Marillion is an English rock band that was formed in 1979 as Silmarillion, a name that was eventually shortened to avoid copyright issues with the book of the same name. In the first decade of its existence, the band experienced a number of line-up changes and as a result, some drastic changes in sound. During an early era when Fish was lead vocalist, the band mastered a fusion of poetic lyrics and introspective themes with delicate but complicated instrumentation, a combination that earned the attention of EMI records, who released Marillion's critically acclaimed debut album, Script for a Jester's Tear, to mainstream success in 1983. By the time the band dropped its fourth album, Clutching at Straws, in 1987, its sound took a dark turn, losing much of its original progressive pop/rock style and prompting Fish to pursue a solo career. Steven Hogarth joined the band as lead vocalist in 1989, leading Marillion to an emotionally charged style that would define its modern material.
