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UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY

Crossover Prog • Australia


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United Progressive Fraternity biography
Formally installed on 31 March 2014

After the Australian band UNITOPIA decided to call it a day after their fourth album "Covered Mirror Vol. 1", it was clear the world would never know what Vol. 2 would bring.

However, the idea behind the band was not lost, and singer Mark Trueack, Matt Williams, Dave Hopgood and Tim Irrgang teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Guy MANNING (Manning, The Tangent, Po90) to continue under the name UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY.

In 2014, this resulted in the album "Falling in Love with the World", on which various guest musicians would also play a role - most notably Jon Anderson (Yes, in case you didn't know that) and Steve Hackett (Genesis).
With this album, the band stays on the same track as UNITOPIA where it comes to lyrical themes (the environment, the state of humanity), but musically takes a slightly heavier approach.

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UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.88 | 101 ratings
Fall in Love with the World
2014
3.82 | 81 ratings
Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss
2019
4.00 | 29 ratings
Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope
2023

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UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2023
4.00 | 29 ratings

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Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars I have been involved in developing a few mission statements over the years, and it is not something I really enjoy doing as there is always the risk of overstating/understating the intent, and then the business not living up to it anyway. Not every business does this of course, and even fewer bands, but you can read United Progressive Fraternity's on their website, "To produce great music, as a collective concept, whilst conveying a message of peace, hope and global awareness". There is a lot more than that of course, but this is the core. Hence we now have the second part of 'Secondary Overload', following on from 2019's 'Loss'. The core of the band are the duo of Mark Trueack (vocals) and Steve Unruh (vocals, guitars, sitar guitar, bass, bass pedals, thumb piano, violin, flute, wind chimes, tambourine, percussion, narration, harmony vocals), but then there are a whole host of guests involved including the likes of Charlie Cawood, JPL, Ryo Okomuto and Steve Hackett but if you are that interested you will need to look them up yourselves as there are about 40! Also, if the nealy two hours of music is not enough then if you purchase it from Bandcamp you get an additional album, 'The Secret Life of Light', featuring an additional nine songs (68 minutes) by UPF's "Romantechs" (Christophe Labled, Mark Trueack, Steve Unruh) which takes us up to a running time of three hours!

This is progressive rock, with loads of different elements and influences as one would expect from the involvement of so many musicians. It can be somewhat overpowering at times, with so many threads and layers that they can blend into each other, yet what makes this work is at the heart of this are some really strong melodies and songs and one can never deny the power of the lyrics and words. This is all about communication and something which brings this really home are the tracks which are just speeches from the likes of Sir David Attenborough and Chief Oren Lyons ? that they have been brought in without any trickery really makes them stand out and brings the message strongly home that we are damaging our planet, but we can still reverse what we have done so far, hence "Hope". This is not an album which can be drifted into, there needs to be a deliberate decision to sit and really listen to it, played on headphones when one has the time to concentrate and not be disturbed. Given the amount of work which has gone into this, the amount of people involved, and the small matter of a global pandemic it is no surprise this album too much longer to appear than was expected, and while there are elements quite reminiscent at times of The Flower Kings this is very much an album which stands on its own. There is a lot to take in here, both lyrically and musical volume, but it is definitely worth the effort.

 Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2023
4.00 | 29 ratings

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Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars I love Mark Trueack's tenacious, relentless goal of raising human consciousness with respect to how we treat the planet that provides us with sanctuary as well as how we as a species treat each other and other species. He refuses to waver, does not back down, keeps pushing forward, trying to open our minds, create conversations, expand our propensities for empathy and compassion. And I love how much Mark's vision and spirit has attracted so many of all- stars from the prog community to endorse his vision through collaboration. I, for one, am so appreciative of the monumental efforts you all have put toward such a dire, yea, necessary cause. So, thank you, Steve Unruh. Thank you, Chrisrophe Lebled. Thank you, Gordo Bennett. Thank you, Ben Craven. Thank you, Nick Magnus. Thank you, Rachel Flowers. Thank you, Dale Nougher. Thank you, Ryo Okumoto. Thank you, Alex Grata. Thank you, Sam Greenwood. Thank you, Sean Timms. Thank you, Jean-Pierre Louveton. Thank you, John Greenwood. Thank you, Peter Lazar. Thank you, Tony Jokinen. Thank you, Charlie Cawood. Thank you, Steve Hackett. Thank you, Michel St-Pčre. Thank you, Matt Williams. Thank you, Don Schiff. Thank you, Colin Edwin. Thank you, Jonas Reingold. Thank you , Lisa Wetton. Thank you, Tommy Murray. Thank you, Hans Jörg Schmitz. Thank you, Chus Gancedo. Thank you, Daniele Giovannoni. Thank you, Jerry Marotta. Thank you, Clive Hodson. Thank you, Jamison Smeltz. Thank you, Ian Ritchie. Thank you, Brendon Darby. Thank you, Rod Ennis. Thank you, Hasse Froberg. Thank you, Claire Vezina. Thank you, Michelle Young. Thank you, Jeramy Stanton Essary. Thank you, Elisa Montaldo. Thank you, Ed Unitsky. Thank you, Cornel Wilczek. Thank you, Matthew Atherton. Thank you, Marek Arnold. Thank you, Daniel Mash. Thank you, Mark Franco. Thank you, Joe Toscano. Thank you, Jon Davison. Thank you, Grace Bawden. Thank you, Angus Keay. Thank you, Ettore Salati. Thank you, Valentine Halembackov. Thank you, George Perdikis. Thank you, Angelo Racz. Thank you, Raf Azaria. Thank you, Marc Papeghin. Thank you, Guillermo Cides. Thank you, David Hopgood. Thank you, Phill Sokha. Thank you, Jesús Bancedo García. Thank you, Jon Anderson. Thank you, Guy Manning. Thank you, Tim Irrgang. Thank you, Holly Tueack. Thank you, Jon Barrett. Thank you, Steve Layton. And thank you, Mark Trueack. Your intentions and efforts are greatly appreciated, even venerated.

CD 1 (61:33) 1. "Hope Is Drums of Hope" (7:44) Great start. a top three song. (13.75/15) 2. "Love Never Leaves Us" (7:43) (13.5/15) 3. "Soundscaped Quote Gerd Leonhard" (0:48) 4. "The Answer" (5:31) (8.5/10) 5. "Being of Equal" (20:49) (35/40) 6. "Islands" (5:11) (8.75/10) 7. "Transition (Tuning In)" (0:26) 8. "Chants of Hope" (2:24) (8.875/10) 9. "Homosapien" (6:20) cool story with some very solid rock music. (8.875/10) 10. "Quote Sir David Attenborough" (0:43) 11. "Who We Really Are" (3:54) driving solo piano opening over which Mark joins in with his fast-paced vocal. Bass and female background vocals are the only other instruments until Steve Unruh's violin at 2:45. Once again, I wish I were less deaf to music's lyrical content. (8.75/10)

CD 2 (58:43) 12. "We Only Get One Chance" (10:03) a song that opens a bit blandly before building slowly in the third minute into something special. The broken promises chorus is powerful--especially with the percussion and Indian violin. Though it never quite realizes its full potential, there is a nice touch with the lead vocals of French-accented female vocalist Claire Vezina (she's from Québec) in the second half. Pleasant enough and interesting throughout--especially for its broad spectrum of world music contributors--but in the end nothing very special. (17.5/20) 13. "Transition (Suspense)" (0:13) 14. "Faultline" (6:38) a folk rocker as if trying to be JETHRO TULL from 1971. (8.66667/10) 15. "Learning" (4:35) horns and orchestration in the opening give this a BIG BIG TRAIN sound. Even Mark's delicate vocal entry sounds like Dave Longdon. Great contributions by the background vocalists (and great BBT-like arrangement). Another top three song. (9/10) 16. "Stabilization" (8:03) (13.125/15) 17. "The Bees in Us" (6:40) a very emotional, evocative song beautifully arranged to maximize Mark's vocal (and message). Another song with great background vocal arrangements and performances. Another top three song. (9/10) 18. "Quote Chief Oren Lyons" (1:01) 19. "The Changes We Make" (5:00) a pretty standard blues-rock-oriented song composed, obviously, to help convey the message in the lyrics. (8.6667/10) 20. "Return to Earth" (5:15) (8.875/10) 21. "Hymn of Hope" (6:52) More great, almost church-choir-like, background vocal arrangements helping out a soft and serene song in which Mark continues to proselytize his message of hope. (13.25/15) 22. "Reprise" (4:23) Reprise of what? Served up with a very Peter Gabriel-like sound and style. Even the vocal is like PG's iconic "Digging in the Dirt." Lots of keyboard-generated sounds (also like PG). Maybe that's why this song comes across as such an engaging, likable song. The horns and b vox add so much as well as the ChapmanStick in the bass department. (9.25/10)

