AFRAID OF SUNLIGHT

After showing the existing fans that they still could create some original and interesting music Marillion took this idea a step further. The results of this progression are present on Afraid Of Sunlight and should probably not only please the fans but also introduce new audiences to the band's music.

Anyone expecting another Brave would be slightly disappointed by this release although I doubt that there are all that many people like that considering the transitions that the band had undergone over the years. The moody atmospheric style is still here but it's complemented by much clearer melodies and a few lighter music moments as well. I guess that it was important for Marillion to show that they could still have fun which generally results bands taking this idea way too far. Luckily this is not the case with the material featured on this particular release although Marillion will be guilty of this on their later albums.

I've heard that Afraid Of Sunlight features a loose concept but I honestly never noticed it until only recently and it doesn't really make much of a diffidence in this case considering that the individual tracks work well as stand-alone pieces of music. Considering that there are a total of eight different compositions here, the album features quite a few excellent moments to choose from. Everything from the quirky Cannibal Surf Babe, wonderful ballad rightly titled Beautiful, brilliant album title-track and the somewhat overproduced Beyond You make this also the most versatile Hogarth-era Marillion release. The band was going in many different directions and, most importantly, succeeding in most of these experiments.

Afraid of Sunlight is so far my favorite Hogarth-era release marking another creative peak in Marillion's career.

***** star songs: Cannibal Surf Babe (5:46) Afraid Of Sunlight (6:50)

**** star songs: Gazpacho (7:28) Beautiful (5:13) Afraid Of Sunrise (5:02) Beyond You (6:11) King (7:04)

*** star songs: Out Of This World (7:55)