FUGAZI

Fugazi is a more mature but a harder and darker album than Script. For me, it shows that as far as influence goes, Fish owed more to the lyrical output of Peter Hammill rather than Peter Gabriel with nods in the direction of Alex Harvey. It also shows that whilst influenced by Genesis musically they could not simply be written off as Genesis clones. Marillion easily match the complexity of Genesis on this release but also introduce a sense of menace and edginess that set the two well apart. This is particularly reflected by Emerald Lies, She Chameleon, and Incubus which are tracks that challenge the listener as their compositional structure makes for uneasy listening but provides rewards in the former of subtle nuances that only emerge with repeated plays (and I've played it countless times since I bought my first copy of it on LP way back on its release date in the mists of 1984).

The other tracks are more accessible but deal with equally dark subject matter. Particularly the title track which remains an absolute classic of the genre even after some 20+ years. As does the album itself, which I feel benefits from the more disciplined and experienced presence of Ian Mosley on drums (not that Mick Pointer was a bad drummer as is witnessed by his work with Arena).

Overall, I consider this another essential album by Marillion at a time when they were at their peak in terms of their influence and impact on the prog scene. In the unlikely event that you don't have it, then you should get it as soon as possible as I can't recommend this release highly enough.