band ramps up for the final 90 seconds with its choral repetition of the song's title. A very solid studio song. PINK FLOYD "Comfortably Numb" chorus takes over. Speeding along after that is some excellent racing prog with The tenth Arena studio-album should have been out somewhere in 2020 with new vocalist Damian Wilson (Headspace/Threshold) making his debut, but through circumstances (including the pandemic) recordings and tour arrangements were postponed. It took another two years for there was finally some new work available. The band is currently touring the UK promoting their latest epic release ‘The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance’. KEY MEMBERS REMAINED CONFIDENT The Theory of Molecular Inheritance finds this grand band in extremely rude health. It is an extremely thoughtful and well performed album and up there with the best of 2022. I have enjoyed the contributions of all Arena vocalists throughout the years, and, besides, I am not particularly keen on “best of” comparisons, especially as I have enjoyed all their albums. So, let us say this. Wilson is a mighty fine addition to the line-up, as we knew he would be, and he is the perfect vocalist for this iteration of the band. Long may he remain so, and long may the band continue to delight us.

The only downsides to note might be the abundance of mid-tempo and introspective songs, which occasionally The album will be available on turquoise vinyl, a deluxe edition Ear Book and as a standard CD. Artwork by David Wyatt. Time Capsule" (5:30) incredible vocal performance--perhaps the best I've ever heard from prog veteran Damian programs injecting little or none of his own personality into his performances. When Damian is belting it he sounds The Equation (The Science of Magic)" (6:29) rather dull despite the excellent final 90 seconds. (8.25/10)

Notes

Part of You" (5:54) Damian sings "the world has done" over pulsing keyboard "strings" for the first minute keys by Clive Nolan and a majestic guitar solo (with Celtic influences?) from John Mitchell. Finally, It would be a surprise if this album is not to be at the very top of my annual list this year and that despite of the beautiful An Hour before it's Dark by Pointer's former mates.I can't wait to hear the new songs live but I'm also very curious to see and hear how the older work sounds with Damian as vocalist. It can hardly be otherwise than that it must be an added value. I understand he's already rehearsing Solomon. To say that this tenth studio album by the British combo was expected is the most singular pleonasm and for various reasons, four years after the mixed "Double Vision", the Covid 19 pandemic having passed through there as for the whole world, musical or nope. The first of these reasons is obviously the change in the position of principal vocalist with the departure of the discussed but nevertheless honorable Paul MANZI and the arrival of one of the sizes of progressive music for a good twenty years, Damian WILSON. What's also a reason for me lies in the fact that it is a concept album and that has produced the best albums so far and I think this album is as good as Contagionand The unquiet Skyand those also are classy albums. The songs fit together very well and there is a lot of dynamics in songs like Time Capsuleand The Equation and they slowdown in the right places. Especially in these pieces Wilson shows how easily he switches from full power to wonderful melancholy. Too bad the songs don't really flow into eachother. However, the breaks between the songs are minimal so you still get the feeling of a flowing whole.

slow down the album's pace. However, this is offset by Wilson's superb performance and the excellent and his voice really shines on Arena's tenth studio album! Furthermore, The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance As with most of the songs here “Field Of Sinners” starts off with scene setting sounds and a restrained intro before building into something more energetic, although this time there’s an unsettling feel as things progress. “Pure of Heart” possesses great, heavy guitars as Nolan lays the foundations alongside Pointer and Amos, while Mitchell injects the urgency. Whereas “Under The Microscope” may well be one of the less heavy songs, but with Wilson turning in another fine vocal and Mitchell adding light and shade to Nolan’s excellent keys before the pair spark off each other to even greater effect, it’s just as hard hitting. before a more metal bass musical soundscape establishes itself as the foundation for the rest of the song. Like an

Release

Despite being the most likable Arena album I've heard (so far, I've only heard The Visitor, Immortal? and Contagion), Confession" (2:20) sounds a bit Broadway theatric. Perhaps Damian has done Phantom or Cats. (4.25/5) In case you can’t already tell, I’m a fan. I’ll go even further: this is probably my album of the year (contending with Lonely Robot’s A Model Life) and what follows is nothing less than a screed of uncritical pietas for anyone who cares to listen as to exactly why.

The album closes with Life Goes On, which is quite simply a paeon to the mix of science and faith. Our existence here is only a part of the universe, and it is here that I empathise with the album and Nolan very much. I am a man of faith, but I am not a man of organised religion, responsible for many ills in our history. I do deeply believe that there must be a purpose to all of this, an infinity of souls as the song transposes. The final passage musically soars alongside Wilson’s forceful emotive insistence that life does go on. Brilliant and deeply moving.Integration" (4:48) Damian singing some very powerful lyrics about the topic of nature v. nurture over piano and

Some people I’ve spoken to feel that The Theory… is maybe more prog metal than Arena have been before, but I’d suggest that this album is a slightly heavied up return to the Contagion sound, capturing big bold riffs alongside the much more atmospheric storytelling grandioseness that The Visitor also illustrated so well. After early preconceptions I’d say that the marriage of Arena and Damian Wilson is perfection - he’s the best singer the band has had and this might be their best album to date - and those are both quite the accolades.

ARENA The Theory of Molecular Inheritance reviews

to the neo-prog Olympus, where they should never have left. Just typical Arena in their finest fort. Nothing more, Field of Sinners" (6:27) has a cinematic quality as well as a Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak" sound and feel to it. Nice guitar