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). ****� - 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 agoThe current music composed and recorded by the band is as seamless and beguiling as you'd expect; 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 . 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. 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 Debut album Of Skins And Heart makes the Top 30. The Unguarded Moment single hits #22. Original drummer Nick Ward leaves, Richard Ploog joins the band.
1982 US debut combines Of Skins And Heart and Too Fast For You EP. Sing Songs EP released. Classic second album The Blurred Crusade hits Australian Top 10. Almost With You is another hit reaching #21.
1983 Seance album serves notice of more experimental, atmospheric intent.
1984 Persia and Remote Luxury EP’s released in Australia. Remote Luxury album released outside Australia.
1985 Heyday album breaks Australian Top 15, becomes global cult classic.
1986 Steve Kilbey releases first solo album, a precedent Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes soon embrace with gusto.
1988 Starfish LP #11 in Australia, marks new worldwide commercial peak. Under the Milky Way, #24 in US, #22 in Australia wins Best Single ARIA 1989. (Australian Recording Industry Association Award)
1990 Gold Afternoon Fix LP. Richard Ploog leaves the band. Metropolis single reaches #19.
1991 A Quick Smoke At Spot’s rarities compilation.
1992 Priest = Aura, Jay Dee Daugherty long time drummer from The Patti Smith Group temporarily joins the band. A new career high as the album becomes fan favourite and signals the end of an era.
1994 Kilbey and Willson-Piper reconvene for epic Sometime Anywhere set with guest drummer Tim Powles on some tracks, then tour as acoustic duo.
1996 Magician Among the Spirits. Koppes makes guest appearance that leads to full band tour, with drummer / producer Tim Powles completing most cohesive church line-up.
1998 Hologram of Baal cements new line-up, Bastard Universe first 70-minute improvised album.
1999 A Box of Birds covers album.
2001 Under The Milky Way features in cult classic film Donnie Darko
2002 After Everything Now This achieves biggest international success in almost 10 years. 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 band at a new peak of creative health: Jammed is second 58-minute improvised album, Beside Yourself a second B-sides compilation, El Momento Descuidado first Liberation Blue acoustic album, the latter featuring re-invention of classic songs alongside new material initiates trading of instruments as an element of live performances.
2005 Back With Two Beasts, outtakes album with another selection of strong songs. El Momento Descuidado nominated for ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary album.
2006 Uninvited, Like The Clouds released to rapturous reviews, band performs Under The Milky Way with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra to open Commonwealth Games.
2007 Tour with The Pretenders in Australia, EMI release double CD Deep In The Shallows – The Classic Singles Collection.
2008 Collaboration with renowned American Science Fiction writer Jeff VanderMeer unleashes the eerie, Shriek: Excerpts From The Soundtrack, a companion soundtrack to his latest book.
2009 Coffee Hounds EP released. Untitled #23 and two EP’s from the album Pangaea and Operetta released with extra tracks. Double vinyl version of the album sells out quickly. Yet another major international tour follows. The “So Love May Find Us Tour” kicks off in Australia and continues into North America. The band establishes its own Unorthodox label through MGM in Australia to release their music.
2010 EMI re release the first four albums in luxury packaging with extra tracks, rare photos and detailed sleeve notes written by Marty Willson-Piper. EMI simultaneously release a new compilation, The Best Of The Radio Songs. The unique “An Intimate Space 30th Anniversary Acoustic Tour” with 28 page program and EP of unreleased material included in the ticket price, begins in the USA and rolls towards Australia, performing a song from each album in reverse chronological order. The band are inducted into The ARIA R’n’R Hall Of Fame.
