Planetary Overload, Part 2: Hope, the brand-new studio album from environmentally-conscious progressive rock supergroup United Progressive Fraternity!

Heart, healing, and humanity have always been at the center of United Progressive Fraternity, with their goal of spreading connectedness and understanding across the world permeating everything they’ve done. Never before has their trademark synthesis of vibrantly sophisticated instrumentation and captivatingly meaningful songwriting felt as rewarding and resonant as on Planetary Overload, Part 2 – Hope, the spacious conclusion to the trilogy that began with 2014’s Fall in Love with the World and continued with 2019’s Planetary Overload, Part 1 – Loss.

Like its predecessors, the band explain, Hope “focuses on the problems we are already beginning to encounter on a troubled planet and expected to face with increasing severity in the future”; consequently, it encourages listeners to take “immediate positive action to mitigate those effects to ensure humanity’s survival. After all, Hope is a conscious choice. We are awake to the adversity we face (specifically regarding fair treatment of Earth and its inhabitants), yet we choose optimism over despair.”

Once again produced and led by vocalist/songwriter Mark Truey Trueack (Unitopia) and multiinstrumentalist/songwriter Steve Unruh, Hope further embraces the “Fraternity” in UPF by incorporating the talents of over three dozen of today’s most renowned and skilled progressive rock artists. From prior collaborators (such as Christophe Lebled, Nick Magnus, Charlie Cawood, Steve Hackett, Colin Edwin, Lisa Wetton, and Hasse Fröberg) to exciting newcomers (such as Rachel Flowers, Ryo Okumoto, Jonas Reingold, Tommy Murray, and even Unitopia co-founder Sean Timms), the LP undoubtedly features UPF’s greatest line-up to date.

“We collated a list of superb, likeminded prog rock magicians for this final installment of the Love/Loss/Hope trilogy. We feel progressive rock is at its best when there’s a strong message,” Progrock.com’s Essentials’ Mark Monforti reflects.

On that note, celebrated visual artist Ed Unitsky (Unitopia, The Tangent, Manning, Jon Anderson) returns, too, ensuring that the artwork for Hope is just as colorful and inspirational as the music it represents.

Clocking in at approx. two hours in length, Hope is also the group’s most dynamic, expansive, and profound creation thus far. From the rousing lyricism, hooky choruses, and majestically adventurous timbres of lead single “Love Never Leaves Us” to the Led Zeppelin-esque aggression of “Homosapien” and the divine splendor of penultimate gem “Hymn of Hope,” the record is a tour-de-force of exquisite musicianship, spellbinding melodies, and perhaps most importantly, life-affirming messages.

From start to finish, Hope signifies not only an exhilarating new chapter for UPF, but an essential experience for progressive rock aficionados and the world at large. As the band proudly proclaim, “the entire planet needs to hear this album!”

Planetary Overload, Part 2 – Hope, das brandneue Studioalbum der umweltbewussten Progressive-Rock-Supergroup United Progressive Fraternity!
Herz, Heilung und Menschlichkeit standen immer im Mittelpunkt von United Progressive Fraternity, mit dem Ziel, Verbundenheit und Verständnis in der Welt zu verbreiten, was alles durchdrungen hat, was sie getan haben. Noch nie zuvor hat ihre charakteristische Synthese aus lebendig anspruchsvoller Instrumentierung und fesselnd bedeutungsvollem Songwriting sich so lohnend und resonant angefühlt wie auf "Planetary Overload, Part 2 - Hope", dem üppigen Abschluss der Trilogie, die 2014 mit "Fall in Love with the World" begann und 2019 mit "Planetary Overload, Part 1 - Loss" fortgesetzt wurde.
Wie auch seine Vorgänger, erklärt die Band, fokussiert sich "Hope" auf die Probleme, mit denen wir bereits auf einem problematischen Planeten konfrontiert sind und die wir in der Zukunft voraussichtlich noch verschärft angehen werden. Folglich ermutigt es die Zuhörer, "sofort positive Maßnahmen zu ergreifen, um diese Auswirkungen zu mildern und so das Überleben der Menschheit zu gewährleisten. Denn Hoffnung ist eine bewusste Wahl. Wir sind uns der Herausforderungen bewusst, denen wir uns stellen müssen (insbesondere hinsichtlich der gerechten Behandlung der Erde und ihrer Bewohner), dennoch wählen wir Optimismus über Verzweiflung."


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