Utopia announce debut album ‘Stalker’
UTOPIA have announced their debut album!
Titled Stalker, the upcoming album from the technical metal group centred around guitarist John Bailey and CORRUPT MORAL ALTAR vocalist Chris Reese is their debut full-length effort and is scheduled to be released in August this year, via APF Records.
The album see John and Chris joined by an impressive list of guest musicians such as drummers Billy Rymer, Baard Kolstad [LEPROUS], Lee Fisher [FAWN LIMBS, PSYOPUS] and Si Blakelock [TANGAROA/DREAM TROLL] alongside guitarist Simon Peter King, bassist Arran McSporran [DE PROFUNDIS/VIRVUM] and finally keyboardist Mike Moran [OZZY OSBOURNE/GEORGE HARRISON]. The project was started in March 2020 as John was coming off the back of a busy tour/session schedule and felt this was the time to finally start the band which he’d been thinking about doing for years. After seven to eight months of writing it was then just a matter of getting each person to record their parts which posed their own geographical problems with different musicians living around the world. However once all done the album was mixed and mastered by Rob Hobson at Silent City Records.
Speaking about the upcoming album, band mastermind John Bailey says, “I wanted it to be super heavy and crazy but also really emotional. The music combines elements of jazz and various styles of metal. The songwriting is very important lyrically and structurally. The lyrics draw influence from philosophy, literature, art and film (particularly the films of Andrei Tarkovsky). The concept of the name UTOPIA is a reflection of mental health/neurodiversity and social structures in the world we live in. The double edged sword of trying to lead a happy life in a world of conflicting ideology and bad faith between humans. I suppose the pitfalls of attempting a sophisticated life despite us being poorly evolved primates who are highly individual in their own rights. Its ultimately rooted in varying degrees of sensitivity, mental health and neurodiversity based on individuals trying to interface with one another in a constructive way.”
Alongside the announcement of the debut album, the band have released a new music video for the first song to be lifted from the upcoming debut record; Happiness.
Watch the official music video for Happiness here:
Also, you can view both the track list and artwork for the upcoming debut album below:
Track List:
1. The Bus Station Roof
2. Full Length Biography
3. Impotent Prophet
4. A Projection of Me on You
5. Utopia
6. Spirit Wives
7. What About Me
8. Happiness
9 Smiledyawnednodded
10. Moscow Holiday
11. It’s Not The End
Stalker is set for release on August 27th via APF Records. Pre-orders are available now and can be purchased here.
For more information on UTOPIA like their official page on Facebook.
