On March 4, 2022 "Marillion" released their 19th studio album "An Hour Before It's Dark".
This is the band's first studio album in 6 years, since "Fuck Everyone and Run (F E A R)"ת released in September 2016.
Similar to the previous album, "An Hour Before It's Dark" was recorded at Peter Gabriel's "Real World" studios, which also provided the perfect atmosphere for the writing and recording process. Simultaneously with the recording of the album, the band shot a documentary that accompanies the creation process, behind-the-scenes footage about the creation of the album, which includes a performance of the song "Murder Machines".
In November 2021 we got our first taste of the album. The band released "Be Hard On Yourself", the opening track of the album, which from the first listen proved there is definitely something to look forward to. A "Marillionish" typical track, exciting and complex, divided into three parts and spread over more than 9 minutes.
It's interesting to note, that four of the 7 songs on the album, are complex works, each of which is divided into three to five parts. The opening piece "Be Hard On Yourself", the track "Reprogram The Gene" which was influenced by Covid-19 and end with the question "A Cure For Us?", The musical piece "Sierra Leone" that corresponds with the protest in another band's song - "Gaza" from the album "Sounds That Can't Be Made" and of course "Care", which seals this excellent and fascinating album.
If you ask us, "Care" is perhaps the best of the 4 musical works and we will go even further and claim that it is perhaps among the best tracks of "Marillion" in recent years. A three-part track that begins in the depths of despair before rising and ending with promise and optimism. The second section of the piece "An Hour Before It's Dark", gave the album its name. The band members surpass themselves here. Pete Trewavas shows that he's still one of the best bass players in prog and maybe in general, Steve Rothery's guitar never ceases to amaze us, especially in the third track "Every Cell". Keyboardist Mark Kelly delivers some of the magical moments and even "plays" with electronic music in the first part of the track, drummer Ian Mosley knows exactly when he needs to resist and be gentle and Hogarth, he is as exciting as ever with a voice that sometimes whispers in your ear and penetrates your bones and in other moments is deep and melts your heart. There is no doubt that this track showcases the band's impressive writing abilities.
Despite the melancholy reflected in some of the tracks on the album, "An Hour Before It's Dark" is one of the most optimistic albums in "Marillion"'s career. Yes, they still criticize, protest, and write about not-so-simple topics, but even when they write about Covid-19 it is done in a much more hopeful way, which has led the band to call "An Hour Before It's Dark" their most optimistic album to date.
Song List:
01. Be Hard On Yourself
i. The Tear In The Big Picture
ii. Lust For Luxury
iii. You Can Learn
02. Reprogram The Gene
i. Invincible
ii. Trouble-Free Life
iii. A Cure For Us?
03. Only A Kiss (Instrumental)
04. Murder Machines
05. The Crow And The Nightingale
06. Sierra Leone
i. Chance In A Million
ii. The White Sand
iii. The Diamond
iv. The Blue Warm Air
v. More Than A Treasure
07. Care
i. Maintenance Drugs
ii. An Hour Before It's Dark
iii. Every Call
iv. Angels On Earth
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music