THE THEORY OF MOLECULAR INHERITANCE

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.

This "The Theory of Molecular Inheritance" is conceptual as were before it "The Visitor" and to a lesser degree "Contagion" two of the most outstanding works of the Virginia Water combo, SURREY. Conceptual also means that all the titles follow one another, sixty-two non-stop minutes of a brilliant energetic neo progressive flirting regularly with our good old family hard rock.

From the first title "Time Capsule" it's big, very big ARENA beyond progressive music, everything is there the six strings of John MITCHELL, the metronomic rhythmic pair of Kylan AMOS and Mick POINTER and the voice, the voice !!!!! Damian WILSON what a throat?listen carefully, we are in the middle of the URIAH HEEP David BYRON period (the ah ah ah), limit it is Clive NOLAN the most discreet (10/10). "The Equation" same fight, calm start before John MITCHELL ignites everything, nice Moog solo in the middle of the piece, the rhythm tumbles my hen as we say at home, it's solid business (8/10 ). Twenty-one grams of music introduced by Kylan AMOS' bass is not much but it's only the title, quiet track (compared to others obviously), Damian plays it for us in the first half before a nice energizing dose in the finale, mister John of course (9/10). A welcome breath without drums, piano/voice, "Confession" to put everyone to sleep after the first eighteen minutes of high intensity (8/10), closes the first third of the work.

"The Heiligenstadt Legacy" for those who do not know the language of GOETHE, it is the heritage of the sanctuary, with a new (arch)angelic Damian between two rises of adrenalinic tension, where he gives it to us Ian GILLAN green years, superb piece that would not have denied the Deep Purple that we all know (9/10), my God it's good. If I were mean I would say that the next track "Field of Sinners" is probably the least interesting of all because the most basic, the most rock n'roll, a bit cultured, I'm still looking for the melody, an instrumental score a bit messy around the third minute in my modest opinion (7/10), on the contrary a piece that should rock on stage. "Pure of Heart" should have been a quiet piece according to its title but not at all, it's even the opposite, it pulsates severely, mister Clive's keyboards have a little trouble being heard, we're there we find with pleasure heepian choirs here and there and a John MITCHELL in fusion (8/10).

The sweet start of "Under the Microscope" the longest (by little) track of the album is a treat, it's calm but invigorating with Clive NOLAN who mooguizes thoroughly and finally an almost instrumental finale to sustain me largely, the exacerbated lyricism of John MITCHELL's guitar with a superb Celtic coloring (who remembers BIG COUNTRY?) from the first to the last second (10/10). We are already arriving at the last quarter of this "The Theory of Molecular Inheritance" with first of all "Integration", the only title under five minutes, if we except the breath of confessional air (see above), begins calm (piano / voice again) before a new simultaneous Nolanian and Mitchellian deluge, there's no way they know how to play the buggers (9/10). "Part of You" is coming, classic piece of a historic ARENA that we could have found on "Songs" or "Pride" concreted by AMOS and POINTER, radiophonic and hymnic at the same time, also cut for concerts (8/10).

The final point of this theory "Life Goes On" a sublime concluding track like the quintessence of a major work of progressive music of the decade, yes, yes... (10/10) a summit, ah this six-string guitar by John MITCHELL, this marvelous vocal phrasing by Damian WILSON and Clive NOLAN which coats the whole thing like a five-starred chef, I remain prostrate in front of this delicious dish. A word about David WYATT's artwork, the same one who had already worked with ARENA for "Contagion" and "Pepper's Ghost", it is simply up to the music, at the top level, original, not necessarily progressive primary sense, but at the top level.