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"Marillion has just produced a new musical gem shining with a thousand lights."
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5/5
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After a "Sound that Can't be Made" finished in a hurry and on the razor's edge, it took five year to Marillion and their producer Michaël Hunter (who was involved in the elaboration of the compositions) to produce their eighteenth album, the fourteenth since Steve Hogarth replaced the famous Fish, with the evolution of style that we know.
For if there is one thing that will quickly become familiar to the listener of "FEAR", it is the style that borrows for a large part from the band's emblematic albums, "Afraid of Sunlight" (with a remake of 'King' on 'FEAR'), "Brave" or even "Marbles". No ferocious musical protrusions as developed previously in a track like 'Gaza', all the violence of the subject is contained in lyrics that are meant to be a vibrant diatribe against today's society and its evolution, tackling the problem of migrants or stomping on the excesses of capitalism. The five tracks are set in a mid-tempo of circumstance where the subtleties of Ian Mosley's drumming are marvellous and present a remarkable unity of tone, a real showcase in which Steve Hogarth's voice comes to lay on, in turn delicate or powerful when the band spreads its wings in choruses full of controlled energy.
As for the instrumentalists, Steve Rothery uses all his usual palette of sounds, even if some may regret that a little more space isn't entirely reserved for him. But it's the alchemy of his playing with the omnipresent keyboards of Mark Kelly and the discreet but always efficient presence of Pete Trevawas' bass that builds these captivating and bewitching atmospheres.
Detached from any marketing contingency and more and more sure of his fact, Marillion takes all the liberty to develop three long tracks exceeding fifteen minutes each, interspersed with two brilliant interludes, whose vibrant and poignant 'White Paper' will bring its share of emotions before 'The New Kings' offers its melodies and unstoppable accompaniments for a track to be undeniably classified among the greatest successes of the band.
Skillfully polished by Michaël Hunter, the production of "FEAR" allows us to capture every moment, every nuance. "FEAR" is an album that takes on its full dimension as the minutes go by, encouraging the listener to repeat each passage to better grasp all its subtleties.
In Mark Kelly's own opinion (in an interview with Prog magazine - September 2016), this album is one of the few in the band's discography where he is satisfied with all the tracks without exception. Marillion has just produced a new musical gem shining with a thousand lights, vector of many emotions, to be placed very high in the hierarchy of desert island albums. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. El Dorado (i) Long-Shadowed Sun - 1:26
02. El Dorado (ii) The Gold - 6:12
03. El Dorado (iii) Demolished Lives - 2:23
04. El Dorado (iv) F E a R - 4:07
05. El Dorado (v) The Grandchildren of Apes - 2:35
06. Living in F E a R - 6:25
07. The Leavers (i) Wake up in Music - 4:27
08. The Leavers (ii) The Remainers - 1:34
09. The Leavers (iii) Vapour Trails in the Sky - 4:49
10. The Leavers (iv) The Jumble of Days - 4:20
11. The Leavers (v) One Tonight - 3:56
12. White Paper - 7:18
13. The New Kings (i) F**k Everyone and Run - 4:22
14. The New Kings (ii) Russia's Locked Doors - 6:24
15. The New Kings (iii) A Scary Sky - 2:33
16. The New Kings (iv) Why Is Nothing Ever True? - 3:24
17. The Leavers (vi) Tomorrow's New Country - 1:47
LINEUP:
Ian Mosley: Batterie
Mark Kelly: Claviers
Pete Trewavas: Basse
Steve Hogarth: Chant
Steve Rothery: Guitares
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
4.6/5 (23 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.7/5 (15 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH MARILLION
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT MARILLION
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