Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. One Day
2. Garden
3. Angeliqua
4. Here I Am
5. I Wish I Could Fly
6. Inside The Power

Disc 2:

1. Journey's Friend
2. Give And Take
3. When I'm Down
4. This Life
5. Love Never Ends
6. So Far Away
7. Don't Give Up Love
8. 321

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18307 in Music
• Released on: 2008-11-03
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Customer Reviews

Great prog rock
As someone who remembers prog from the seventies I'm invariably disappointed when listening to modern prog-rockers, of whom I've sampled dozens and rarely find anything worth a second listen. However this CD from Australian prog band Unitopia literally blew me away and I've had almost nothing else on the player since I got it. Comparisons, I feel, are worthwhile. The vocalist Mark Trueack does have a Genesis-era Gabriel sound (and to be fair he was in a Genesis tribute band at one time) though his voice doesn't have Gabriel's harsh edge. Certainly in my book he's one of the better vocalists I've heard (alongside Oblivion Sun's Stan Whittaker, Cryptic Visions's J Todd Plant and Kino's John Mitchell - for a glimpse of vocalists I consider top rank). The tracks do, as is often the case, wear their hearts on their sleeves and you can't fail but detect shades of Genesis, Yes and ELP, which is either a good or a godawful thing depending on where you're coming from. Me, I say it's a good thing because while the influences are there, there's enough of an original sound to suggest Unitopia are most definitely not out and out copyists.
This is cracking modern prog-rock: melodic, lyrically dense, musically impressive. If you're a fan or are looking to give prog a go, then you owe it to yourself to take this CD for a spin.

Wow!
Every so often one gets to hear an album that knocks you sideways - unexpectedly dispelling preconceptions. This is one such album. A track by Unitopia (meaning `living together as one in a place of ideal perfection') was featured on the CPR volume 3 compilation. Now we come to the follow up to their 2005 debut release, 3 years in the making, an ambitious follow up double CD concept album, covering many of the band's chief concerns - `Environmental awareness, political and social upheaval, media misrepresentation, the hectic pace of life and human relationships in a positive and uplifting light'. Founders Mark Trueack and Sean Timms gathered `some of Australia's finest musicians' to perform and record. This album is their first to be released on Progressive rock's influential InsideOut label. A page-long list of musical influences in a number of musical genres appears on their MySpace page, which reads like my CD collection, so I'm keen to investigate! From the opening track it is clear that Trueack's vocals bear more than a passing resemblance to Peter Gabriel. The 22 minute title track is no typical prog epic, containing musical styles that have less to do with Peter Gabriel era Genesis than Peter Gabriel era Peter Gabriel - although some have commented that the final section sounds uncannily like the climax to "Supper's Ready" - the flagship of classic progressive epic rock. This lot certainly like to aim high! It's beautifully put together and lyrically presents the band's message of hope coming from despair. "Angelica" opens with a haunting female vocal over ambient instrumentation before moving into a metal intro leading to a powerful and emotional rock anthem, with heartfelt sax and guitar solos. "I wish I could fly" begins with an instrumental which pulls on the heart strings - flute and acoustic guitar music will always do that to me - think Genesis, Steve Hackett or Camel - the second half rich in Floyd-like vocal harmonies - heavenly music! The second disc opens with "Journey's Friend" - another epic piece more in the modern prog mould of Spock's Beard or Flower Kings - featuring stellar keyboard work and at one point an outright metal vocal from Trueack. The up tempo "This life" points to the fact that this life is a `gateway to the other side'. "Love never ends", an ode to love itself segues into another sumptuous piano led instrumental "So far away". "Don't give up love" showcases Timms' explosive keyboard work. The closing track "321" is a tribute to the Beaconsfield Miners who spent 321 hours trapped underground in 2006. The musical influences are many, but these people are definitely doing their own thing - creating something of majestic beauty. Definitely a piece of work that will demand and reward repeated listenings. Wow!

UNITOPIA '' THE GARDEN
Superb double cd by this Aussie band. Melodic, brilliantly played and produced and recommended for anyone ino melodic prog rock.