THIS STRANGE ENGINE

first of all, i would like to say that i'm as big a fan of the 'Fish' era as i am of the 'Hogarth' one...both of them thrill me in their own way.. i set my cap on albuns like Script..., Misplaced Childhood, Seasons End, Holidays In Eden, and this...

there are two ways to look into this one... the one with the eyes of the prog fan who writes a review in PA and the one of the music fan in general who shares his thoughts of this album...i'll choose the second one...

Mariilion have served the prog field for many years and many albums, and won our unquestionable respect...their talent is beyond doubt... Marillion are the neo prog beginners, responsible for masterpieces that kept prog music alive in the 80's, after punk rock faded.. what's more respected is that during the last years, they deliberately escape from the prog stereotypes... sometimes successfully, sometimes not...this time, yes...

'This Strange Engine' is a most beautiful effort, an album where inspiration reaches higher levels...from 'A Man Of A Thousand Faces' to the self titled epic, 'This Strange Engine' brims with ethereal melodies, beautiful strumming and solo guitar work and Hogarth at his best...

'One Fine Day', '80 Days' and 'Memory Of Water' move me every time i listen to them while 'An Accidental Man' is probably the best Marillion rocker of the H era... 'A Man Of A Thousand Faces' is the best opening track since probably their debut album, 'Estonia' is just lovely' and the self titled epic is a lesson for all prog musicians about how to build emotion and essence... the reason this LP doesn't get a fifth star is the lame, supposedly humouristic 'Hope For The Future'...

don't deprive yourself of this beautiful experience just because it doesn't fulfill your prog criteria...enjoy good music...