F E A R (F*** EVERYONE AND RUN)

So here we are once more to talk about Marillion's new stuff. Once more their latest work is subsequent to a pre-order, then there is the promotional tour, maybe with a LIVE record, then there will be the Marillion Weekend followed by a DVD and so on and on, with a tried and tested mechanism to earn money, well supported by the huge quantity of fans. Before going on I need to make you notice that I know Marillion since their very first start, and I loved them in both Fish and H lives.

I've listened to FEAR several times then I decided to write down this review, which is a step forward with the respect of the preceding STCBM, when I was totally unimpressed.

The overall impression is that this new work is better than the preceding album, there are no silly songs as "Pour My Love" or "Invisible Ink", there are long suites in the classical aim of progressive rock songs. My perception is that the sounds and the song structures come from preceding recording sessions as MARBLES or BRAVE (don't be surprised... these are their best works in H era and are extremely beloved by fans) or also something from THIS STRANGE ENGINE. The result brings, in my opinion, to useless long suites built up with cut&paste of several sketches, without energy, inspiration and creativity. The guitar solos, once one of their best things, come out always in the same way, with the same register and the same pattern. The drummer work seems unenthusiastic, poor of ideas and even the drums sound seems too grave and vintage, as if it would have been recorded with only two overhead microphones, instead of a complete set on the single components of the drumkit. Too bad! On the other hand, Mark Kelly seems to have found another time that beautiful way to play piano, which was among the beautiful things of Marillion sound (remember how strong and incisive was the chord which followed 'So here I am once more..." in the first album) and Pete's bass is always precise, well rounded and rich of good patterns. I've found very interesting and captivating the sumptuous end of "The New Kings", but when you have to wait almost an hour for an emotion in a CD, something's not going in the right way, don't you think?

At the end I think that Marillion have a huge amount of unreleased stuff in their wardrobes, and they eventually extract from it what their fans prefer, since they've paid for the new album in advance. Hoping the provisions will end as soon as possible I cannot give more than 2 stars. 2.5 for the love I had for this band in the past.