Total Time 120:16

An album that, unfortunately, comes across quite strongly as a Mark Trueack delivery mechanism due to Mark's near 100 percent monopoly of the lead vocal duties. I mean, I get it: this is his project, under his initiative, carrying forth his lyrical message to the world--but as a music entertainment I have to admit that I would love to see some of these other incredibly talented artists have turns in the lead vocal chair.

B/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection--and a rewarding inspiration for any hope- holders against Near-Term Human Extinction.

 Fall in Love with the World by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2014
3.88 | 101 ratings

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Fall in Love with the World
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by ElChanclas

4 stars So? who's UPF? Why their sound is so unique, experimental and pop, but yet so familiar? What we have here is the core guys from the Australian crossover/symphonic prog band Unitopia uniting forces with Guy Manning from British progressive rock act The Tangent? I guess it was an "only genius allowed" situation. Mark Trueack on vocals; Matt Williams on guitars, bass and vocals; Guy Manning on guitars, keyboards and vocals; Marek Arnold on flutes, sax, keyboards and vocals; Daniel Mash on bass and vocals; David Hopgood on drums and vocals; and Tom Irrgang on percussion? six members doing vocals? enough introduction to kind of imagine what the vocal harmonies sound like on this album. And there are a couple of guest musicians, some better known than others, including names such as Steve Hackett and Jon Anderson, to name a few.

Slightly under 70 minutes of amazing Prog music, really thoughtful and current lyrical content, and fantastic songwriting that teases with various forms of progressive rock. There are pure symphonic elements, some more heavy and metallic moments, Latin and Jazz nuances here and there, and epic and memorable hooks. Quite a journey! A lot of different instruments coexisting and delivering a great record that should never been avoided or disregarded by any Prog music lover, a lot of meat to chew, very lean meat with almost zero fat content (especially on the 21 plus minutes epic Traveling Man), a complete meal that deserves a careful and repeating listening to fully enjoy and appreciate all the ingredients and the result of their mix. Superb! My highlights are:

- Choices

- The Water

- Traveling Man

 Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.82 | 81 ratings

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Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by Prog Is Not Dead

4 stars Prog 'super-groups' and amalgams are becoming too numerous to keep up with. A new 'project' seems to emerge every week. Sadly, though, many fall short of expectations or just plain fail to offer anything new or interesting.

What makes 'United Progressive Fraternity' different is the shared dream and passion of Mark Trueack and Steve Unruh, who are the driving force truly uniting some of 'progs' international fraternity. A superb undertaking from Australia's highly regarded musicians.

To name the various artists appearing on this album would be time consuming. To name the 'better known' ones would be a dis-service to the 'lesser known'. All contribute to flesh out the dream and passion of Trueack and Unruh.

This feels like a cohesive band performance and not a 'half-baked' project highlighting the talents of individuals, no matter how good those individuals may be.

This package is beautifully presented with an extremely informative booklet. An added bonus - making this real value for your dollar - is the second disc 'Romantechs: Reimagine'. which could easily be passed off as the 'lost Unitopia tapes'.

All-in-all a 4.75 star rating would not be an exaggeration. Five stars is 'perfection' but nobody's perfect!

Highly recommended to admirers of Unitopia and Southern Empire

 Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.82 | 81 ratings

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Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars From the ashes of UNITOPIA, Mark Trueack marches on with his messages of human potential and spiritual possibility through melodic Neo Prog. In this current format, Mark seeks out collaborations from some of the all-stars of Prog and turns out stunningly beautiful and poignant musical compositions. A special shout out to the added value brought by Steve Unruh. Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss is constructed and performed like an amazingly well-produced sound recording of an original cast performance of a stage musical on climate change.

