An Hour Before It's Dark

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An Hour Before It's Dark
Marillion - An Hour Before It's Dark.png
Studio album by
Marillion
Released4 March 2022 (2022-03-04)
Recorded2021
Studio
Genre Neo-prog
Length54:10
Label
Producer
  • Marillion
  • Michael Hunter
Marillion chronology
With Friends from the Orchestra
(2019)		An Hour Before It's Dark
(2022)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

An Hour Before It's Dark is the 20th studio album by British neo-prog band Marillion, released on 4 March 2022 by Intact and earMUSIC.

Contents

Background

On 3 August 2021, Marillion announced the launch of their new pre-order campaign for the recording and release of a new studio album, their first since With Friends from the Orchestra (2019). [2] Frontman Steve Hogarth said "the overall feeling" of the album "is surprisingly upbeat", with the Choir Noir adding "new soul" and "colour" to the music. [3]

The album includes a behind the scenes documentary about the making of the record, and a performance of "Murder Machines" from Real World Studios. [4]

Release

An Hour Before It's Dark was released on 4 March 2022. [4] To promote the record, several London black cabs were decorated with the album's artwork, and free rides were given to customers who gave the album's title as a password. The promotion ran during March 4–14. [3]

On 7 March 2022, the band announced a 9-date UK tour for September 2022. [3]

Commercial performance

On the UK Albums Chart dated 11 March 2022, An Hour Before It's Dark entered at number two, their highest chart position since Clutching at Straws in 1987. [5]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Steve Hogarth; all music is composed by Marillion.

An Hour Before It's Dark track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Be Hard on Yourself"
  • i. "The Tear in the Big Picture"
  • ii. "Lust for Luxury"
  • iii. "You Can Learn"
9:27
3:52
2:07
3:28
2."Reprogram the Gene"
  • i. "Invincible"
  • ii. "Trouble-Free Life"
  • iii. "A Cure for Us?"
7:00
3:31
2:00
1:29
3."Only a Kiss" (instrumental)0:39
4."Murder Machines"4:20
5."The Crow and the Nightingale"6:35
6."Sierra Leone"
  • i. "Chance in a Million"
  • ii. "The White Sand"
  • iii. "The Diamond"
  • iv. "The Blue Warm Air"
  • v. "More Than a Treasure"
10:51
1:32
0:53
3:29
2:23
2:34
7."Care"
  • i. "Maintenance Drugs"
  • ii. "An Hour Before It's Dark"
  • iii. "Every Cell"
  • iv. "Angels on Earth"
15:18
4:37
2:27
3:18
4:56
Total length:54:10

Note: After 4 minutes of silence following "Angels on Earth", the CD will play a 12" remix of "Murder Machines".

Personnel

Marillion

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Chart performance for An Hour Before It's Dark
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [6] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [7] 11
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [8] 7
Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) [9] 93
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [10] 2
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [11] 38
French Albums (SNEP) [12] 13
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [13] 2
Irish Albums (IRMA) [14] 58
Italian Albums (FIMI) [15] 16
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [16] 151
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [17] 32
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [18] 4
Scottish Albums (OCC) [19] 2
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [20] 9
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [21] 29
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [22] 6
UK Albums (OCC) [5] 2
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [23] 2
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [24] 1

References

  1. ↑ Everley, Dave (4 March 2022). "Marillion's new album is dramatic, hopeful, and one of the finest of their career". Classic Rock . Retrieved 10 March 2022– via Loudersound.
  2. ↑ "pre-order". 15 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Colothan, Scott (7 March 2022). "Marillion announce September 2022 UK tour". Planet Rock . Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 Ewing, Jerry (19 November 2021). "Marillion release full details of 'upbeat' new album An Hour Before It's Dark". Prog . Retrieved 4 January 2022– via Loudersound.
  5. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  8. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  9. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of March 19, 2022". Billboard . Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  10. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  11. ↑ "Marillion: An Hour Before It's Dark" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  12. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Marillion". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  16. ↑ "アン・アワー・ビフォー・イッツ・ダーク". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  17. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  18. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  20. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  21. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Marillion – An Hour Before It's Dark". Hung Medien. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  23. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  24. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
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