For Unreal City's debut I spoke about how the album was an excellent representation of the Italian progressive rock genre: "The style by itself allows for various interpretations of the same song over multiple listens. That's the beauty of it - there's so much to digest, each listen has its own rewards. And you will for certain get your money's worth with Unreal City, an album chock full of twists, turns, and great invention."
On their third and (so far) last album, Frammenti Notturni, I added: "Unreal City's 3rd album certainly pushes all the right buttons for the Italian prog rock style. Many shifts in tone and pace, impassioned vocals in the local language, and complex compositions. All that said, Frammenti Notturni seems a bit flat, and the instrumentals can be stilted. Not sure where to point the blame, as there's no real obvious flaws."
Which gets us to the middle child, an album I bought upon release but didn't pen any notes. As you can see from the two scribblings above, it's clear Unreal City are a participant of the Italian progressive rock virtual community. And Il Paese del Tramonto is no different. While it may have that prog-by-the-numbers feel, the album's abrupt transitions are very welcome, perhaps reassuring. I'm not sure why their third album never resonated. I tried on multiple attempts, but ultimately sold it. Fortunately that's not the case here. Maybe the band had reached their creative limit and it had become routine versus exciting. Unreal City have been silent for some time, and their last album is now six years in the rearview mirror. Perhaps this long break will reignite their creative juices. Regardless, Il Paese del Tramonto continues to earn its shelf space. My rating remains the same, now validated.
Ownership: CD: 2015 AMS. Wonderful mini-LP / papersleeve design. Comes with lyrical booklet as well. Never pressed on vinyl.
4/4/15; 11/19/23 (new entry)
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