"- Phase I - Dawning On Us" : 1. "Loss (Anthem)" (3:25) droning instruments and voices, as if Nature were gathering for an early morning ritual or celebration. All kinds of comments by world scientists and elders are clipped over this introductory overture. By the second minute there is a congealing of instruments; by the third there is a wonderful layering of voices singing among the flutes, strings, harps, guitars, percussives, and violin. Has a refreshing JON ANDERSON Olias of Sunhillow feel to it. (9.5/10)

2. "What Happens Now" (4:04) a jazzy, cinematic (think "James Bond") backdrop to a multi-voiced rock opera about the realities of and human awakening to climate change. Powerful, masterfully engineered, just not the catchiest music. Feels as if it belongs on a stage with a full cast of actor/singer/dancers. (Is this possible, Mark?) (8.5/10)

3. "Cruel Times" (8:05) slow, steady, emotive pit orchestra music to support the important plaintive message of the singer. In the second half, the music goes on a walkabout to support the very jazzy soli of piano, violin, and multiple synths. Nice bass play beneath. A nice performance from a big chunk of the all-stars. Again, it all feels so theatric--as if it's all meant to be spread out over 90 minutes and accompanied by acting and choreographed dancing among professional sets, lighting, and costumes. (12/15)

4. "What Are We Doing To Ourselves" (3:19) berimbau, oud, bazouki, dulcimer and other instruments from various world folk traditions (thanks! Charlie Cawood!) participate in this atmospheric piece. Not unlike a nice early ALAN PARSONS PROJECT song. (10/10)

"- Phase II - Destraction and Destruction" : 5. "Stop-Time" (6:56) raw, raunchy rock'n'roll in the order of URIAH HEEP with some awesome clavinet (is that you Nick Magnus?) and guitar chord play arranged with vocal bursts often expressed during complete stops from the instrumental music. The multi-voice staging is brilliant--but so meant to be seen, on a theatrical stage! Great "dulcimer" solo in the fifth minute. Nice performances by guests Nick Magnus, Hasse Fröberg and Colin Edwin among others. (12.5/15)

6. "One More" (2:37) pensive guitar arpeggi with intermittent violins, fretless bass, and mandolin contributions behind Mark's succinctly voiced lyric. Brilliant voice clips spliced into the end. (4.5/5)

7. "Mercenaries" (6:48) again, theatric stage craft at its finest. I just want to see the play! Great contributions from the musicians--especially Steve Unruh. The frenzied, chaotic second half is sheer brilliance. What I'd give to see the stage presentation of this one--the lights, sets, costumes, and choreography. Not a fan of the "in the dead of the night" choral section in the sixth minute, but am very impressed by the guitarist. (Matt Williams?) (13/15)

8. "What If" (1:44) pensive performances from guitars, muted trumpets, and lead singer, Mark Trueack. (4.25/5)

9. "Forgive Me, My Son" (7:46) with kalimba and hand drums and other Sahara-area instruments providing the PETER GABRIEL sound--as well as Mark's vocal approach! (13.5/15)

"- Phase III - Growing" : 10. "Dying To Be Reborn" (5:19) Mark singing with a single acoustic guitar opens this one, but not for long as the full band jumps in before the end of 30 seconds. Really nice guitar and sitar work as fast moving chords of orchestral hits travel and build in the background. Then multi-voice "ba-ba-pas" with sitar and horns preempt a rock anthemic support for a great electric guitar solo. This ends and we return to the opening structure and palette (with a little more Nick Magnus magic added in the background). (8.5/10)

11. "Seeds For Life" (19:33) another Trueack song who's message may be more important, more beautiful than the music. Brilliant concept, wonderful construction, thank you! (Special thanks to the wonderful contributions on classical guitar by Steve Hackett.) (36/40)

12. "Loss To Lost" (5:15) opens with ocean sounds before dramatic piano, flutes and sitar float and flit in the mix. At 0:50 the music transitions into the body with a slightly Latin-based rhythm driving the rock instruments. Nice contributions from unusual world instruments--percussive and stringed. The vocalise of soprano Grace Bawden playing off of the subtle piano and violin work is really cool. A beautifully conceived, constructed, and performed song. My final top three song. (9.5/10)

Total time 74:51

If you're into rock opera, music theater, or musical stage craft of the importance and relevance of something like Hamilton or Jesus Christ Superstar you'll love this album. Also, if you look at that list of all-stars making their very real and integral contributions to this album, you will expect to think that you're in for some quality performances and exciting music--and you will be right! Check it out! Pick it up! You won't regret it!

