Arena
Venezuela’s Arena hypes their music as having “sarcasm and energy in each song.” And they’re not kidding. The alt-rock band’s musicology consists of simple, confident melodies with chugging guitars, roiling drums and girl-boy vocal tradeoffs. “No Hay Lugar Para Mi” (“No Place For Me”) is a restless, jumpy rocker about bucking the system. Arena describes “Volver A Nacer” (“Reborn”) as encapsulating the whole concept of their sound—it’s a mad scramble of thrusting guitars, rumbling bass lines and thrashing drums. Part metal, part punk, all adrenaline. The Venezuelan version of youth gone wild, “Parapapás” sounds a rebel yell, warning kids not to let others force their ideologies on them. But Arena doesn’t draw a line in the sand between “us” and “them.” ‘Olvidado” (“Forgotten”) is a ballad about the nation’s veterans, sung with vigor and feeling. It’s a far cry from the sarcasm of other songs, but sometimes earnestness can be just as punk.
“Volver A Nacer” – Arena
