Contagion (Arena album)

Last updated
Contagion
Arena Contagion.jpg
Studio album by Arena
Released 2003
Recorded between February and August 2002 at Thin Ice Studios, The Outhouse Studios and Arena Studios [1]
Genre Progressive rock
Length58:15
Producer Clive Nolan
Arena chronology
Immortal?
(2000)		Contagion
(2003)		 Pepper's Ghost
(2005)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
DPRP(8.75/10) [2]

Contagion is the fifth studio album by the British progressive rock band Arena, released in 2003. Two accompanying EPs, Contagious and Contagium were released shortly afterward. These contain additional songs to flesh out the album's concept, plus a remixed album track each and multimedia content. The EP track listings include their place in the overall running order.

Progressive rock is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States throughout the mid to late 1960s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the style was an outgrowth of psychedelic bands who abandoned standard pop traditions in favour of instrumentation and compositional techniques more frequently associated with jazz, folk, or classical music. Additional elements contributed to its "progressive" label: lyrics were more poetic, technology was harnessed for new sounds, music approached the condition of "art", and the studio, rather than the stage, became the focus of musical activity, which often involved creating music for listening, not dancing.

Arena (band) British band

Arena are an English neo-progressive rock musical group founded in 1995. The band's style ranges from symphonic to hard rock.

Contents

Album track listing

  1. "Witch Hunt" (Clive Nolan) – 4.14
  2. "An Angel Falls" (Nolan, John Mitchell) – 1.13
  3. "Painted Man" (Nolan, Mick Pointer) – 4.39
  4. "This Way Madness Lies" (Nolan, Pointer) – 3.35
  5. "Spectre at the Feast" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 5.33
  6. "Never Ending Night" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 3.23
  7. "Skin Game" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 4.42
  8. "Salamander" (Nolan) – 3.55
  9. "On the Box" (Nolan) – 2.38
  10. "Tsunami" (Nolan, Pointer) – 2.36
  11. "Bitter Harvest" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 2.51
  12. "The City of Lanterns" (Mitchell, Nolan) – 1.21
  13. "Riding the Tide" (Nolan) – 4.26
  14. "Mea Culpa" (Nolan) – 3.43
  15. "Cutting the Cards" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 4.55
  16. "Ascension" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 4.31

Contagious audio track listing

  1. "Vanishing Act (instrumental)" (Nolan) – 4.11
  2. "The Hour Glass" (Nolan) – 5.58
  3. "Contagious (instrumental)" (Nolan) – 4.07
  4. "I Spy" (Nolan) – 2.33
  5. "Witch Hunt" (Special Remix) (Nolan) – 3.42

Contagium audio track listing

  1. "On the Edge of Despair" (Nolan) – 5.40
  2. "The March of Time" (Nolan) – 7.29
  3. "Confrontation (instrumental)" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 5.05
  4. "Salamander" (Special Remix) (Nolan) – 4.45

Personnel

Clive Nolan British musician

Clive Nolan is a British musician, composer and producer who has played a prominent role in the recent development of progressive rock. He has been the regular keyboard player in Pendragon (1986–present), Shadowland (1992–present), Strangers on a Train (1993–1994) and Arena (1995–present), as well as writing lyrics for Arena and producing or co-producing several other bands' albums.

Keyboard instrument class of musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard

A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument played using a keyboard, a row of levers which are pressed by the fingers. The most common of these are the piano, organ, and various electronic keyboards, including synthesizers and digital pianos. Other keyboard instruments include celestas, which are struck idiophones operated by a keyboard, and carillons, which are usually housed in bell towers or belfries of churches or municipal buildings.

Mick Pointer British musician

Michael "Mick" Pointer, originally from Brill in Buckinghamshire, is an English drummer. He is known for his work in the neo-progressive rock bands Marillion and Arena. Away from music, he has also worked as a kitchen designer.

Productions

Karl Groom British musician

Karl Groom is a British guitarist and record producer. He is best known as a founding and the only constant member of the progressive metal band Threshold. His production and mixing credits are mainly with progressive and power metal bands.

Contagion Max

A 10-year Anniversary limited edition was announced with a pre-order campaign in October 2013. All orders made before 7 December were signed by the core members of the band. This re-release adds the EP-tracks and inserts them in the correct places in the concept to finish the album off as was intended. [3]

Track listing

Disc 1

  1. "Witch Hunt" (Clive Nolan) – 4.14
  2. "An Angel Falls" (Nolan, John Mitchell) – 1.13
  3. "Painted Man" (Nolan, Mick Pointer) – 4.39
  4. "Vanishing Act (instrumental)" (Nolan,) – 4.11
  5. "This Way Madness Lies (instrumental)" (Nolan, Mick Pointer) – 3.31
  6. "The Hour Glass" (Nolan) – 5.58
  7. "Bitter Harvest" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 2.51
  8. "I Spy" (Nolan) – 2.33
  9. "Never Ending Night" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 3.23
  10. "Spectre at the Feast" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 5.33
  11. "Skin Game" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 4.42

Disc 2

  1. "Salamander" (Nolan) – 3.55
  2. "On the Box (instrumental)" (Nolan) – 2.38
  3. "Tsunami" (Nolan, Pointer) – 2.36
  4. "On the Edge of Despair" (Nolan) – 5.40
  5. "The City of Lanterns" (Mitchell, Nolan) – 1.21
  6. "Riding the Tide (instrumental)" (Nolan) – 4.26
  7. "Contagious (instrumental)" (Nolan) – 4.07
  8. "March of Time" (Nolan) – 7.29
  9. "Mea Culpa" (Nolan) – 3.43
  10. "Cutting the Cards" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 4.55
  11. "Confrontation (instrumental)" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 5.05
  12. "Ascension" (Mitchell, Nolan, Pointer) – 4.31

The running order for this edition is different from that suggested by the EP booklets. For instance, the Contagium booklet lists "On the Edge of Despair" as "being the track to follow 'Painted Man' and precede 'Vanishing Act'".

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References

  1. ↑ "Arena (11) - Contagion (CD, Album) at Discogs". www.discogs.com. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  2. ↑ "DPRP CD Reviews - 2003 - Volume 4". www.dprp.net. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  3. ↑ "Arena news - Contagion max news (CD, Album) at arena band". www.arenaband.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
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