Marillion and Porcupine Tree members have teamed up for a new album. We were sent these details: Kscope will release Not The Weapon But The Hand, the debut album from Steve Hogarth (Marillion) and Richard Barbieri (Porcupine Tree, Japan), on February 28th in North America.

A sampler of the forthcoming album can be heard on the official Steve Hogarth / Richard Barbieri mini-site here.

Not The Weapon But The Hand was completed in late 2011 and features occasional appearances from Danny Thompson on double bass, Arran Ahmun (John Martyn) and Chris Maitland (ex-Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Blackfield) on drums and guitar, as well as string arrangement contributions from Dave Gregory (XTC).

Hogarth is best known as the frontman of Marillion, the progressive rock legend that he joined in 1989, following spells in The Europeans and How We Live. In addition to the 12 albums Marillion has released in this time, he has also recorded and toured as a solo artist under the name, H.

In recent years Richard Barbieri has been a core member of Porcupine Tree, playing keyboards on all the band's albums since 1993, as well as releasing two solo albums, Things Buried and Stranger Inside. Prior to this, it was in the new-wave pioneers Japan that he originally came to prominence, helping to create the groundbreaking synthesizer sound that defined the band and influenced the likes of The Human League, Duran Duran, Gary Numan, Talk Talk, Kate Bush and a whole raft of artists to follow.

The band also influenced Hogarth, who was playing keyboards in The Europeans. "When I was in my mid-twenties, Japan's, Tin Drum album was a firm favorite and truly a groundbreaking work. Japan were one of those rare bands where each musician seemed to have reinvented his instrument overnight. Central to this sound was the unmistakable synthesizer programming/playing of my now chum, Mr. B."

Tracklist for Not The Weapon But The Hand
1. Red Kite
2. A Cat With Seven Souls
3. Naked
4. Crack
5. Your Beautiful Face
6. Only Love Will Make You Free
7. Intergalactic
8. Lifting The Lid
9. Not The Weapon But The Hand

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LD459M/?tag=imwan-20

Looking forward to reviews of this. H's solo albums have usually been quite good.

Sounds like an interesting pairing with many of the people that create those great Porcupine Tree albums.

I'm going to buy the CD, but as someone who refuses to pay for downloads (at least as long as a physical version is still available), I will seek out a copy of this bonus track, which I'm sure will be out there on that internet thing.

The packaging of this release is pretty impressive. Got mine yesterday.

Has anyone found a copy of the bonus track anywhere other than I-tunes?

My hatred for mp3 is irrelevant here, as i believe it's the only format the song was released in.

I just really don't want to install itunes software on my pc. I shouldn't have to instal a program just to buy 1 music file.

if there is an alternate source I'm unaware of, would really appreciate the info!

You could always just ask someone to buy it for you then send you the file.

There is that! Any takers? (I also have no clue what I-tunes charges)

This is a tremendous album. Headphones, darkened room, etc...

I finally caved & installed the i tunes software to buy the bonus track.

It really rubs me the wrong way having to install 70mb of software to make a 99 cent purchase.