Marillion
This Strange Engine

THE REVIEW

In 1997, ten years have passed since the release of "Clutching At Straws," the swan song of the original lineup with Fish on vocals. Marillion are now fully immersed in the Hogarth era and have shifted their stylistic coordinates, moving away from the typically neo-progressive idioms that they themselves had largely helped to create. After the initial bewilderment of those who had learned to love them during the Fish period, they have demonstrated an excellent ability to reinvent themselves, releasing in 1994 "Brave," considered one of the artistic peaks of their career and marking the definitive passing of the test they were subjected to, Hogarth above all, until then.

In 1997, "This Strange Engine" is released, their first work for their new label Castle Records after the end of their relationship with EMI and after the not too acclaimed "Afraid Of Sunlight," which opens a not-so-lucky period, commercially speaking, for the group, losing a bit of visibility yet demonstrating they still have something to say.

The opening is entrusted to the acoustic guitar chords of "Man Of A Thousand Faces," a song in which it is difficult to recognize the band of "Script For A Jester's Tear" or "Fugazi," and where not many prog elements can be found. However, it grows and builds gradually to a long final coda where Hogarth's voice is accompanied by a children's choir. The subsequent "One Fine Day" and "80 Days" are two other excellent tracks that confirm the impression made by the opener: Marillion have decided to adhere to song form more than they have ever done in the past, allowing fewer variations on the theme, and the result is not bad at all. To definitively dispel all doubts comes "Estonia," a wonderful piece inspired by Steve Hogarth's meeting with one of the survivors of the Estonia ferry sinking in the Baltic Sea, characterized by the sound of the balalaika.

The level remains very good even in "Memory Of Water," focused mainly on Hogarth's voice, and "An Accidental Man," where the prog soul timidly resurfaces; the only significant dip, in my opinion, is in "Hope For The Future," a not entirely successful experiment in using Caribbean sounds. Fortunately, the last track, "This Strange Engine," comes to raise the level, reminding us that prog still runs in Marillion's veins and does so splendidly: 15 minutes in which the atmosphere changes multiple times, leaving more space also for Rothery and Kelly's solos, as well as a saxophone intervention.

Marillion will have to wait for the release of "Marbles" in 2003 to completely regain the favor of their audience and prove they still have a say, but looking back the nine years from "Brave" are not to be overlooked and "This Strange Engine" definitely holds its own in their discography.

Therefore, it deserves 4 stars...