Unitopia & Friends (UPF, Southern Empire, Damanek) v. Seven Chambers (Out Now!)

[The Letter M]

The band have shared a bit of new music from their forthcoming 2022 album!
https://www.facebook.com/22985966625/posts/10157763451806626/

In recent weeks, they've been revealing tidbits about their forthcoming album, titled Seven Chambers.

Unitopia celebrating 25 years of soulful storytelling.

From the forthcoming album '7 Chambers' (2022)

MANIA

Mania is like the opposite of depression and can vary in intensity - symptoms include feeling great, having lots of energy, having racing thoughts and little need for sleep, talking quickly, having difficulty focusing on tasks, and feeling frustrated and irritable.

Bipolar disorder used to be known as manic depression because the person experiences periods of depression and periods of mania, with periods of normal mood in between.

Lead Vocals: Mark Trueack
Backing Vocals: John Greenwood, Sean Timms, Steve Unruh. Mark Trueack
Guitars: John Greenwood, Steve Unruh
Electric Violin: Steve Unruh
Keyboards, Piano, Programming: Sean Timms
Produced by John Greenwood, Mark Trueack, Sean Timms, Steve Unnruh
Video Art: Peter Lazar/Spinfox Production

www.beyondblue.org.au
www.unitopiamusic.net
www.facebook.com/unitopiamusic
www.progrock.com

I hadn't seen a dedicated thread for this Australian prog band, and with their new album coming soon, I figured there should be one.

I first discovered them in late 2009 when I got The Garden, and then preordered Artificial about half a year later in Spring 2010. They haven't been in my listening rotation very much in recent years, but I've always enjoyed their music so I'm happy to see the band return! Looking back at my emails, I even won a cppy of their One Night In Europe DVD from the band back in December 2011! Funny how you can forget things like that.

-Marc.

[jingle.boy]

I've got the Garden, but never dug any deeper with them.  I got turned on to them after RoSFest a few years back - I think the band members "reunited" on stage for that show under the moniker United Progressive Fraterity.  Isn't there some connection with Southern Empire (edit... yeah, SE's website lists Sean Timms as "former" member of Unitopia).  I'll check this out when it drops.

[RoeDent]

I suspect Southern Empire's website is remarkably out of date. Do bands even maintain websites as a major form of communication these days?

[King Postwhore]

I've got the Garden, but never dug any deeper with them.  I got turned on to them after RoSFest a few years back - I think the band members "reunited" on stage for that show under the moniker United Progressive Fraterity.  Isn't there some connection with Southern Empire (edit... yeah, SE's website lists Sean Timms as "former" member of Unitopia).  I'll check this out when it drops.

Yup, we saw them together.  I need to go deeper with them as well.

[Fritzinger]

I absolutely love Unitopia. I discovered them in 2010, when I was living in Argentina for a year and their albums Artificial and The Garden will always remind me of that awesome time. I've been listening to them quite a lot, since they re-released those two albums on vinyl. I can't wait to hear new music from them!

[The Letter M]

The band just announced two new members:

Alphonso Johnson and Chester Thompson join Unitopia!

The two new members of Unitopia's legendary powerhouse rhythm section are

Alphonso Johnson, bass (Weather Report)
http://www.embamba.com/

Chester Thompson, drums (Frank Zappa, Weather Report, Genesis, Phil Collins)
https://chesterthompson.com/

Official Press Release and bios forthcoming

Please welcome Alphonso and Chester in the comments!

-Marc.

[Fritzinger]

Wow!

Funny, I always thought Chester Thompson was retired, but I read it up and it turns out he just had some problems with Phil Collins (or Collins had some problems with him) and focused on teaching and playing with his jazz band.

I'm excited to hear him play on this studio record as I almost only know live recordings of him. Also, this will be a prog record and as close to early Genesis as it gets! I hope he still rocks at this age; we all know drummers in their 70s can be prone to struggle with precision and speed (see Yes' Alan White, who is a year younger than Chester).

[The Letter M]

Wow!

Funny, I always thought Chester Thompson was retired, but I read it up and it turns out he just had some problems with Phil Collins (or Collins had some problems with him) and focused on teaching and playing with his jazz band.

