Only five years after the band's creation and two studio albums up its sleeves, Arena managed to deliver one of the greatest albums ever conceived in the prog genre, earning incredible recognition from all its peers and fans alike. The band literally excelled in all the important aspects of what makes an album truly exceptional, displaying amazing musicianship, inspirational songwriting, and an incredible story-line supported by some well thought out metaphorical lyrics, dragging us deep into a haunting journey through a man's mind as he lies in the brink of life and death. There's still, however, a lot of debate around the true meaning of this conceptual album because of the open questions posed by the lyrics. Some say it's strictly related to religious beliefs and the Bible, while others state that it represents a flashback of a man's life just before he is taken by death, and, just so we can start this review with the right picture in mind… there's even different versions of the story between Arena's band members!

But now, really, that's the beauty of it all. The ideal purpose of this concept album (according to Mr. Nolan) is to make every listener relate to it on a personal basis, and give one the opportunity to interpret the story according to one's own experiences. I can only offer you my interpretation of the lyrics and hope that this clarifies some of the most ambiguous concepts from the album, viewing them from the main character's perspective and seeing the story as if we were in fact inside his mind. As to the 'real' meaning of the story… what can I say? It's hard to get inside Clive Nolan's head!

"A Crack in the Ice" - I must say, Arena sure knows how to deliver a forceful intro. A distorted bass line (that will subconsciously haunt us throughout the rest of the album) introduces itself as a strange presence; slowly growing until everything suddenly explodes. With just a few notes by guitarist John Mitchell, and an amazing background rhythm section, the listener is instantly swallowed into the album, awaiting the first lyrics to guide one through the story line. As the music mellows, you are placed in the main character's shoes as you begin to experience intense disillusion and agony. After trying to tame the emotions that are pounding inside your mind, you realize that you've been dealt a big blow on life, and desperately seek an outlet for this pain, consequently challenging this presence ("Visitor") to experience what you are going through … a life-shattering impact that has completely shaken you off your feet and rearranged your world. Suddenly, as the music beautifully glides and soars, you experience some short flashbacks of soothing past memories that momentarily bring comfort, but this temporary relief breaks apart when you remember your reality and the huge loss at your hands. You finally let your feelings take the best of you and force yourself to let go, "falling" through the "crack in the ice." An atmospheric musical passage details a passive journey to the unknown.

"Pins and Needles" - As you vaguely regain consciousness, you feel completely paralyzed and experience distinct surreal feelings, as if you were under the anesthetic influence of a mind-altering drug. With soft and sweet melodies, you recall strong, distant memories that drive your impulses madly and gracefully at the same time. Smooth musical passages fill the song with comfortable and warm relief. Subconsciously, you are fully aware that you are not ready to experience the journey on which you are about to embark. It's a certainty that you're rotting on the inside (or as the lyrics say, have ´pins and needles´) but you are willing to ignore it and prefer to remain a lost soul, avoiding having to deal with these demons. Anyway, you are not given an option. Your fate has already been chosen and you must confront these issues, whether you want it or not.

"Double Vision" - Suddenly, the warm and comfortable vision turns into a nightmare. An up-tempo backing rhythm, with an incredible guitar solo and fantastic drum fills, warns of the danger ahead. Indeed, Wrightson's voice is threatening and sarcastic, aiming to create a haunting atmosphere through the song's lyrics. As you look around, you perceive the world as an unknown and horrible place. Seeing things through this 'new' perspective makes you burst in anger and fear, as an unknown presence reminds you that you can't escape your fate. Oddly enough, you are no stranger to this place, where anger and hate reign. It seems as if lately these feelings are all that matters to you, and you keep finding new ways of embracing them and taking them to the next level. The music then takes little surprising leaps from a hard-edged approach to a more creeping-on-your-back kind of vibe, incarnating a true demonic "Visitor" tailing you down. What strikes you the most is the shocking memory of your past experiences, clearly reminding you that there used to be bright and sunny days and making you truly aware that these recent choices you've taken can only drag you deeper into the abysm. But anyway, there's not much you can do now, considering that this inertia has been increasing its speed for so long, that it's practically impossible to slow down now.

"Elea" (Instrumental) - This instrumental track symbolizes a passage through the journey. The entire track belongs to John Mitchell and he damn well makes the best of it, displaying an amazing and clearly emotional solo that constitutes the backbone of the piece. The melody talks on its own and can clearly express every raw feeling that you are going through without the need for lyrics.

"The Hanging Tree" - It's time for repentance. The world, or should I say, "Your World" is completely shattered by your actions, finally making you realize your wrongdoings and the way you misled your life. It's obvious that you need to go through a deep introspection of your values and beliefs, and forget about all the shallow and superficial appearances that you display on the outside. As Mr. Nolan puts it, it's time for "walking away from the salt and the sand and walking deeper into the land." Lengthy instrumental passages and solos back up the message transmitted by the lyrics and really give a unique soul to the song. A "Hanging Tree" symbolizes all these values and beliefs, which you've pushed aside for so long that they are now haunting you, but it's that purity within that you desperately seek and hope to regain once again.

