MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Anoraknophobia

"Changing the face of neo-progressive rock?"

Listening to Anoraknophobia, one really gets a feel for how Marillion has changed over the years. It's been a long time since they paralleled Genesis (with Fish at the helm), and now after a decade with Steve Hogarth, the band is entering the twenty-first century with something quite different from their previous works. In fact, as you can infer from reading Marillion's biography at their site and checking out Barry's "dislikes" on the back insert, they are trying to distance themselves from the whole neo-prog thing (which they helped invent).

Perhaps you can see it coming. Lay out all your Marillion albums, from Script for a Jester's Tear to Marillion.com, then look at the cover for Anoraknophobia. It doesn't quite fit, does it? And just like the clashing cover, the music within is really dissimilar to their previous albums, although it is a reinvention that feels natural, with no contrived deliberation to sound effervescent and cool.

There's a welcome element of diversity here. Songs such as "Map of the World" and "Between You and Me" are warm commercial tracks with undeniably hooks to boot that are far more honest and "real" and the manufactured tripe on the radio these days. Also spread thickly throughout are wonderful, evocative songs like the beautiful and contemplative "When I Meet God" and the ambient "This is the 21st Century." "If My Heart Were A Ball It Would Roll Uphill" sounds like the title belongs on a Meat Loaf album, but fortunately the track is nothing as awkward as Jim Steinman's work. (If you like Meat Loaf... you have my sympathies.) I initially found this song noisy and hard on the ears, but persistence paid off...it's perhaps the most interesting musically, with that densely layered composition and heavy production.

Marillion's latest often tackles unusual song structures, and journeys down paths new to them. This has them straddling lines between a number of styles, which separates them from the masses and keeps them away from being a "me too" band. The trance-like "This is the 21st Century" is a lengthy (11 minutes), spacey song with Hogarth's subtle inflections effectively calling attention to the details of the arrangement. "When I Meet God" is just gorgeous stunner worthy of the band's most sensitive moments, with Kelly's exquisite synth chords giving me goosebumps near the end. "Quartz" is another long one, nearly reaching ten minutes with compelling bass & guitar interplay, dynamic Hogarth vocals, and ambitious melodies.

I'll be honest though -- I was really expecting to be blown away on the first listen. It didn't happen. I liked track 7, because I was familiar with it already (having downloaded it from mp3.com awhile back), and of course the instantly likable "Map of the World," but it took quite a while for this album to really sink in...and it's still got a ways to go, I'm sure. But I've noticed the best albums are like that. For now, anyway, I'm sincerely enjoying what they've put together, and I'm readily cognizant of the long-term listening pleasure this will give me.