Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Marillion - Marbles 2004 reviewed by: Psycho Sarah

Track ListingThe invisible man Marbles 1 You’re gone Angelina Marbles 2 Don’t hurt yourself Fantastic place Marbles 3 Drilling holes Marbles 4 Neverland You’re gone (single mix)

I had not heard of Marillion until I went to see Firehouse back in March. I have seen them before, so I went up to speak with them, and noticed that Perry was not with them, but rather a new guitar player, who replaced Perry after his death in 03. The rest of the band said their hello’s and gave me some ideas for new albums to buy, since I love to know what bands are listening to, it inspires me to be open to music that way, because you never know what they are going to say they are listening to, when speaking to Allen, he commented about my unique taste in music by my metal jacket I have worn for years, with patches and buttons on it, and before I could ask his ideas for albums, he commented I was missing the most interesting band he had ever heard, so he told me Marillion and where to find them online. I quickly looked them up when I got home, and ordered a cd, since its impossible to find anything where I live.

I opened the album the day I received it and have been blown away ever since. Its not typical rock at all, its all well done riffs, and lyrics combined to give you a total rock experience.

I started to get more into as time has went on, and now it is one of those albums that I listen to everyday. Invisible Man catches me every time I listen to it, I get sucked in, and cant stop myself from envisioning the song in my mind. The lyrics are genius and are ones you wouldn’t expect to hear today, they are true spirits in world that is so fake, they speak of a world that once was, one of love and peace and trust, what do those words mean today? Look at the world, they mean nothing. “I shout my name in the public places, No one seems to notice, no one understands, I stand perfectly still, In the middle of the road, I hold my nerve, I hold my nerve, I hold my nerve, but the cars don’t swerve.” those lyrics come from the first song on the album Invisible Man, speaking of the lack of concern that people show today, someone could be dying in the streets and people would just keep walking.

Another song that I have come to identify as a great song is Angelina. The music is breathtaking and are truly great, a ton of talent is this band, and they don’t over do it by any means with any of the songs on the album. I wouldn’t call them hard rock, or metal, they are more on the contemporary side.

They have a saying in their album cover, “find a better way of life with Marillion.” Such simple words that mean so much, their whole Marbles album is like that, they are rock artists with a sense of compassion that you don’t see out of rock artists today. My rating of this album is a 10. I have found a better way of life with Marillion, after hearing one of their albums, you see things in a different light, its brighter and clearer after hearing a Marillion Album.

--Psycho Sarah 11.12.04