Arrival | ||||
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Cover art by Chris Moore
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Studio album by Journey | ||||
Released | December 2000 (Japan) April 3, 2001 (US) |
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Recorded | Avatar Studios, New York City, 1999-2000 | |||
Genre | Hard rock, arena rock | |||
Length | 73:57 | |||
Label | Columbia/Sony | |||
Producer | Kevin Shirley | |||
Journey chronology | ||||
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Japanese edition cover | ||||
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Rolling Stone | (mixed) |
PopMatters | (favorable) |
Arrival is the eleventh studio album by the American rock band Journey, released in the United States in 2001. A version with one substituted song was released in Japan in 2000. The album was the band's first full-length studio album with new lead vocalist Steve Augeri, who replaced popular frontman Steve Perry, and with Deen Castronovo, who replaced Steve Smith as the band's drummer.
"Arrival" exhibits hard rock influences akin to the band's material from the 1970s and 1980s, while also featuring several ballads in the signature style the band achieved with Perry. Frontman Augeri's vocal work also retains a style quite similar to Perry. While relatively successful commercially, reaching the #12 spot on Billboard's Top Internet Albums chart, Arrival ended up receiving mixed critical reviews, with publications such as Allmusic labeling the release as too derivative, while praising certain elements, such as Neal Schon's guitar playing.
The album was first released in Japan in late 2000 but, due to Internet leakage, the band decided to delay its release in the United States. Based on feedback from fans who heard the leaked version, the band decided to record two harder rocking songs, "World Gone Wild" and "Nothin' Comes Close," which were included on the American version of the album, which now did not retain "I'm Not That Way" from the Japanese release.
Arrival produced a minor adult contemporary hit with the ballad "All the Way." Peaking at No. 56 on Billboard's album chart,Arrival was the band's first album to not receive at least gold status since 1977's Next. It was also their last studio album under Columbia Records, which had been the band's label since their self-titled 1975 debut.