PLANETARY OVERLOAD, PART 1 - LOSS

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.

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.

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.

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