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".
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 Unitopia returning at the peak of their artistic and technical prowess.
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 Unruh explains.
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!). Release date: August 25, 2023
1. Broken Heart
2. Something Invisible
3. Bittersweet
4. Mania
5. The Stroke of Midnight
6. Helen
7. The Uncertain
- Mark Trueack / vocals
- Sean Timms / keyboards
- John Greenwood / guitars
- Steve Unruh / flute, violin
- Chester Thompson / drums
- Alphonso Johnson / bass
Unitopia – Seven Chambers 2023
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