I'm excited to hear him play on this studio record as I almost only know live recordings of him. Also, this will be a prog record and as close to early Genesis as it gets! I hope he still rocks at this age; we all know drummers in their 70s can be prone to struggle with precision and speed (see Yes' Alan White, who is a year younger than Chester).

Considering Chester and Alphonso have played with Weather Report, I wonder how much jazz-fusion influence the new album will have. The first three Unitopia albums have a very distinct symphonic-prog influence, but I don't think jazz-fusion wouldn't be out of place for them. I haven't heard those albums in quite awhile though, but as we get closer to the release of the new album, I'll definitely revisit them!

-Marc.

[The Letter M]

https://youtu.be/gKi1mEZA2SY

Here's a clip of Chester playing drums on a new track for the band's upcoming album!

-Marc.

[The Letter M]

You heard it right that is an 'F' bomb Release date will be in late August. Preorders coming soon.

https://youtu.be/EM1qVdpIGYY

Didn't realize they released this track last week! Not bad! Looking forward to FINALLY hearing this album next month! It's been nearly two years since they announced Seven Chambers!

-Marc.

[The Letter M]

https://www.progradar.org/index.php/2023/08/03/progressive-fusion-ensemble-unitopia-announce-new-studio-album-seven-chambers-pre-orders-start-today/?fbclid=IwAR3N9PA2lOGxFEYy7f7MM_3foFNSGSGPxjvAFyJlga75Z54r9IJs8tsrb5k

Progressive fusion ensemble Unitopia announce new studio album Seven Chambers – Pre-Orders start today!

Founded by vocalist/songwriter Mark “Truey” Trueack (United Progressive Fraternity) and multi-instrumentalist Sean Timms (Southern Empire,Damanek, UPF) in 1996, Australian progressive fusion Unitopia have always been among the most renowned and distinctive bands of their ilk and era. Now the band is pleased to announce the new studio album Seven Chambers, due out on August 25th, 2023.

Unitopia has undoubtedly reached new creative, emotional, and intellectual heights with their latest opus, Seven Chambers (their first original collection on independent label Progrock.com’s Essentials). Comprised of seven tracks and lasting just over eighty minutes, it’s an incredible journey that finds Unitopiareturning at the peak of their artistic and technical prowess.

Pre-orders for the digital and physical editions are now available via the following outlets:
Progrock.com‘s Essentials (https://essentials.progrock.com)
Burning Shed (https://burningshed.com/tag/Unitopia)
Just for Kicks Music (https://justforkicks.de/en/)
White Knight Records (https://www.whiteknightshop2.co.uk/)
Unitopia’s Bandcamp page (https://unitopia.bandcamp.com/)

Plus, multiple color variations are available for the physical versions, as well as a special vinyl edition that features a die-cut cover revealing a portion of the sleeve behind it!

Tracklist:
  1. “Broken Heart” (8:30)
  2. “Something Invisible” (6:39)
  3. “Bittersweet” (7:20)
  4. “Mania” (12:29)
  5. “The Stroke of Midnight” (9:38)
  6. “Helen” (19:14)
  7. “The Uncertain” (18:33)

As the follow-up to 2010’s Artificial and 2012’s Covered Mirror Vol. 1 – Smooth as Silk (a superb assortment of classic/prog rock reinterpretations), Seven Chambers is Unitopia’s first new outing in over a decade. During the interim, each member kept busy with various other projects, and according to Progrock.com‘s Essentials’ Mark Monforti, the method of getting the group going again was endearingly fortuitous:

“A few years ago, Steve Hackett was exploring studios and players for a show in Australia, and he contacted Timms about using the studio that he and Truey still owned. That got Sean and Truey talking about possibly working on new music together. Then, I reached out to them about doing some shows. They went exceedingly well, which sort of solidified the fact that Unitopia needed to come back.”

With Timms and Trueack reunited, the duo decided to expand Unitopia by bringing in fellow UPF maestro Steve Unruh, guitarist Dr. John Greenwood, drummer Chester Thompson (Frank Zappa, Weather Report, Genesis) and bassist Alphonso Johnson (Weather Report, Santana, David Gilmour).

Seven Chambers is a globe-spanning effort that began in 2021, with virtually every member working in their own studio in either America or Australia. Although things got off to a strong start, a few unexpected hiccups somewhat impeded the band’s headway.

