The Church will release what it’s billing as its 25th studio album next month, a collection of new material that’s been christened Further/Deeper and which marks the long-running Australian rockers’ first record without guitarist Marty Willson-Piper, who was “not available” and has been replaced by Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug.
The album is due out on CD and vinyl, and digitally, on Oct. 17 in Australia and New Zealand, with release dates in the rest of the world to be announced later, according to the band’s website.
Fans who pre-order the CD or digital editions will get instant downloads of the song “Pride Before a Fall” — which can also be streamed right now via Soundcloud. Those pre-orders will also receive the bonus track “The Girl is Buoyant” on Oct. 17.
The vinyl edition is a 2LP set that will include three bonus tracks, and a download card for the full record.
Frontman Steve Kilbey announced last November that The Church would proceed without Willson-Piper, first suggesting the guitarist couldn’t make the sessions for the new album, then implying he was out for good. (“I love the guy. His musicianship is undeniably good. But it’s over now. The Church will have to move on without him or have no Church at all.”)
Since then, Haug has been recording with The Church, although the group stressed last year that he was a “guest band member.”
While Willson-Piper was not an original member, he joined the band prior to its debut album. The Church previously recorded an album without Willson-Piper, but released that record — 1997’s Distance-Crunching Honchos with Echo Units — under the band name The Refo:mation.
The Church will support its first new album in five years by performing it in its entirety on tour; four Australian dates have been announced so far (see below).
The Church tour dates:
Oct. 24: Anu Bar, Canberra, Australia
Oct. 25: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney, Australia
Oct. 31: Ormond Hall, Melbourne, Australia
Nov. 1: The Old Museum, Brisbane, Australia
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Robyn Hitchcock, The Church’s Steve Kilbey team up for short Australian tour
- Steve Kilbey reuniting with ex-Church drummer Richard Ploog on Australian tour
- Steve Kilbey releases 3-hour film documenting 1991 U.S. tour with Grant McLennan
- The Church moves on without Marty Willson-Piper: ‘This step was not taken lightly’
- The Church’s Steve Kilbey, Greg Dulli of Afghan Whigs double up in L.A. (Setlist, Video)
- The Church’s Steve Kilbey writing songs with Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs
Eh, love Marty’s work, but they had a spell without Peter, too. So long as Kilbey’s singing, it’s The Church to my mind.
Can. Not. Wait.
Wow sounds great. Steve sounds like a choir boy on intro Not a bad thing
I will certainly miss Marty (his work on the Noctorum albums is fantastic!), but I am very excited for this new Church release.
the MWP studio and stage work will be missed, but from what I have heard so far, the vibe and spirit that is the church continues with Ian adding his own magic in the studio and the stage.
look forward to the new music and live shows from this great band.
Sounds just as dull and dreary as anything they’ve done over the last 20 years. Snore……………..
Cannot wait, very few bands have been as consistently brilliant over such a long career. They can seem monolithic and dense for some but once down the rabbit hole it’s hard to deny. After Everything Now This is up there with greatest releases of all time in my view and it came out 21 years into their career, simply astonishing.
The Church will always be great. MWP is a loss but not a huge one. They still have three essential members and Steve Kilbey is still their venerable frontman.
An occasional appreciator of The Church over the years – this might sound kinda simple I suppose and not a great departure from say “Uninvited Like The Clouds” or “Untitled 23”, but therein lies a certain stability and beauty, too, I think. For me, they more and more come across as Australis’s Pink Floyd (in a good way) and this particular track reminds me of modern Marillion, too. Floating, gliding away into the outer reaches of Earth orbit (or something) with delicate guitar work. Let’s face it, if you have to have a replacement member for The Church, Haugie’s a perfectly decent choice! I would be interested to hear the rest of the new record…
As a huge fan, I like the song, but I am not sure about the vocals. Kilbey has become a bit too fond of heavily treated vocals over the past fifteen years or so. I will need to listen a few more times.
I’ve been looking for The Psychedelic Symphony to be released on DVD for several years. Unfortunately, it was not discovered on this website. However, over the weekend, I found out that it has been released finally! Granted, the DVD appears to be only available via Australian websites, it is available as a 2 CD set elsewhere. I decided to splurge and get the DVD, though.
I’ve been a Church fan since Starfish and then explored backwards the rest of their catalog at the time. The Church has remained one of my favorite bands. Although I’ll miss Marty and appreciate all he’s done over the years, I’m also excited for what I’m hearing with this new track. The mixture here is true to the band’s aesthetic and I really didn’t think it was going to be possible without Marty. Here’s to the good of the new band and wherever Marty chooses to go next – I’ll be looking for that too.
Folks…hate to advise, but MWP absent? Fan since 1984. Firts saw Heyday in ’85, Detroit St Andrews hall..It was/is MWP who rescues SK from the sonic netherworld he wishes to submerge into..when buffered with MWP(and a little Koppes) it works. This first song…I actually like it alot…but better not be a whole album…this is never their best stuff, although good stuff I LOVE and is definitely Church….but no MWP? MWP IS THE CHURCH….one man’s opinion…and in many esoteric ways….not just those that hit you over the head…..devil is in the details as well as all in life..and in music.
For those like myself who haven’t listened to The Church in a long while, you can’t just go by the first release. I was very disappointed with ‘Pride Before a Fall:’ who thought that one up for the first release? Sounds like rehashed ‘Strawberry Fields,’ and much as the Beatles were great in their time, that time is now long past. I did end up buying a download of the whole thing, and the songs vary quite a bit: some I couldn’t stand, others I was surprised to like as much as I did. One caveat: Steve Kilbey’s not the nice guy I used to believe (which I learned via his website). If you don’t mind your rock stars rude, selfish and heartless, fine. But for me, that taints their music. Pandora’s Box indeed.
The Church without Marty Willson-Piper is like The Beatles without Sir Paul McCartney!?