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of gorgeous progressive rock with a very important message for our current world.

 Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.82 | 81 ratings

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Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by guspanet

4 stars UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY - PLANETARY OVERLOAD Part 1: LOSS and ROMANTECHS: REIMAGINE (2019) By Gustavo Panetta Giant Electric Pea Ltd. It could reflect, deepen, think, draw conclusions, establish comparisons, generate debates, etc. ......... .or, simply, to say what we feel when we listen to this great work of UPF. I''m going to choose the 2nd. option, with some brushstrokes of the 1st. This second work in study of UPF, with the leadership of Mark "Truey" Trueack, and the immense contribution of Steve Unruh as a musician and producer, delights us with 2 CDs; being the first, described as Planetary Overload, Part 1: Loss; and the second: Romantechs: Reimagine. The first cut "Loss (Anthem)" is a piece by way of introduction, highlighting the intervention of flute, violin and sax, with the vocal part closely related to the style of Jon Anderson - who participated in the previous album -. The lyrics have an optimistic profile, emphasizing that "the loss will bring all of us together and will make us closer than before". Continues with "What Happens Now" with a beginning of flute chords as Ian Anderson, in the hands of the virtuoso Steve Unruh, continuing with saxophone, alternating with violin and flute, and a rhythm to awaken the lethargy of human beings responsible for the change of the future of our planet with a text that says: "Do not let the planet die". The third song "Cruel Times" (Cruel Times), is one of the best achievements of this work, with a calm beginning of guitar and a very direct message: "these are cruel times, nothing can make it false, there is a lot that we can do, we are the only ones that can do it well. Do not surrender to the fight. " After 3:40 it transforms into a cascade of sounds of the most varied, with jazz structures in piano, under the present, then synthesizer, violin with reminiscences of Kansas, being present wakemanianos chords and excellent vocal arrangements very Yes. Then follows: "What Are We Doing Ourselves", a brief topic that asks us a simple question: What are we doing for ourselves, for our world? All with a background of kalimba, tabla and similar gospel voices. The 5th theme: "Stop Time", is one of my favorites, with a very powerful force and a gigantic and even aggressive lyrics, with great sound display, enjoying the participation in keyboards of Nick Magnus (Steve Hackett), Colin Edwin on bass ( ex - Porcupine Tree) and Hasse Froberg (Flower Kings) in voice. At 3''30 he turns to a melody with Crimson''s touches of the 90''s, rising on the sound scale and with a very concrete description of the toxic tide and always the other shore, with the call to alert to what we do us to stop this destruction. We reached the 6th. cut, "One More", featuring guitar, violin and a very deep and sensitive melody, with a letter with an open ending: "Take a look, do not hide behind a wall; the signs are overwhelming and they blind us completely. " Continuing with the theme 7: "Mercenaries", the same begins with dissonant and distorted vibrations, with a dark voice that speaks of: "questions by the answers that you would not want to know and pass the threshold without return". Then it bursts into a loud and shocking melody that then dissipates, with good interventions of violin and guitar with wah-wah, that go marking an acceleration in a frenetic rhythm of great percussion and then returns to the chorus that talks about: "we can do it Well, we specialize in silent disappearances; at the end of the night we buried everything annoying ", referring to the great