THE THEORY OF MOLECULAR INHERITANCE

ARENA The Theory of Molecular Inheritance

The 30-year old band of "NeoProggers" are back with another album, their tenth and first in four years. Thanks to the absolute perfect fit of power-singer Damian Wilson, this may be one of their best.

1. "Time Capsule" (5:30) incredible vocal performance--perhaps the best I've ever heard from prog veteran Damian Wilson. (9.5/10)

2. "The Equation (The Science of Magic)" (6:29) rather dull despite the excellent final 90 seconds. (8.25/10)

3. "Twenty-One Grams" (6:34) stereotypic drum play beneath the heavy verses but not in the more delicately textured soundscapes in the choruses. Another nice vocal performance from Damian. (8.667/10)

4. "Confession" (2:20) sounds a bit Broadway theatric. Perhaps Damian has done Phantom or Cats. (4.25/5)

5. "The Heiligenstadt Legacy" (5:42) a story song with wide dynamic range, it sounds so much like a classic rock song by JOURNEY or BON JOVI or something like that (I wouldn't really know: I was never a fan or collector of that kind of music). (8.5/10)

6. "Field of Sinners" (6:27) has a cinematic quality as well as a Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak" sound and feel to it. Nice guitar work from John Mitchell. I'm a little tired of these "borrowed" drum tracks: its as if Mick Pointer plays from programs injecting little or none of his own personality into his performances. When Damian is belting it he sounds so (too) much like some classic rock singer from the 1980s (if not Phil Lynott). (I'm too tired and lazy and disinterested to find out who.) A solid song with nice textures and layers but nothing new or special here. (8.75/10)

7. "Pure of Heart" (6:18) Standard heavy prog with a 1980s Power Rock/Metal sound and feel. (8.5/10)

8. "Under the Microscope" (6:51) perfectly matched music and vocal performance for the first two minutes before a PINK FLOYD "Comfortably Numb" chorus takes over. Speeding along after that is some excellent racing prog with both Clive and John firing on all cylinders. (13/15)

9. "Integration" (4:48) Damian singing some very powerful lyrics about the topic of nature v. nurture over piano and later synth. At the end of the third minute, Damian finishes, releasing the hounds to express themselves in a kind of Clive Nolan-dominated Scottish reel. Very Tony Banks/Genesis-like. (8.75/10)

10. "Part of You" (5:54) Damian sings "the world has done" over pulsing keyboard "strings" for the first minute before a more metal bass musical soundscape establishes itself as the foundation for the rest of the song. Like an old LOVERBOY song. Too clich'. (8.33/10)

11 "Life Goes On" (5:11) piano chord arpeggi are joined by Damian for a little intro before the rest of the band joins in. The music is rather unexceptional, the lyrics obtuse to me, and John Mitchell's solo is seasoned and fiery. The band ramps up for the final 90 seconds with its choral repetition of the song's title. A very solid studio song. (8.667/10)

Despite being the most likable Arena album I've heard (so far, I've only heard The Visitor, Immortal? and Contagion), this is, to my ears, nothing more than splicing and dicing of recapitulated sounds and riffs from past masters with a great singer singing about topics more relevant to current times.

B-/3.5 stars; a very good addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially for the masterful performances of singer Damian Wilson.

After three disappointing albums with singer Paul Manzi, Arena, in my opinion, had reached a somewhat stagnant point in their career. The golden era with Rob Sowden was behind them, and it didn't seem like things were going to get better.

However, 'The Theory of Molecular Inheritance' was released in 2022 to reignite hope for the band's fans!

Thanks to the addition of an exceptional singer with a unique voice, Damian Wilson, known primarily for his work with Threshold, Clive Nolan and Mick Pointer have produced a series of exceptionally high-quality songs, pure neo-prog of the finest vintage, which will delight lovers of this sub-genre.

The only downsides to note might be the abundance of mid-tempo and introspective songs, which occasionally slow down the album's pace. However, this is offset by Wilson's superb performance and the excellent instrumental work, with Nolan and Mitchell shining as always, perfect on their respective instruments.

So, if like me, you thought Arena was finished, I urge you to listen to this album, which undoubtedly returns them to the neo-prog Olympus, where they should never have left. Just typical Arena in their finest fort. Nothing more, nothing less!

Top tracks: The Equation (one of the songs that leaves the best impression on the first listen), Field of Sinners (reminiscent of some of the best moments of the excellent Pepper's Ghost), Pure of Heart (a tremendous chorus, with a vibrant Damian Wilson), Integration (the track where Nolan shines most intensely), and Under the Microscope (Mitchell's final solo might be the best of his entire career).

My Rating: ****