Are you the type of listener who enjoys sitting down with the headphones and totally absorbing yourself in an album?  Are you the type of listener who did the same with the albums of bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Yes?  Are you the type of listener who really gets into epic story-songs performed by a band whose every musician is a talent in his own right?

If you answered yes to any of these, I've got an album for you.

Marillion started out in the early 80s as a better-than-average band drawing heavy comparisons to the Genesis that existed before Phil Collins turned them into a pop hit factory.  This was largely due to lead singer Fish (aka Derek Dick) who sounded remarkably like Peter Gabriel.  His penchant for elaborate and often fantasy storytelling only cemented the comparisons.

In the late 80s, Fish and the band parted ways and Marillion hired a new lead singer named Steve Hogarth.  Whereas this kind of transition is the kiss of death for lesser bands, it seemed to only make Marillion stronger.  They broke loose the Genesis chains and began to grow.  Their music remained rather epic, which is often the trademark of prog bands, but refused to remain stagnant.  If anything, Hogarth gave them an excuse to make a fresh start.

So here we are, the ninth studio album in from Fish's departure, and two years since their last studio effort.  Marillion continues to prove that they can create intricate and interesting music without sounding derivative.  You want your 10-minute-plus prog epics?  Check out "The Invisible Man" or "Neverland."  You want your radio-friendly rock songs?  Check out "You're Gone" or "Don't Hurt Yourself."  You want your late night headphone music?  Check out "Angelina" or "Fantastic Place."

The album is strung together with various "Marbles" interludes which, in my view, are the album's weakest link.  They tend to come off sounding as though the band is trying a bit too hard to tie things together.  In that way, Marillion may still be carrying around some baggage from their earliest days.

Still, Marbles is a cohesive work that was well conceived and well executed.  In many ways it is reminiscent of previous Hogarth-fronted albums such as Brave or Afraid of Sunlight, in terms of compositional complexity and attention to detail.  On this album, Marillion continue staking claim to a sound that is truly their own.