Unitopia - The Garden Cd1  (49:30)
	01	One Day						02:28
	02	The Garden						22:33
	03	Angeliqua						09:50
	04	Here I Am						03:20
	05	Amelia's Dream						03:22
	06	I Wish I Could Fly						03:25
	07	Inside The Power						04:32
Unitopia - The Garden Cd2  (51:34)
	01	Journey's Friend						16:30
	02	Give And Take						05:11
	03	When I'm Down						05:41
	04	This Life						04:48
	05	Love Never Ends						03:49
	06	So Far Away						02:11
	07	Dont Give Up Love						07:51
	08	321						05:33

Unitopia – The Garden

Country of Origin: Australia
Format: 2CD
Record Label: InsideOut / SPV
Catalogue #: IOMCD 307 / SPV 79912 DCD
Year of Release: 2008

Tracklist:

Disc 1 [49:36]: One Day (2:27), The Garden [a. The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, b. The Dragons Lair, c. Underground, d. Relization, e. The Way Back Home] (22:35), Angeliqua (9:50), Here I Am (3:19), Amelia’s Dream (3:22), I Wish I Could Fly (3:27), Inside The Power (4:31)

Disc 2 [51:27]: Journey’s Friend [a. Journeys Friend, b. The End Of The Beginning, c. The Need, d. The Main Attraction, e. The Path] (16:28), Give And Take (5:09), When I’m Down (5:41), This Life (4:47), Love Never Ends (3:48), So Far Away (2:11), Don’t Give Up Love (7:49), 321 (5:31)
Geoff Feakes' Review

In 2006 my colleague Andy gave a positive but cautious response to More Than A Dream, the debut title from Unitopia released the previous year. It just goes to show what a difference three years can make because their second is for me one of the better releases of 2008. Since the last album there have been a couple of personnel changes but otherwise the song writing and production partnership of Mark Trueack (vocals) and Sean Timms (keyboards, guitar) remains intact. The rest of the band comprises Matt Williams (guitar), Monty Ruggiero (drums), Shireen Khemlani (bass) and Tim Irrgang (percussion). Sax, flute and clarinet feature strongly on the album which I assume are provided by Mike Stewart whose name appears in the press release but not on my promo copy of the CD booklet. After meeting in 1996 it apparently took Trueack and Timms eight years to record the first album whereas The Garden in comparison came together in a relatively lean three years. It’s based on a concept of sorts and binding it together is the stunning artwork by Ed Unitsky, better known for his work with The Tangent, The Flower Kings, and Manning amongst others.

Like its predecessor this release contains elements of prog, pop, rock and world music plus jazz and in the title track, psychedelic. The ambitious compositions are superbly crafted with Trueack’s warmly mature voice to the fore and instrumental support that is uniformly excellent throughout. The music is heavily orchestrated at times although I’m unsure if the same full orchestra was used as the last album but it certainly sounds suitably cinematic. The song One Day opens disc one in understated fashion as Trueack croons his way through a gorgeous melody with a simple piano and strings backing. The title piece The Garden is for my money a contender for track of the year and is certainly the best epic length song I’ve heard in these past 12 months. From the percussive intro with its pounding tribal drums it incorporates a variety of moods, tempos and styles with a stirring finale that’s very reminiscent of, and virtually the equal to Genesis’ triumphant conclusion to Supper’s Ready.

If the rest of the album doesn’t quite reach the same dizzy heights as the title track there’s still some excellent material contained across both discs. Angeliqua offsets engaging, radio friendly vocal sections with heavy guitar driven outbursts. A flamenco guitar break partway through is a welcome diversion. The mid-tempo Here I Am is a fairly straightforward rock number which benefits from a memorable chorus but I Wish I Could Fly on the other hand is a far more ambitious affair. UK readers with long memories will be gratified to know that it’s not a cover of the similarly titled Keith Harris and Orville ditty! Divided into two sections, the lush classical guitar and flute in the first half Amelias Dream brings to mind the acoustic duets of Steve and John Hackett. Inside The Power could easily be described as power-pop with a compelling guitar hook taken up by full orchestra to provide a spectacular conclusion to disc one.

