Building upon their debut album “Stalker”, released in 2021 and named after the 1979 Tarkovsky film, Utopia have upped their game for their second studio album “Shame” out on February 2nd, 2024.
Their debut album, put together during the pandemic with guest musicians, featured the extreme drumming talents of Billy Rymer (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Baard Kolstad (Leprous), Lee Fisher (Fawn Limbs), Si Blakelock (Tangaroa) and Simon Peter King. Now featuring a fixed lineup, the original members of John Bailey on guitars, Chris Reese (Corrupt Moral Altar) on vocals and Arran McSporran (Virvum/Vipassi) on fretless bass are now joined by Jay Walsh on drums and a second guitarist in Jimmy Wilson.
With Stalker described as “the type of album that shapeshifts from one minute to the next, encompassing everything from grind, death metal, doom, jazz, and even some progressive rock, ensuring that listeners are in for a wild and challenging experience… comparable to the experimental madness of Psyopus and Dillinger Escape Plan alongside Spastic Ink or Behold the Arctopus, but with a bit more emphasis on jazz and prog melodies which sets Utopia apart”, their second album “Shame” looks to build on the foundations of “Stalker”, but with a more cohesive sound throughout – while still pushing themselves beyond the instrumental complexities of the first album.
Taking their songwriting and technical skills to the limit, “Shame” is not for the faint-hearted but rewards those willing to step up to the plate with repeated listens to unravel the complexities within the compositional layers. Watch the video for first single “Withering Away and Laughing” below.
Lyrically the music is directed towards mental health and philosophy. It encapsulates ideas from existentialism, political philosophy, philosophies of consciousness and themes of depression.
John Bailey adds:
“All the themes here are complex and heavy and will never be useless when we superimpose them onto our own lives. The complexities are matched with the music and the intensity of the music is matched with the intensity of how I feel about the world and my place in it today. Sometimes I feel absolutely nothing whatsoever and sometimes I feel a burning for a better understanding of myself. Mood swings eh”!
Pre-order “Shame” here.
Tracklist:
1. Machiavelli
2. Shame
3. Waking Visions
4. Sun Damage
5. Zither
6. Never Argue with an Idiot
7. Withering Away and Laughing
8. Social Contracts
9. The Gift of Failure
10. Moving Gently Towards the Grave
UK Live Show 2024:
2nd February – Liverpool, District
(w/ Conan)
More dates to be announced soon.
Web:
linktr.ee/utopiaband