“Progress was severely interrupted by Sean’s other commitments, such as moving into a renovated house and being in-demand with other projects and festivals. Then, Truey and Chester faced personal hardships. At more than one stage, it looked like the record might never happen. Luckily, the delays led to a few solo projects blossoming, and suddenly, our schedules began clearing in early 2023 and we began moving at a real pace again,” Steve Unruhexplains.

Thus, Seven Chambers is truly a testament to Unitopia’s chemistry and commitment, not only because it sees them triumphing over those setbacks but because it ended up being roughly twice as long as the original 40-minute plan (without a moment of filler!)

The band already have a few dates lined up which you can see here:

2023 Tour Dates:
3 Sept. – 2Days Prog + 1, Veruno Novara, Italy
5 Sept. – Konzertfabrik Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
9 Sept. – Neuberinhaus, Reichenbach im Vogtland, Germany
13 Sept. – Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
14 Sept. – Poppodium Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
15 Sept. – Chez Paulette Pub Rock, Pagney derričre Barine, France
8 Oct. – ProgStock, Rutherford, New Jersey, USA

Unitopia:
Mark “Truey” Trueack – vocals, songwriting
Sean Timms – songwriting, keyboards, backing vocals, various stringed instruments
Steve Unruh – songwriting, backing vocals, violin, flute, rhythm guitars, mandolin
John Greenwood – songwriting, backing vocals, lead electric guitar, nylon-strung guitar, 6 and 12-string acoustic guitars, mandolin, programmed orchestration
Chester Thompson – drums
Alphonso Johnson – bass

Wow, a jam packed album! Cannot wait to get this one! I can't be the only one here looking forward to this right?

-Marc.

[RoeDent]

Bandcamp says it's out September 25th so Progradar made a mistake

[The Letter M]

Bandcamp says it's out September 25th so Progradar made a mistake

Actually, their bandcamp says October 1st. The band's Facebook has previously stated the album will release late August, so I'm going to say that the physical CD release date will be August 25th, which is a Friday, typical release day for new albums. I think the October dates for their bandcamp might be because the vinyls will be delayed (due to the typical pandemic-era delayed production on vinyls), though I don't know why the CD preorder on their bandcamp also says October 1st.

I asked on the band's post about it on Facebook so hopefully someone answers.

EDIT - here's their response:

US release date is Oct 1 for the CD as the CDs are being shipped from Europe. Digital will be available on Augv 25. Our European distributor partners (E.g. Just for Kicks, Burning Shed, etc.) will have it for the Aug date.

-Marc.

[The Letter M]

https://unitopia.bandcamp.com/album/seven-chambers-24-bit-hi-res

The digital version of Seven Chambers is now out! Giving it a spin right now while I'm at work and at my work computer and giving it a casual listen. A headphones-only spin will probably happen tonight after work, but I've been waiting YEARS for this one to drop, so I couldn't wait!

-Marc.

[RoeDent]

It's listed on Burning Shed now. When I was checking for it about a week ago I couldn't see it on either of the two listed distributors. I emailed one of them who said they hoped have it in "next month" but if Burning Shed have it now I might just order it from there. I've never ordered from them before.

[The Letter M]

It's listed on Burning Shed now. When I was checking for it about a week ago I couldn't see it on either of the two listed distributors. I emailed one of them who said they hoped have it in "next month" but if Burning Shed have it now I might just order it from there. I've never ordered from them before.

They're a UK distributor, and every time I've ordered from them, my products are pretty well packed and arrive in as mint of a condition as possible. They do great business, and I've often gone to them when Inside Out releases different between UK/EU and their US produced counterparts (where the former would get mediabooks, the latter might get digipaks).

-Marc.

[RoeDent]

My CD arrived on Saturday. Gonna be a good'un, I think! Two full listens so far and I'm loving it.

[The Letter M]

My CD arrived on Saturday. Gonna be a good'un, I think! Two full listens so far and I'm loving it.

I've been spinning it nearly every day since the 25th of August, so over ten days now. For me, "Mania" and "The Uncertain" have been my stand out favorites so far, but it's pretty solid throughout. Having also spun their previous three albums recently as well, I might say Seven Chambers is their best album yet. The playing is all top notch, and the diverse variety of influences and styles is blended so well, and the lyrical themes work well together to form a loose concept album.

