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

Is it sacrilege to prod prog icons with a quizzical stick? Given the sheer quantity and quality of their output over the years - (Fish? Hogarth? Still? After all this time? Who really cares any more?) - it goes without saying that Marillion are tantamount to untouchable. They have given me countless hours of great listening pleasure. But, on the evidence of FEAR, it seems the tank is draining fast. I wasn't over-struck by "Sounds that can't be made" but at least it contained sufficient melodies to keep it afloat. FEAR takes us a step backward, and downwards. It's just a listless, plaintive elegy for The Unfairness of It All, tapping into the rich nostalgia seam already comprehensively mined by Big Big Train (another band seemingly going off the boil at the time of writing, by the way) but comes up with nothing new. I read the eulogies from all and sundry and must bow to other people's judgement, but I have to say that very little in FEAR made me pause, heartfelt lyrics included. I waited for the key moments, but, El Dorado II aside, I waited in vain. Not a record for me to listen to in future, I'm afraid. Three stars is being over-generous, but I'm a generous soul.