Probably Funky, Mad & Iggy too 

Nicky.

[maddox]

Still waiting for the mail, that is. 

I'll join you!
Lets sing together.

[Niquicho]

I'll join you!
Lets sing together.

That'd be nice, but I'm terrible at singing in key. 

[The Butterfly Man]

Woah, what a brilliant album! I can't stop loving you listening to it! It's so melodic and catchy and dark. The lyrics are very intriguing without becoming to difficult to understand and the artwork looks very good as well. Okay, apart from a few twisted pictures that is, but to be honest I don't mind them that much. I can understand when people are shocked or offended by them though. Anyway, I will have a lot of fun with this album, that's for sure.

When we got the chance to talk to the guys already before the gig last Saturday Clive mentioned that he was in a bit of a fight with Mick over the choruses. Mick wanted to have lots of them whereas Clive initially didn't want that. I'm glad they met each other somewhere in the middle of the road 'cause the choruses keep on running through your head for days and I think (hope?) that maybe this will bridge the gap to other progressive artists who are able to attract a lot of people (relatively speaking of course, after all it's prog we're talking about here ). I think that when people give this album a fair chance they might like it so much that they want to dig into the back-catalog and maybe even come to gigs. That would help to 'ensure' the future of the band in this era of downloading, which makes it very hard for 'smaller' bands like Arena to survive.

"We are part of this Arena, we are part of this band!"

Come on guys, let's spread the word!

Tom

[bellanova]

I got my copy of the album today so thats my afternoon / evening sorted. I cant wait to see them live again on sunday. I love the album artwork and the darker, the better in my opinion. Its not really that shocking though to me.

[dacook]

Greetings. I joined this forum a while ago, but haven't visited much as Arena activity has been pretty quiet of late. I have been huge fan of the band since buying Immortal? in 2000 on a whim (because of Clive's connection with Pendragon). I have fond memories of 2001 and driving far North in Sweden on a business trip with Immortal? blasting out of the hire car stereo!

Before thinking about the new album, I guess I must state that Pepper's Ghost didn't do a huge amount for me compared to previous classic Arena albums, so I approached this new one with mixed feelings, but being a fan then of course it was ordered, as a band that remakes the same album ten times doesn't progress or take risks, therefore the odd album that doesn't click (a subjective opinion of course) is allowed 

Anyway, onto the new album. I took delivery of it last Friday, started listening to it on Saturday and it's been on pretty much ever since! One of those albums with a few immediate stand out tracks to whet your appetite and slowly draw you in to all the others. So what a great album and it shows that there is life aplenty in Arena yet, and for me, it's a very welcome return to form after a long hiatus. Maybe the long lay off was just what was needed (says somebody who's taken three years to write his first two hours of original music!)

Personnel changes in a band always bring mixed feelings and uncertainty, but also opportunities. Ian Salmon and Rob Sowden where very good performers and part of making some great albums, but seeing John Jowitt return was a good move (I'm a huge IQ fan as well) as he is an equally cracking bass player, and Paul Manzi is one hell of a find!

So all in all, a very good album.

I think it's been a great year for progressive music and new albums. Prog is no longer a dirty word! And there's still more "must buy albums" out there.

[Draco chimera]

Welcome to the Shattered Room !   I couldn't agree with you more when you say that some songs really catch your attention from the very start, while some others need some time. The first two tracks just blew me away the moment I heard them.

[dacook]

Welcome to the Shattered Room !   I couldn't agree with you more when you say that some songs really catch your attention from the very start, while some others need some time. The first two tracks just blew me away the moment I heard them.

Thanks for the Welcome I'll try and hang out a little bit more.

[PH]

Thanks for the Welcome I'll try and hang out a little bit more.

Great! Welcome Derek!
Interesting take on the "Pepper's Ghost" album.
On this forum we agree to disagree! So not a problem, don't feel guilty! (Only a bit )
Differences in opinions makes for interesting discussions.
And I think we all love discussing music around here!

[maddox]

Ah, a new victim. 

Nah, just kidding.

Welcome to the Room Derek. 

[Bupie]

Welcome dacook 

As you may notice by watching my avatar, I am also a huge IQ fan ... even if I prefer the period when they joined the dark (read commercial) side of the Force. Don't hesitate to start a topic about IQ (if there is not already one).

