Artist : United Progressive Fraternity

Album : Planetary Overload Part 1 : Loss

Release Date : 19-04-2019

Added : 05-09-2019

'United Progressive Fraternity' is an Australian band created by the ‘Unitopia’ singer with part of his former band, the keyboardist 'Sean Timms' having created, on his side, the 'Southern Empire' new project (see here). 'Planetary Overload Part 1: Loss' is their second album and they are already announcing the second album for the end of 2019, beginning of 2020, which will be titled 'Hope'. As the titles suggest, these 2 concept albums focus on the problems caused by global growth (Part 1 'Loss') and the solutions available to us to ensure our survival (Part 2 'Hope'). You can find all the information on their website here thanks to a very well done page where each artist who participated in the album wrote a message and as in the first album, the guest list is long and prestigious (see below). So we find a research and inventive progressive and given the impressive line-up, the influences are many and we can talk, as in the case of 'Steve Hackett' (he offers us the solos of acoustic guitar in the title 'Seeds of Life '- see his wonderful last album here) from 'Music of the World' with many elaborate vocal and instrumental arrangements. And I am unable to give a specific style to this album because each composition takes us into his own universe: from the first titles, after the instrumental introduction 'Loss Anthem' with beautiful choirs and already the use of various classical instruments, we go from the very jazzy 'When Happens Now', to the 'Cruel Times' balad which develops a magnificent piano solo with contemporary sounds, then with 'What Are We Doind To Ourselves', we find ourselves in an atmosphere of African percussions and the title that follows 'Stop Time' is stuffed with funky energy. And of course, how to miss out on 'Seeds for Life' of almost 20 minutes that takes us into an inventive progressive multi-drawer saga with sumptuous arrangements. In summary, with this first opus of 'Planetary Overload', 'United Progressive Fraternity' which is aptly named, offer us a sumptuous album that is revealed listening after listening and draws influences from around the globe which should please to all those who love diversity in the progressive music...

Line Up / Musicians

Mark Trueack (Vocal), Christophe Lebled (Keybords), Matthew Atherton (Guitars, Keybords, Choirs), Joe Toscano (Drums, Choirs), Steve Unruh (Vocal, Guitars, Violin, Flute), Cornel Wilczek (Guitar, Keybords), Daniel Mash (Bass), Marek Arnold (Saxophone), Mark Franco (Bass, Choirs) + Guests : Claire Vezina (Choirs), Jon Davison (Choirs), Nick Magnus (Keybords), Jesus Gancedo Garcia (Drums), Guillermo Cides (Chapman Stick), Grace Bawden (Vocal, Choirs), Charlie Cawood (Oud / Bouzouki / Dulcimer), Clive Hodson (Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Hautbois), Alex Grata (Guitar, Keybords, Choirs), Colin Edwin (Bass), Phill Sokha (Drums), George Perdikis (Guitar), Matt Williams (Guitar), Little Brodie Byrne (Voice), Ghost Girls (Voice), David Hopgood (Drums), Michel St-père (Guitar), Angelo Racz (Keybords), Michelle Young (Vocal), Hasse Fröberg (Vocal), Lisa Wetton (Drums, Choirs), Steve Hackett (Guitar), Raf Azaria (Guitar, Keybords), Jerry Marotta (Drums), Angus Keay (Guitar), Hans Jorg Schmitz (Drums), Brendon Darby (Trumpet), Valentin Halembakov (Guitar), Marc Papeghin (Cor) + Narrateurs : Alanna Mitchell, David Suzuki, Dr. Cary Fowler, Dr. James E. Hansen, Dr. Jane Goodall, James Lovelock, Mark Maslin, Satish Kumar, Sir David Attenborough