Disc two opens with the lengthy Journey's Friend which sees the band at their proggiest. Although song based, the rich guitar, synth, sax and organ work in the complex and strident but always melodic instrumental sections are from the same stable as The Tangent and Spock’s Beard. The only bit that jars for me is a clichйd hard-rock vocal (in the mould of AC/DC’s Brian Johnson) about halfway in which fortunately doesn’t outstay its welcome. In contrast Give And Take is a mellow tune with smooth strings, sax and slide guitar. When I'm Down and This Life are both chorus led mainstream songs enhanced by strong and colourful instrumental work including the lyrical acoustic guitar in the former and the gritty sax solo in the latter. Love Never Ends is a delicate classical guitar and strings ballad with sensuous female harmonies which may just be a tad too sickly sweet for some ears. The all too brief instrumental So Far Away allows Timms to show-off his classical flavoured piano chops in grandiose Rachmaninoff style.

The penultimate Don't Give Up Love is an exhilarating slice of pop-prog (if there is such a thing) that sums up the bands flamboyant approach perfectly. Beach Boys style harmonies, atmospheric strings, flashy acoustic guitar work (ala Trevor Rabin), a (very Andy Tillison) fiery synth solo and an infectious, uplifting chorus all add up to a very entertaining eight minutes. The album ends on a more downbeat note with 321, a song dedicated to the events of 2006 when three miners in Beaconsfield, Tasmania became trapped underground following a small earthquake. The title refers to the number of hours it took for two of the men to be rescued and it’s a suitably rhythmic account with hammer like percussion and a prominent bass pattern. Trueack’s vocals are delivered with the right level of anguish and in stark contrast to his relaxed performance that opened the album 100 minutes earlier.

For many 2008 has not been an outstanding year for prog rock releases with more disappointments than there have been pleasant surprises. My personal favourite remains Caamora’s 2 CD She which brightened up the earlier part of my year and likewise this two disc release from Unitopia sees the year out in fine style. The bands first album was described as "Prog-lite" but with The Garden, despite a wealth of other influences the sextet from Adelaide, South Australia has certainly found their progressive rock feet. Lyrically they display a spiritual side but without the preachy sentiment associated with some Christian rock practitioners. If you suffer from winter blues then I strongly recommend you add some Aussie sunshine to your Christmas with this double delight from down under.
Hector Gomez' Review

Wait a minute... What do I know about Australian music? Let me think about it... Crowded House? Midnight Oil? INXS? Kylie Minogue?! Russell Crowe’s band!!!! Progressive rock is, of course, nowhere to be seen... Oh, hang on. I think I’ve heard some Vanishing Point tunes, but these Aussie progmetal wannabes (excuse me if that sounded too harsh, especially if you happen to perform with Vanishing Point) failed to impress me. Considering all of the above, I firmly declare Unitopia’s second album The Garden (their debut More Than A Dream was released in 2005) to be my very first experience with Australian Symphonic & Progressive Rock (ASPR?). So, prog from Australia you say? Yes indeed, and quite good I must add. Well, it always feels good when you find something new and refreshing.

Visual information is of vital importance. Before hearing a single note you get a good feeling, as the album proudly wears eye-catching Ed Unitsky (who’s designed artwork for The Tangent and The Flower Kings... more on both bands later) cover and sleeve design, very much in the vein of what he did for A Place In The Queue, but a bit more colourful; as colourful as the music. Being a double, there’s plenty of styles and moods on display.

The journey begins with One Day, a short and simple, but extremely beautiful, ballad. Only subtle keyboards and Mark Trueack’s powerful, heartfelt singing, which is very reminiscent of Peter Gabriel; there’s no need for big arrangements if it’s done with this passion and delicacy.

