13TH STAR

I was never too much keen on Marillion (any era) and never realized that their former singer and frontman, a certain Derek Dick aka FISH, had built a solid and massive solo career until recently and even concerned about this issue, it didn't make me wish to write the folks at home. Things started to change when a great friend of mine, my dear compadre gifted me with FISH's 2007 release titled "Thirteenth Star" - it really impressed me hugely.

Apart from a couple of easy-to-pick tracks, this album contains dark and somber material that requires a lapse of time to get into but once you get, you go truly amused. Labeled as a neo-prog artist FISH, in reality, presents a work much more in the eclectic vein than anyone might suppose and the staring moments runs in a crescendo as the tracks pass by your mind and ears. The Gabriel-esque vocals are still there but now creature levels with the creator and the results are amazing. Support musicians do a great job, contributing immensely for the grabbing atmosphere and the general production is high, including the astonishing and well-crafted cover art work; also, according to my English-speaker friends, lyrics make sense.

'Circle line', the opener and the poignant 'Zöe 25' compose the catchier part of the album, together with the lovely 'Miles de besos'. On the other side the trilogy formed by the sequence 'Manchmal', 'Openwater' and 'Dark star' provides the best moments here - the Genesis-like environment is indelible. Other songs are merely average but the last track, '13th star', leaves a fine and tasteful good-bye to the album.

This release made me wish to check all previous FISH output and also to look more closely for his vintage work with Marillion; thence even not reaching the masterliness realm I rate "Thirteenth Star" as an excellent addition to any prog collection.