Oh, and BTW, I still haven't received my Seventh Degree ... copy 

[Nicky007]

Welcome Derek, from me too 

You appear to be somewhat beyond your teens, and well-versed in prog, so I expect that you and I will be able to discuss music 

I'd like to encourage you to write up a listening profile in the Room. You can start with checking out some of our LP's under the section "Listening Profiles". If you already have some useful material on another forum, you can start with copying something over to the Room 

Nicky.

[dacook]

Thanks for the welcome, everybody. And yes, I'm a bit of an old 'un. Aged 47, but young at heart, and been a prog rock fan since hearing the Tommy Vance Friday Rock show "All Time Top Ten" circa late 1979. I heard bands like Yes (Starship Troopers - live) and Rush (Xanadu and 2112) for the first time and they totally blew me away. I had simply never heard anything like it before at a time when I was forming my music taste.

I was going to ask a question about what people thought about the new album title and what it means. I got thinking about it because of an article in the newspaper yesterday about the "Six Degrees of Separation" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation) and the fact that is now more like four degrees due to Facebook.

So I was wondering if the Seventh Degree of Separation is somehow related to this, and of course being a little more terminal in terms of being connected with people! I haven't really had time to study any of Clive's lyrics yet for the album, so maybe the answer is already in there. But as I said, that newspaper article just struck me due to the music I am currently listening to!

[Draco chimera]

Thanks for the welcome, everybody. And yes, I'm a bit of an old 'un. Aged 47, but young at heart, and been a prog rock fan since hearing the Tommy Vance Friday Rock show "All Time Top Ten" circa late 1979. I heard bands like Yes (Starship Troopers - live) and Rush (Xanadu and 2112) for the first time and they totally blew me away. I had simply never heard anything like it before at a time when I was forming my music taste.

I was going to ask a question about what people thought about the new album title and what it means. I got thinking about it because of an article in the newspaper yesterday about the "Six Degrees of Separation" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation) and the fact that is now more like four degrees due to Facebook.

So I was wondering if the Seventh Degree of Separation is somehow related to this, and of course being a little more terminal in terms of being connected with people! I haven't really had time to study any of Clive's lyrics yet for the album, so maybe the answer is already in there. But as I said, that newspaper article just struck me due to the music I am currently listening to!

I guess so. I read somewhere that the degree was 6,5 in 2010, the Sixth degree being a theoritical state not yet reached - but this article may be a bit old. I'll have to check it out again. I guess that somehow, the Seventh degree means death, as it is the main theme for the album, but in which way exactly? I dunno.

[PH]

Hi Derek!

You keep posting those long messages! That's a good thing! Most of us love to read.

I was also thinking about the six degrees of seperation. It basically means that everyone is connected to everyone by six degrees. (I know a friend, who knows a guy at the pub, whose brother has an Irish girlfriend and her mother has a relative in America, who's the niece of the president of the United States.) I think the seventh degree has something to do with crossing the border between life and death.

[PH]

Ha! You beat me to it Draco!

[cabo]

Good album, wish there was a long instrumental(more john mitchell) in there and some of the songs seems a bit "hectic" probably due to length.  But overall a very good album! Sound wise i would love a bit more "focused" drumsound, especially the snare drum is a bit "blurry".

Let's hope for a new album next year I'll preorder for sure!

[PH]

Hi Cabo!

Great to see you checking back once in a while! Perhaps you want to give your take on the previous Arena albums in the "Review series"? Go look for them!

Good album, wish there was a long instrumental(more john mitchell) in there...

Yes, I share that 'complaint'. Compared to "Contagion" which was filled to the brim with Guitar and Keyboard solos and very cool instrumentals, this album focuses more on the vocals. Paul is a great singer, but we simply need more Mitchell on each and every album! His guitar solos are extremely good, so I also think there could be more of that on "The Seventh Degree...". Nonetheless, it is a fantastic album!

...and some of the songs seems a bit "hectic" probably due to length. 

Can you explain that to me?

But overall a very good album! Sound wise i would love a bit more "focused" drumsound, especially the snare drum is a bit "blurry".

I did not notice.

Let's hope for a new album next year I'll preorder for sure!

Let's give the guys a break!
2012 will be a bit early I think (although I won't hold them back!). I set my hopes on 2013.