This could end up being one of my favorite new albums of 2023!

-Marc.

[The Letter M]

So as I've been listening to Seven Chambers for last twelve days, I've also gone back and decided to check out Unitopia's tangentially related bands and projects. The one I started with was Southern Empire, a group who I was aware of but had not yet checked out. I've given their albums a few spins as well, and eventually ordered all three from GEP (including their recently released third album).

Also with a new album this year, the United Progressive Fraternity, better named as UPF. This group is lead by Unitopia's vocalist, and while I've got their three albums on order, I haven't given them a listen yet, but I am interested as I like Trueack's vocals in Unitopia.

And lastly, the group known as Damanek, which contains members of The Tangent and Unitopia, also had a new album earlier this year, and was also their third album. It's wild to me that all four of these groups had new albums in 2023, three of which were their third album. I gave all three Damanek albums a spin last night online and enjoyed what I heard. Guy Manning's voice really brought me back to early Tangent, and some of the music was reminiscent of that sound, so once I get paid tomorrow, I'll be ordering the three Damanek albums from GEP.

I figured since there aren't any dedicated threads to UPF, Southern Empire, or Damanek here that I would just change the thread title to reflect discussion about all four groups since they're so closely related together, being bands with Timms and/or Trueack.

-Marc.

[RoeDent]

I'm genuinely amazed you haven't checked out SE until now. I'd've thought they'd be right up your street.

My year started with the new Damanek and it's not really in my regular rotation but I do like some of the songs on it. As for Southern Empire, they have the task of following up what is my favourite album of all time in Civilisation.

[The Letter M]

I'm genuinely amazed you haven't checked out SE until now. I'd've thought they'd be right up your street.

Yeah I'm not exactly sure how they passed me by. I just never really tracked the groups that Timms and Trueack were involved with after Unitopia disbanded nearly a decade ago, but I guess now is as good of a time as any, especially since Damanek, UPF, and Southern Empire all released new albums this year.

-Marc.

[RoeDent]

My CD of Another World arrived on Friday, at last! Now I can properly digest the album and I am absolutely loving it! Shaun is such a good singer and the rest of the band are on fire too!

[The Letter M]

So I finally got my physical copy of Seven Chambers and I noticed in the album credits that Brody Green plays drums on four of the seven tracks. Chester Thompson plays on the three longest tracks, though.

-Marc.

[The Letter M]

Back here to say that I am still spinning Seven Chambers quite regularly, even nearly five months later. It's been contender for Album Of The Year 2023 for me, and well worth the wait from the band's last album. For all the symphonic prog fans here, I'm surprised this album (and band in general) didn't get much attention last year. If you haven't checked this one out yet, definitely give it a spin, especially the two 18+ minute epics on the album's second disc! Some of the best epics of 2023!

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

Forgot to post this from ProgStock last October.

[The Letter M]

Forgot to post this from ProgStock last October.

Awesome! How was the show? I get the distinct feeling that this album and tour might be their swansong, but I would love to be surprised if they decide to make another album!

-Marc.

[King Postwhore]

Mark Trueack sat in a chair to sing ala Phil Collins.  It felt like a swan song.

[RoeDent]

Yeah Timms' interviews on Unitopia gave me the impression that they just came back for one last ride in order to go out on better terms than they did when they first split. Which, great for them! And both their current bands also brought out albums in 2023 which indicates the way forward for both Trueack and Timms.

[The Letter M]

Yeah Timms' interviews on Unitopia gave me the impression that they just came back for one last ride in order to go out on better terms than they did when they first split. Which, great for them! And both their current bands also brought out albums in 2023 which indicates the way forward for both Trueack and Timms.

That makes sense and I kind of get that vibe from them. The album is really swangsong material for the band, IMO, and it'd be a heck of a way to say goodbye to Unitopia as an entity, and much better send-off than a poorly named "volume one" of covers (for which a second volume never happened).

In the lead-up to Seven Chambers, I also finally got Southern Empire, Damanek, and UPF albums last year as well, all three of which also released new albums in 2023, so fans of the Timms/Trueack circle must've been elated. I should definitely go back and give those bands more spins, though, as I enjoyed what I heard upon initial listens last year.

-Marc.