5 out of 5 STAR REVIEW IN ROLLING STONE! *****
The new album Untitled 23 receives a 5/5 star review in Rolling Stone (Australian Ed.). Make sure you grab yourselves a copy of the June edition
REVERED ROCKERS
Legendary Oz band The Church outdo themselves on their superb new album
A Renewed Crusade
The Church return to form with a stunningly ambitious album of shimmering rock
The Church ★★★★★
Untitled 23 Unorthodox/MGM
RAVE MAGAZINE
THE CHURCH – Untitled 23
"..it’s still the same beautiful high, every bit worth the two-and-a-half year wait (not counting the superb B-sides/outtakes compilations Beside Yourself and Back With Two Beasts and this January’s Shriek: Excerpts From The Soundtrack). ****½ - DENIS SEMCHENKO
THE MELBOURNE AGE
"........it's a haunting, dark, thrilling, ecstatic, melodic psychedelic journey in ten unforgettable pieces. -Michael Dwyer -The Age, Melbourne, April 2009
INPRESS MAGAZINE - by EJ Cartledge
"The Church exists in another universe, I think we can all agree. Concepts of time and money and charts ceased to apply so long ago that the mere mention of commercial success seems dirty somehow. The current music composed and recorded by the band is as seamless and beguiling as you'd expect; the songs mesh and blend and for the most sound utterly enchanting. Steve Kilbey's bass throbs like a gentle pulse, his vocals are forever organic and warm, the twin guitar approach from Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes merge layer upon layer of interweaving chord progressions and seductive lead breaks, and drummer/producer Tim Powles adds considered percussive and tempo touches. It is so intoxicating and straight away satisfying that the listener is struck by its apparent ease. Of course, the reality is very different; Untitled 23 has been laboured over for eons and these four men are still ambitious enough to tour internationally and release new music as often as is humanly possible. Two EPs also accompany this longplayer, well worth the investment by the way - all going to show there is still so much spirit and creative hunger in The Church for plenty more material like this to emerge.
And that is something we should treasure, for this is gold. Cobalt Blue opens in that classic familiar yet mysterious Church vein, all otherworldy themes and bewitching backing before the threatening, urging Deadman's Hand establishes a glorious repeating guitar motif in the style of Chromium from 2002's After Everything Now This. Two other tracks played during the recent national tour then follow Pangaea and Happenstance. Again the structure and instrumentation is delightful and instantly alluring and one is tempted not to progress any further. Spacey beats mix with jazzy runs, ghostly harmonies float around, cellos and harps compliment acoustic and electric guitar patterns and through it all Kilbey's signature vocals underpin the whole gorgeous thing. Other highlights abound on the rest of the album, tucked away in strange corners and behind half-closed doors. They don't need to be teased out; you just have to close your eyes and let the offerings wash over you"
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1980 The Church play their first
gigs in Sydney, Australia.
1981 Of Skins and Heart LP makes a
Top 30 debut. The Unguarded
Moment hits ..22.
1982 US debut combines Skins and Too
Fast For You EP. Classic second album The Blurred Crusade
hits Australian Top
10. Almost With You is another hit.
1983 Sing Songs EP in Australia; first UK EP.
1984 Seance album serves notice of more experimental, atmospheric intent. Persia
and Remote Luxury EPs released in Australia combined for Remote Luxury album outside Australia.
1985 Steve Kilbey releases first solo disc, a precedent Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes soon embrace with gusto.
1986 Heyday album breaks Australian Top 15, becomes global cult classic.
1987 Top 10 Starfish LP marks new worldwide commercial peak. font color="FF6600">Under
the Milky Way , No 5 in Australia, No 24 in US, Best Single ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association Award)
1990 Metropolis reaches ARIA Top 10. Compromised Gold Fix Afternoon LP, another Top 10 hit, seals bands resolve to put art before commerce.
1991 A Quick Smoke At Spots rarities compilation.
1992 Self-produced Priest = Aura, a new career high, becomes fan favourite and is the end of an era
1994 Kilbey and Willson-Piper reconvene for epic Sometime Anywhere
set; tour as acoustic duo.
1996 2nd duo LP Magician Among the Spirits Koppes makes guest appearance that leads to reunion tour, with drummer Tim Powles completing most cohesive Church line-up.
1998 Hologram of Baal cements new line-up. Bastard Universe first 70-minute improvisation album.
1999 A Box of Birds covers album.
2001 After Everything Now Thisachieves biggest international hit in almost 10 years.
2002 Parallel Universe remix album
2003 Forget Yourself sparks another sweeping world tour headed by a stunning launch at the Sydney Opera House.
2004 Three albums find the Church at a new peak of creative health:
Jammed is second 58-minute improvisation album. Beside Yourself a second B-sides compilation. El Momento Descuidado first Liberation Blue acoustic album.
2005 Back With Two Beasts, outtakes album with another selection of strong songs.
2006 Uninvited, Like The Clouds
released to rapt reviews. El Momento Descuidado nominated for ARIA award, band performs Under the Milky Way with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to open Commonwealth Games
2007 - Tour with The Pretenders in Australia, seond acoustic album El Momento Siguiente precedesDeep In The Shallows - The Classic Singles Collection
2009 - Previous year's activity yields two albums Untitled 23 and Shriek: Excerpts From The
Soundtrack plus 2 eps Coffee Hounds and Pangaea Yet another international tour follows. The So Love May Find Us tour kicks of in Australia and continues into North America.
Hello The Church, It is really pleasant to see that your music very well aged. Your performance of yesterday was magic. I had seen you in first part of Echo and the Bunnymen in 1986. In passing your new album are very good.
I just saw you guys in Albany for the first time. I'm an old friend of Chrispy and I drove him there and had a great time. The new album is also wonderful and I hope everybody in the world buys it. And yes, the contents of my head have shifted.
Thank you for an AMAZING show last night in NYC!!! It was extraordinary!!! with that and "Untitled 23" The Church has made a bee-leaver of me once again. (And btw, Almost With You was and continues to be one of my all-time Church-y faves.) Listen, I've had a year so bad I don't want to speak of it -- though I just did -- but seeing/hearing you (and most certainly Steve's interpretive dance)revived my spirits, all of them. All smiles today and after witnessing your unflagging energy and creativity, I am now quite certain: we are never gonna die!!! Seriously. Wish I could make it to Ridgefield tonight; hope it's not 3 more years to seeing you again. Love you guys.
My turn! The Church hey?! I am pleased to see you being so well received in America and making money. I trust the enemies of old have been silenced. I wanted to meet any of you at the Triffids thing but you all did a runner! Why, in Sydney. Security and safe.
You opened this account about one week earlier than I opened mine and so have been among my longtime MySpace friends. Glad to finally see you, after more than three years, opening for Van der Graaf Generator tonight.
I just got your new album today. I REALLY LOVE IT.One of your best work of arts. I missed you guys at the Kansas City show. Thanks for the new music !'
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