Anyway, don’t worry if what you need are big arrangements and bombast, for The Garden is exactly what you’re craving for: a 20 minute epic with plenty of different moods, great playing and a majestic feel overall (references to Hieronymus Bosch included). It’s the longest track on the whole album, it’s probably the best and the one that displays everything Unitopia has to offer, which is an evenly balanced mix of classic 70’s symphonic rock, 80’s neoprog and a splash of their Australian roots. Besides the vocals, the other distinctive element in the band is Tim Irrgang’s percussion (everything from marimbas, to congas, to cowbells...). This is particularly evident in some passages on The Garden, such as the first movement, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, with its "dreamy forest" atmosphere, or Realization, which almost sounds like "aboriginal celebration" music (if such fascinating style exists). Elsewhere, The Garden could have been a perfect Flower Kings or The Tangent epic, save for some Marillion (guitar atmospherics) and Spock’s Beard (jazzy-fusion workouts) dashes here and there (and the grand finale, very Supper’s Readyish).

The remainder of CD 1 is made up of shorter tracks, which are not as good as the previous ones, but keep the listener’s interest, especially Angeliqua (when sung sounds like Angelica), a mini-epic which manages to squeeze ethereal female vocals, catchy pop, jazz fusion and prog oddities in less than 10 minutes. Here I Am is another short ballad, but this time it builds up to reach an infectious and anthemic chorus. Amelia’s Dream and I Wish I Could Fly, though credited separately, might as well be one track, one being the instrumental prelude to the other, forming a majestic and gentle piece of music. Last track, Inside The Power, could be one of the tunes Yes never included on 90125 or Big Generator, with its catchy chorus, driving rhythm and soaring string arrangements.

CD2 is a bit weaker. Yes, we can find plenty of good ideas here, but it lacks a unique, defining song. There’s another epic, the 16 minute Journey’s Friend, which is quite good but doesn’t resist comparison with The Garden. This time, we get a more conventional sound, very reminiscent of Transatlantic, particularly All Of The Above. Nice keyboard solos, a jazzy section, a harder edged section... lacking a bit of punch and personality, but surely more than enough for any proghead. Next song, Give And Take, is one of the best short tunes on the album, a mellow piece which wouldn’t have been out of place on Peter Gabriel’s So or Yes’ Union.

The sad thing is all remaining tracks aren’t especially memorable. When I’m Down feels somehow unfinished, This Life is quite energetic and commercial, but also trite and predictable. Love Never Ends has some beautifully haunting female vocals, but in the end lacks a bit more substance, as does So Far Away, a short and sweet instrumental ballad. Don’t Give Up Love, the other longish track (around 8 minutes) on CD2, is probably the most Yes/Jon Anderson sounding composition on the whole album, with its optimistic message and positive sounding melodies, a mix of All Good People and late period songs such as The Messenger or In The Presence Of. Might sound a bit corny at times, but is good music indeed.

Oddly, a weak track like 321 as been chosen to conclude the album, instead of keeping this privilege for one of the longer or more dramatic songs. It’s also been released as a limited edition single, and bears a dedication to the "Beaconsfield Miners" (the title refers to the hours they spent "trapped inside the earth"). Anyway, and not unlike This Life, this is a fairly conventional rock song, perfectly catchy and perfectly forgettable.

So, what do we have in the end? A pretty decent effort from a very promising band, which could have benefited from a bit of trimming (keep most of CD1 and the best of CD2, and you get one killer 70 minute album; you could do this with virtually every double album, including all those "classics" you’re thinking about), with very solid ensemble playing (maybe only Sean Timms’ keyboards and Matt Williams’ guitars clearly stand out) and excellent string arrangements.

I suggest they let go of their more conventional pop facet, and instead further explore their tribal/aboriginal side, which in the end monopolizes The Garden’s most satisfying moments.

Conclusions:

GEOFF FEAKES : 9 out of 10
HECTOR GOMEZ : 7 out of 10