powers insensitive to the conceptual theme of this work. It ends abruptly with a great riff of Matt Williams. "What If", track 8, turns out to be a beautiful ballad with acoustic guitar, accompaniment of winds, and with questions such as: "What if the sun will refuse to shine and the sky will turn gray forever; the ocean will dry and the birds will stop singing? ". We continue with "Forgive Me My Son", another of my favorites, which starts with the voice of Truey mentioning the title, an explosion and shrapnel sounds. It turns out to be of great depth, stark and concise in its lyrics, with a violin that is expressed with laments and with the intervention of zitar, oud and other stringed instruments of Indian or Arab origin, which repeat chords as marking times; Reflections on the foolishness of war and at the same time speaks of a flag, a dream, a goal, an opportunity to make free hearts ... ambiguities of our times. We continue with "Dying To Be Reborn", theme 10, being a brilliant piece by Steve Unruh, with a very suggestive title: Die to be reborn. An acoustic guitar strum gives the beginning and end of the song, with an excellent score by George Perdikis and Nick Magnus on keyboards. The next-to-last cut, called "Seeds For Life," begins with a narrative by Dr. Gary Fowler and soundscapes background. We stand in front of the most ambitious and most extensive piece (19:33), with the intervention of a large number of musicians, notably Steve Hackett, Nick Magnus and the Fraternity Symphony Orchestra. At 2:21 there are xylophone sounds, drums, percussion and violin. Then the rhythm accelerates and at 6:15 the guitar intervenes with a sharp and intense plucking. At 7:20 Hackett appears with his classical guitar and some beautiful pieces of Spanish piece, adding the flute and an orchestral background. At 9:00, Truey''s voice intervenes, very similar to Gabriel''s timbre and Marek Arnold''s sax solo followed by high- flying synths. At 11:26 there is a very harmonious melody with piano, which is continued until 12:36 with the guitar intervention with a solid and marked plucking, repeating the same riff. At 13:47 the piano with chords is presented as remembering Emerson in Trilogy. At 14:40 begins a very sweet, optimistic melody, which repeats the same verse with chorus accompanying: "seeds for life, more precious than gold, seeds for the future." In the final part of this emblematic theme, the rhythm increases with distorted violin chords accompanied by the orchestra that goes in-crescendo and then loses in sound intensity, ending with Hackett at the last minute, giving the song a golden touch . The last cut of this great work "Loss To Lost" has an introduction in piano, flute and zitar. Then a steady rhythm is maintained, with choir participation and a hopeful message: "No more fighting, no more friction between us, it''s time to change our way of thinking ... with everything we know we could feed this world .. Let''s do it now !!! " The 2nd CD: Romantechs: Reimagine, which consists of 9 tracks, turns out to be a collection of re-worked versions, on the one hand, by themes by Mark Trueack and Sean Timms (ex Unitopia) (tracks 1 and 9); and on the other side of this work (tracks 2-8). These versions are quieter, with many sound effects or landscapes ordered by the work of Christophe Lebled on keyboards, with the strings of Steve Unruh, the great voice of Truey and some prestigious guests. As a corollary of this Romantechs, I prefer Mark''s words, referring to this work as if Vangelis had participated with his expert hand. I leave a special paragraph for everything that refers to the art of cover and booklet by Ed Unitsky, being the images and composition of photos of a great artistic level, taking the theme of this project to an exquisite interpretation and unique symbolisms.
 Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.82 | 81 ratings

