Arachnes - In Praise Of Science (2006)

I've never got particularly excited over Arachnes, and since this is their last album until 2011, I think I'll put them aside and move them to eBay selling time.
But, to their credit, they've done their best work here.  As usual for them, the highlights are on the first half, Enzo Caruso showing his deft piano skills with the opening "Ouverture" (which are streets ahead of his lamentable vocal skills, from the wobbly tone to terrible diction), before such songs as "Gothic Description" and "Just Try and Hit Me" prove to be fine pieces of metal.  The instrumental, three-part "Mediterranean Suite" is good too, before things fade a bit on the second half.
I think In Praise Of Science (I've got a few atheist friends who'd love that title) is the first Arachnes release not to have any artwork related to spiders, but since that seemed to have more to do with the band's name than any of their material, it's no great loss.
I can completely forget about Arachnes, and maybe I will, but this record is certainly worth a few listens.

***1/2