"A State of Grace" - This brings you back to another intense flashback where you are taken back to the experiences that made you the monster that you are today. Fast-paced riffs and melodies fill the air with tension and grief. Synth-lines and vocal choirs express the shifting moods that you are experiencing, as your first true reason for anger arises. Beginning to notice the torn-apart pieces of your past, you recall that your deception with religious authorities and hypocrite statements made you step away from it all and seek refuge in your closed mind, forgetting about the vital aspects of your "Tree." Being so self-centered hindered you from seeing anything behind the stage-play and drowned all signs of hope. Now you realize that there's still purity behind this big circus and all its charades. Finally, you are waking up to find yourself miles away from the path you should've chosen in the first place.

"Blood Red Room" (Instrumental) - Atmospheric layers, spacey synths, background loops, and indistinct voices come together in a weird, amorphous way; piling together all the small bits and pieces from other stages of your journey, as if all these experiences clashed and took a life of their own. By now, you are asking yourself if this is all really a dream of a twisted and horrifying lesson in life. You've never experienced anything like this and being bombarded by all these thoughts at once tortures you, as if someone was playing with your head.

"In The Blink of an Eye" - Suddenly, as a stressful synth melody foretells, everything breaks loose. As the music begins to ease down, you find yourself trying to give a logical explanation to it all. Worthless efforts add up tension to your nearly shattered mind, as you are taken into yet another small journey. Looking back even further, you recall feeling frustrated by the low points of society. You shamelessly criticize everything and hide behind a wall, feeling that your attitude is justified because the world is a mess. Without any real courage to face your own faults you blame all your misfortunes on anyone that dares to come near you. Guess what, you've just taken another bad step.

"(Don't Forget To) Breathe" - Watch your back. Mr. Satan has just decided to pay you a visit and it's not going to be pretty. The intro's distorted drumbeats perfectly detail the setting of this haunting nightmare. Wrightson's eerily sarcastic vocal lines can put a chill in the back of your spine when clearly saying: "don't even dare to close your eyes." The room is completely darkened by shadows of your distant past, torturing and grinding you down. All these deceptions have made you believe that the world is simply worthless and sad, erasing any sign of hope from your naïve little mind. This is the reason why our current "Visitor" is working his charms with you, due to the "excellent" attitude you've recently been displaying. But just when you think there's no escape from this terrifying place, someone decides it's time to leave. Your mind is blank.

"Serenity" (Instrumental) - Strongly resembling "Elea", this instrumental piece is guided by a Gilmouresque guitar solo melody and some background synth layers. The song closes up another chapter within the storyline. It ends yet another phase of this lengthy journey you have involuntarily taken upon yourself.

"Tears in the Rain" - You've finally come to realize that your personality and attitude towards life haven't been all that helpful. An incredibly melancholic melody line guides us through the grief that your mind is drenched in. On the outside, you keep living life as though everything was fine and perfect but, deep inside, you are struggling to keep yourself together, and the worst part of it all is that you can see yourself in everyone else as well. The guitar solo expresses every last tear you've cried on the inside while you shamelessly stood with pride amongst everyone around you. But guess what? All your ego and overly exploited self-esteem have finally taken a nosedive and crumbled to the point of bringing you down to tears. It is then when the pieces start to fit and you remember a romance gone awry that simply marked the point between sanity and madness, it was the drop that spilled the glass.

"Enemy Without" - Welcome back to your "new" reality. The impacting intro of the closing phase of the journey is perfectly portrayed by a dramatic synth line. Your faith crumbled down such a long time ago that you don't have a clue as to whom to ask for help. Without any other options, you sit down on the floor with hope, just waiting for a sign. You desperately need someone to take you by the hand and give you support, guiding you away from the grief that has torn your life apart. You can also remember the innocence you once held and how it simply began to fade away as you walked deeper into sin ("Don't let the child die here"). Seeking to regain this important part of your life, you scream with your entire soul for help

"Running From Damascus" - As the music flows from the last piece, you begin to feel an embracing presence all around. The title is pretty obvious coming from the whole meaning of this track. The lyrics strike a strong resemblance to the story from the Bible where God redeems a character that lives in sin. Well, history has repeated itself with you. You can feel his presence all around you, pulling you through and saving you from the shameless prison you've created around you. The band uses small passages from other tracks to make a collage of all the experiences that emerged during the journey, giving it a dramatic closing. "Open your eyes" are the last words you can hear as the "Visitor" fades away…

"The Visitor" - A relaxing keyboard melody relieves the stress piled up after our last confrontation with the "Visitor." To your surprise, the journey has ended, and you are back on your feet again…What has really happened? You find yourself still in shock from all the hard emotions you have experienced in, apparently, the blink of an eye. The whole mind-twisting trip was over in a flash but, ironically, it seemed to last an entire lifetime. Countless thoughts begin to surface in your mind, as you find yourself questioning the reason for this traumatic journey into your soul. Was it all a dream or an illusion? Am I even sure if I'm living now? Did it really make a difference? …Only you will know.

-by Javier Elizondo