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Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by Jeff_the_GlassCaster

4 stars United Progressive Fraternity (UPF) ' Planetary Overload ' Part 1 ' Loss

It has taken me several listens to write this review. Reason? Mostly because the issues addressed on this album are very close to my heart and I wanted to keep that from clouding my opinion. Also, because unlike beer or wine, music must be luxuriated over thru some time to be truly appreciated. That said ' I LOVE this album and can hardly wait for Part Two. For those of you who are familiar with my reviews of music, craft beer and food you know that when I mention my darling wife (The Lovely Miss B) in these reviews it is a rarity. She only gives her opinion when she is really moved. She loved most of this and liked the rest. This is not a band, rather a project conceived by Mark 'Truey' Trueack telling the story of our environmental crisis. He partners with Steve Unruh and a host of wonderful musicians to form this version of the UPF The opening sequence ' 'Dawning on Us' pulls you in with the haunting sounds and guest voice cameo's speaking of the state of Mother Earth and drags us the rest of the way with Jon Davison's (Yes) voice moving gracefully into Steve Unruh's flute'. At this point you are committed. Perhaps one of the things I love most about this album is that the lyric continually reminds us that there IS hope. When Truey and company move into the ballad 'Cruel Times' the lyric that stood out instantly for me was 'there is hope in everything we do, let's stand together in the face of gloom'. The backing harmonies from Lisa Wetton and Hasse Froberg along with Steve's violin makes for a dreamy song which transitions into an orchestration that could only move into ---- 'What Are We Doing to Ourselves' ' short, Caribbean and honest'' Intense and dramatic, 'Stop Time' is a pivotal point in this piece. I found it moving and the steppingstone for what was to come'. 'One More' ' this is the point of no withdrawal in this artistic work ' you are now hooked. Truey's vocal and Steve's violin and guitar give a gentle power to the lyric. Listen and you will understand. It only gets deeper from here. Now we come to 'Mercenaries' ' an appropriately heavy song at this point in the piece. This moves into >>>> 'What If ' >> 'Forgive Me, My Son' ' No matter what your social or political belief, if this does not touch your heart'.. well, I just don't know. The lyric is almost too simple'.. until you hear the young Brodie Byrne ask 'Father, what are we doing to ourselves?' You are now so far deep down the rabbit hole that is Planetary Overload that you just melt back into your chair. I promised myself that I would not break down this review song by song, but it just seemed to deserve this kind of attention. For me, the next song, 'Dying to be Reborn' is a weak spot on the album. I anticipated ' I'm not sure what ' this was not it. Not that I dislike it, this is a good song, just that it seems to not quite fit. Now we get to the ambitious 'Seeds for Life'. I fell in love with this symphonic epic the moment I first heard it. At first, I thought that my own current journey (small scale market farming) was heavily influencing my love of this song. After at least a dozen listens I know that has little to do with how much I enjoy this aural extravaganza. 'Seeds for Life' has the largest cast of the Fraternity in it and it shows. Progressive music in its truest sense. From start to finish this opus flows and moves the audience. It also shows off the virtuosity of the musicians and the musical composition accentuates the importance of the lyric. The song ends with a beautiful classically inspired Steve Hackett guitar solo that (sonically) could have ended the album, Except''. 'Loss to Lost' seems like the better way to end the album. It builds to give hope for tomorrow and a call to action ' 'Let's turn it all around. Let's find a solution. We can find hope. Hope is what we need.' This also sets us up for the much-desired volume 2. All that in one disc'.. but wait, there's more! The bonus disc is in no means an afterthought. The Romantechs: Reimagine are Christophe Lebled, Mark Trueack and Steve Unruh (along with several UPF players) doing alternative versions of UPF and Unitopia songs. A great bonus. In general, I found this album a wonderful listen. While the lyric could have been stronger at times, I understand the need to NOT chase people away from such heavy and important subject matter. The lyrics are clear and easy to understand. The music is moving. I anxiously await Part Two. Oh, let's not forget the wonderful artwork by Ed Unitsky as well - adding such a wonderful visual component is a wonderful finishing touch.

 Fall in Love with the World by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2014
3.88 | 101 ratings

BUY
Fall in Love with the World
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars UPF stands for United Progressive Fraternity, and originally came about after the demise of Australian band Unitopia. Mark Trueack (vocals), Matt Williams (guitar, bass, vocals), Dave Hopgood (drums, vocals) and Tim Irrgang (percussion) then joined forces with Guy Manning (Manning, The Tangent etc.), who brought in Marek Arnold (Toxic Smile, Flaming Row, SSTTGG etc.) and with bassist Daniel Mash the line-up was complete. There as then the short matter of bringing in ten guest musicians, including such unknowns as Jon Anderson and Steve Hackett?

The use of Marek's saxophone is probably more prevalent on this than on his other releases, and the album certainly benefits from it. Musically this is crossover prog, with some interesting percussive and world influences, and in many ways it is quite different to what else is out there, although at the same time it contains some passages that are quite simplistic yet always melodic. I don't know how much impact Guy and Marek had on the writing of the music, but it is clear that they had a large amount to do with the arrangements. I haven't previously come across Unitopia, but I am certainly intrigued to hear what the band used to sound like, as this is an incredibly immediate and accessible album, and it is just a shame that it has taken me four years to come across it. The use of Jon Anderson on fourth track "The Water" on backing vocals is quite interesting, as before looking up the details I hadn't been aware who had been involved but he stands out a great deal, and puts a stamp of approval on proceedings. Hopefully his appearance will attract fans of his to try this out, as that song itself is yet another great melodic AOR progressive rock number which makes me smile each time I play it. Overall, fun and commercial with small world influences here which make a big difference when they appear. Ecological, and great fun to boot!

