THE THEORY OF MOLECULAR INHERITANCE

To say I had low expectations for this album is a serious understatement. For me, Arena's last meaningful release was back in 2005 - the years since marked with half-hearted attempts to be regarded as an ongoing band. Upon learning that Damian would be involved I felt quite apprehensive, dreading that such flawless voice would be wasted on insipid material. So they had their work cut out to convince me they still had it in them, therefore this came to be a complete surprise. A hallmark of a good album? You love more than two songs. Of a great one? No fillers. And this one hasn't got a bad track. A couple of them start of as inconsequential and simple, but quickly change into something unexpected and interesting. The whole atmosphere is a lot darker and edgier; there's a plethora of prog elements and finally they offered us long instrumental sections that used to be standard in the olden days. Damian brought a completely new dimension to their music, his vocals complimenting the musical layers beautifully. Insufficient to say that he absolutely nailed it, his combination of technical brilliance and emotional delivery always showcases songs in the best light. Time signatures and rhythm sections were brilliantly executed, with 'Field of Sinners' as an absolute highlight. I'm happy to hear Mitchell finally being more involved, proper guitar's been missing for over a decade. Melody is what Clive does best - 'The Heiligenstadt Legacy', 'Part of You' and 'Life goes On' are perfect examples of rousing choruses mixed with a great deal of sadness. Overall, numerous original parts wrapped in recognisable Arena style. I can't imagine many fans disliking this. Artistic redemption, if ever I have seen one.