This, the bands eighteenth studio album, features 5 brand new tracks consistingof 17 parts - and the feeling within the band themselves is that they may well haveproduced their best ever work. Marillion has certainly not mellowed with age:Whilst the album title itself is certainly provocative, its not meant to be offensive.The title itself features as a line in the track The New Kings and is delivered as aplaintive falsetto. Steve Hogarth said, Weve used F E A R as a title with somerelish, but only as it shows that we havent shied away, but its said with sadness.There are two basic impulses behind human behaviour: Love and Fear, and all thegood stuff comes from love.F E A R sees the band taking on the big themes but they do not see it as theirplace to preach to people. The New Kings looks at the ravening beast thatmodern capitalism seems to have evolved into, El Dorado examines the notionsof political entitlement and the modern challenges for the UK, The Leaversexamines the impact of a transient life on the road for those constantly wavinggoodbye. The job is simple, says Hogarth, We use the amazing privilege ofhaving both a platform and an audience to encourage people to look in the mirrorand ask themselves the big questions by doing just that ourselves.The album artwork shows the acronym F E A R embossed on a gold ingot, andthe songs themselves bear the hallmark of true quality.