 Fall in Love with the World by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2014
3.88 | 101 ratings

BUY
Fall in Love with the World
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Australian prog band Unitopia decided to call it a day in 2014 after 4 albums and more then 10 years career, but the head behind this band Mark Trueack together with his mates Matt Williams, Dave Hopgood and Tim Irrgang decided to team up with well known musician Guy Manning and going under the name of United Progressive Fraternity. Also there are some top notch invited guests here like Jon Anderson, Steve Unruh , Steve Hackett and few more who done a great job. Well, as I expected the sound UPF offers is not far from Unitopia atmosphere, but in places is little less intresting and with less progressive aproach. I definetly call this first baby named Fall in love with the world issued in 2014 progressive rock, but the progressive elements are few to my ears, the only great tune from the album is the longest one Travelling man (The story of ESHU), clocking around 22 min with exemplary musicianship and ideas, there are some great instrumental sections, keyboards, guitars are brilliant and the vocal passages aswell. Unfortunatly the rest are only ok, nothing special about it. and I prefer Unitopia much more, an album like The Garden Marck Trueack will never be part of, definatly the best album from his career untill now. All in all decent release, nothing groundbreaking here only good and nothing more. The art work made by famous Ed Unitsky is asyou might imagine colorful, intresting and very well made. 3 stars for this debut.

 Fall in Love with the World by UNITED PROGRESSIVE FRATERNITY album cover Studio Album, 2014
3.88 | 101 ratings

BUY
Fall in Love with the World
United Progressive Fraternity Crossover Prog

Review by Angelo
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

4 stars One of the albums I ran into through the great community around House of Prog is Fall In Love With the World, by United Progressive Fraternity (UPF).

A line up consisting of former members of Unitopia and The Tangent, give this band has a solid musical base, and it shows on this album. An album that carries a message that was also brought forward by Unitopia earlier - we should take better care of our planet. A broad subject that affects us all and is high the agenda of UPF. This shows in the lyrics, all centered around this theme, each track in its own way.

Opening track is the film music like We only get one world. The album contains a lot of heavy progressive rock, driven by guitars and keyboards. Still, the band has left a lot of room for quieter parts and other instruments as well.

Best proof of this, because it fills about 25% of the album by itself, is the 22 minute epic in 7 movements, Travelling Man (The story of Eshu). This track contains well executed saxophone and (sax-)flute solo's, but also driving guitars and wailing keyboards. To me, the best part of this track, and maybe even the album is the combination of the 3rd and 4th movement here. The former contains an almost marching beat, on top of which the vocals, keyboards and guitar interleave with each other like on early 70s Genesis tracks. It transfers almost seamlessly into the second, which moves from a heavy guitar driven part into a middle eastern feel and then suddenly introduces a violin that shows how well violins and guitars can rock together.

The Water is also an 'ear-catcher', that contains backing vocals and vocal effects recorded by Jon Anderson - making UPF singer and producer Mark Trueack a very happy man, according to the liner notes. The driving beat of this track makes it really work. The acoustic guitar based alternative mix that is included as a bonus is also not bad, but lacks a bit of that drive.

In Choices, Don't look back - turn left and Religion of war, the band manages to mix slightly pop rock choruses with just the musical complexity to make rock into progressive rock. The interplay between the instruments, including that aforementioned saxophone makes this into modern symphonic rock, with a catchy edge.

Surprisingly, the least appealing track to me on this album is the title track, Falling in love with the world. The track is based around an acoustic guitar, with other instruments playing around it in the same way as on the rest of the album. However, the track lacks a bit of power, not in the least due to the very low tempo of the vocals. Not a bad track, but nowhere near for example Travelling man.

Overall, I am pleasantly happy with this album, and the way it UPF combines old school symphonic rock with modern sounds and instrumentation. Some tracks, like Don't look back and Religion of war and certainly The Water are actually good material for getting the band air play on rock radio stations around the world and the internet.

More than worth buying for sure!

Thanks to angelo for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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