INTERNAL EXILE

It's not an excellent album but some tracks are worth enjoying. "Shadowplay" is really the best track of this album. I love this track since the first time I listened to this album. The song is really energetic with some thematic style especially when Fish sings in a poetry reading style. Talking about this style, it reminds me to Marillion "Misplaced Childhood" album where there are many songs with similar singing style. This track is opened with a silent keyboard sound with a great melody. The music than immediately enters its body with a dazzling rhythm ( I like the vibraphone-like sound in this opening). It then was followed by Fish voice "Hunched foetal in the corner of my soul ." WOW! It's really great opening! It really reminds me to early Marillion music! Fish vocal quality is really excellent! "I saw your life as a shadowplay .". I think this track is one of the best songs that Fish has ever produced. So uplifting, so stunning! I don't really mind if this song was played by Marillion with Fish as lead voice. Another world, actually there was no reason the members of the band to reject this kind of music if this would experience the same as "Family Business" was rejected. It's a pity.

Second track "Credo" is another uplifting and upbeat track. The tagline melody is also excellent. In this track, Fish still maintains his high tone vocal in a controlled way even with this relatively rocking track. "Just Good Friends (close)" is a slow track but it's not as nice as Marillion's "Sugar Mice" or "Chelsea Monday" or "She Chameleon". I consider this track is good if I listen to it in the right mood. Otherwise, it's just an ordinaru track. "Tongues" is another track that is good to enjoy (especially its unique sound "auuuummmm..."), but "Internal Exile" is more interesting as it has better ingredients of tight composition. This title track is influenced heavily by traditional Scott music. It's a perfect blend of rock and traditional music. Good track!

Overall, this album are good with some excellent tracks: "Shadowplay" (masterpiece!), "Credo" and "Internal Exile". Some influence of early Marillion is still there but it's not much. Rating 3 / 5. Gatot Widayanto, Indonesia.