ANORAKNOPHOBIA

According to fans and Wikipedia, Marillion are known for pioneering crowdfunding, at least when it comes to music. The band had originally used this method to fund a U.S. tour in 1997, and subsequently used crowdfunding to fund their studio albums. Marillion were struggling in terms of commercial success at that time. Fortunately, crowdfunding was a massive success for Marillion and in many ways saved the band, allowing them to continue making music and performing live. This is a testament to Marillion's loyal fan base. 'Anoraknophobia' was the first crowdfunded Marillion album. I was incredibly disappointed after listening to its mediocre predecessor, 'Marillion.com.' Before I heard a note from this album, I was immediately worried from the terrible album cover. However, the music is definitely better than 'Marillion.com,' but I still consider it to be one of the weakest Marillion albums.

'Anoraknophobia' is probably one of the heavier albums Marillion has written. Many of these songs are energetic and sound more like jams than meticulously structured pieces of music. I suppose that makes sense as the band primarily write through jamming together, but I think that it's especially apparent on this record. 'Anoraknophobia' also sees the band attempting to depart from their neo-prog past. Ironically, a sample of "Chelsea Monday" from their debut album, 'Script for a Jester's Tear,' is used on "If My Heart Were a Ball It Would Roll Uphill." Nowadays, Marillion no longer resent the progressive label. However, when 'Anoraknophobia' was released in 2001, prog was considered a "dirty" word. Marillion borrow from a myriad of influences on this record, including rap, funk, jazz, and blues. The opening track, "Between You and Me," and "Map of the World," are accessible pop rock songs in the style of U2. Steve Hogarth raps on "Quartz." This song in particular is fairly simple in terms of structure despite being 9 minutes long, as it's built around a single bass line. "When I Meet God" is a beautiful song, though I'm not sure how I feel about the second half of the song with that weird computerized voice.

In my opinion, the weakest tracks on 'Anoraknophobia' are "The Fruit of the Wild Rose" and "Separated Out." I find both songs to be forgettable. My favorite track on the album is definitely the penultimate and longest track, "This is the 21st Century." I love Steve Hogarth's bleak lyrics coupled with the cinematic, emotional accompaniment. Steve Rothery also plays an excellent snake charmer guitar solo. I feel that this piece would've ended the album better than the closing track, "If My Heart Were a Ball It Would Roll Uphill," which is a straightforward heavy rocker.

In conclusion, 'Anoraknophobia' is like the light at the end of the tunnel, indicating that not all hope is lost for Marillion. This was the album where the greatness of subsequent albums such as 'Marbles' and 'Happiness is the Road' were sown, and the loyal Marillion fans would soon reap the harvest. 'Anoraknophobia,' in many ways, is the end of an era in Marillion's history. However, when contemplating this album in isolation, it's only a bit better than 'Marillion.com.' As I said earlier, that is my least favorite Marillion album. Outside of a couple standout tracks ("This is the 21st Century," "When I Meet God,") the rest of 'Anoraknophobia' is merely OK. 6/10