MARILLION – An Hour Before It’s Dark

The British prog rock legends Marillion surely need no introduction, and after forty years they still manage to bring something that sounds fresh, daring, and vital to the table. This powerful new musical tour de force of theirs is a case in point, and as much as I love and cherish the previous effort, more specifically the “F.E.A.R.” record from 2016, the brilliantly constructed and deeply moving “An Hour Before It’s Dark” may well be one of their finest creations yet.

As full of surprises and richly textured as the LP is, everything flows amazingly well from beginning to end. Nothing seems out of place. Nothing sounds contrived. Not a single note is superfluous. The compositions are evocative and hauntingly beautiful, cinematic in scope and absolutely stunning in terms of how melodically strong and cleverly arranged they are. The album strikes the perfect balance between introspection and the idea of what it means to exist in the world in this day and age and how we relate to each other. When you read Steve Hogarth’s unique set of lyrics, you will know what I mean. I personally loathe reviews where each tune is analyzed and dissected, and the thing is that you need (and let me emphasize the word “need”) to experience this one for yourself, so allow me to merely state that Marillion’s new output is a stroke of genius and one that covers the whole emotional spectrum in its own beguiling and dramatic way. Again, I can think of no better way to mirror the present day and the way in which we are all trying to navigate the labyrinths of life than “An Hour Before It’s Dark”. You need this one.