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Rating:
For many, they're still Fish's band; some even know them for just one song. Many think they no longer exist just because they've used up their 15 minutes of fame, or they simply wonder, “what happened to them?”... Meanwhile, Marillion are on their seventeenth album of original material, and the quality levels are always incredible, fully capable of competing with the milestones of the past.
“F E A R (Fuck Everyone and Run)” is thus another amazing album, with all the necessary observations. If you love what the band has done in the Hogarth era, you probably won't be disappointed.
The atmosphere is relaxed, muffled, and expansive, which has been the strength of albums like “Brave,” “Afraid of Sunlight,” “Marbles” (perhaps the album most similar to this latest release), and “Sounds That Can't Be Made.” However, this time, they are more delicate and relaxed than ever, seemingly pushing everything to the extreme. The rhythms are always very soft, with delicate keyboards and refined effects, gentle guitar touches that sometimes intensify, as well as soft string inserts or instruments like xylophones or hammered dulcimers continue to dominate the band's sound, but all of this is intentionally more stretched out than usual. The choice to focus on intricate suites has proven decisive; the album, in fact, consists of only 6 tracks, three of which are suites composed of multiple movements.
This expansiveness, however, also presents its flaws. The desire to fully exploit the delicacy and refinement means that it becomes slightly repetitive, yet without tiring the listener. A bit more dynamism and variety wouldn't hurt, and the different movements of the suites, in some cases, could be better connected.
Among the positives are Pete Trewavas's bass lines, which are impactful without being intrusive. I was pleasantly surprised by Ian Mosley's drumming: I've always found him to be too anonymous a drummer and therefore never paid much attention to his drumming, but this time I heard several interesting strokes in his drumming, strokes that emerge in the tranquility and slightly color his composed and calm drumming.
Overall, “F E A R” is a great album, a standout release of the past year, and yet another excellent album from a band that certainly needs no introduction. However, there's the shadow of the “already heard,” which lowers the overall judgment, albeit very slightly; the mix of elements now seems a bit too overused and common to too many albums. It works this way, but a change of direction at this point would be welcome.
Tracklist
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