SEASONS END

After the Fish departure, the band continued with this great album. In my opinion it shows how important were the other members and that Fish was not all. Of course they lose a fantastic voice and a superb lyricist and creator of conceptual albums. The fact is that after Seasons End and after Vigil in a Wilderness of mirrors, Marillion and Fish, by separated roads, couldn`t reach the same level anymore. By the way, Seasons End is the last great album of Marillion. Of course we have some excelent tracks here and there, but as an album this was the last.

The music even has the same taste of its predecessors, but now with a new voice. Hogarth has a good voice, much different than Fish, but very personal. In Seasons End, he uses his voice in a way, that he would not use anymore in the subsequent albums.

The best tracks:

The King of Sunset Town: Great track. A neoprogressive number, domined by the Rothery's guitar and a great performance of Hogarth.

Eastern: Maybe the best of the album. The track starts as a prog ballad with acoustic guitars and a great melody line very well sung by Hogarth. Then Kelly put some keys inputs, and all flows into an outstanding electric solo by Rothery, after that the track mutates to a moved and non conventional way in which the keyboards, the guitar and Hogarth creates a very good atmosphere.

The space: Another prog one. A rather long track with two different parts. The first one with a good verse and chorus over a great keyboard work. After a guitar solo, the track gets into a different and dramatic ending in which Hogarth stands out again.

The other tracks:

Uninvited guest and After me are two prog-pop tracks, with good solos (guitar and keyboard in each one). Berlin is a neoprog an agressive song, with a good guitar riff support. Seasons End is a quiet and long prog track, that I really like.

Hooks in you and Holloway girl are the weakest side. Hooks in you is a short hard guitar riff based track. Not so bad but a bit mediocre. Holloway girl, just a humdrum song, with nothing to say about it.

As an average is a good effort, and I consider it a good addition. Four stars.