Released on 7 March 1994, Brave is Marillion’s seventh studio album and the record that definitively established the Steve Hogarth era as a worthy continuation of the band’s legacy — and, for many listeners, its creative zenith. Produced by Dave Meegan in association with the band and released through EMI, it reached number 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

In the mid-eighties, Steve Hogarth heard an appeal on behalf of the police on a local radio broadcast about a teen-aged girl found wandering alone on Severn Bridge in England. When she was found, she was either incapable of or decided not to communicate with anyone who questioned her. The police decided to make an appeal on radio to see if anyone could identify her. Eventually, the girl was reclaimed by her family and taken back home. Hogarth made a note of this and kept it aside for many years until Marillion began working on what would later become their Brave album.

Musically, Brave is one of the most cohesive and ambitious records Marillion ever made. It was originally conceived to be accompanied by a film, directed by Richard Heslop, which premiered at the album’s launch. The music mirrors the narrative’s emotional shifts with corresponding depth — from the quietly devastating “Paper Lies” to the sustained intensity of the title track.

Steve Rothery’s guitar work throughout is exceptional: restrained where the story demands silence, soaring where it demands catharsis. The album’s reputation has grown considerably since its release, and it is now routinely cited as one of the essential progressive rock albums of its decade.

A major 5CD/Blu-ray deluxe reissue was released in 2018, featuring a new mix by Steven Wilson, demos, and the original film — giving an entirely new generation access to one of rock music’s most undervalued concept albums.