Contagion
Sixteen tracks mixed tightly together, issued in a digipak with room for the two companion EPs.
Arena, 2003
- Released
- January 2003
- Recorded
- February to August 2002
- Studio
- Thin Ice Studios, The Outhouse Studios and Arena Studios
- Label
- Verglas Music
- Producer
- John Mitchell, Clive Nolan
Recorded between February and August 2002, Contagion was produced and mixed by John Mitchell, with Nolan producing and engineering as well. Mastering was by Nick Webb. Nolan wrote the lyrics. Mitchell and Pointer share music credits with Nolan on a number of tracks. The CD came in a digipak with space for the two EPs Contagious and Contagium.
Reviewing it in February 2003, Roberto Lambooy said the narrative-sounding vocals and the way the tracks run together give it the feel of a concept album, with lyrics about someone resisting a world in turmoil. He picked Spectre at the Feast, Skin Game, Mea Culpa and Ascension as the best tracks, and called it tied with Immortal? as the best Arena album.
Track listing
- Witch Hunt4:17
- An Angel Falls1:14
- Painted Man4:41
- This Way Madness Lies3:36
- Spectre at the Feast5:34
- Never Ending Night3:24
- Skin Game4:43
- Salamander4:00
- On the Box2:40
- Tsunami2:38
- Bitter Harvest2:52
- The City of Lanterns1:23
- Riding the Tide4:29
- Mea Culpa3:46
- Cutting the Cards4:57
- Ascension4:34
Personnel
- Rob Sowden vocals
- John Mitchell guitar, backing vocals, producer, mixing
- Clive Nolan keyboards, backing vocals, producer, engineer
- Ian Salmon bass
- Mick Pointer drums
- Nick Webb mastering
- David Wyatt art direction and design
More from Arena
Songs from the Lion's Cage (1995), Pride (1996), The Visitor (1998), Immortal? (2000), Pepper's Ghost (2005), The Seventh Degree of Separation (2011), The Unquiet Sky (2015), Double Vision (2018), The Theory of Molecular Inheritance (2022)
Sources
- Arena: Contagion, Discogs
- Contagion review, Jurriaan Hage (2003-02)