▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Unreal City ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Il Paese del Tramonto █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2015 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-10-10 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: AMS ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Recently, among my fellow Mexican prog friends, █
█ the name of Unreal City has been mentioned several █
█ times and always with positive comments about █
█ them. Now, after some weeks I've been listening to █
█ them, I have to thank them for bringing this band █
█ to my ears, and thank the band itself for creating █
█ such wonderful RPI gems that any fan of the █
█ classic Italian prog would love. After their █
█ incredible debut, entitled "La Crudeltß di █
█ Aprile", this 2015 the band comes with their █
█ second child, named "Il Paese del Tramonto", whose █
█ first class music will satisfy us. █
█ It features 7 tracks that make a total time of 69 █
█ minutes that provide a feast of retro prog with █
█ the undeniable modern touch, so go figure. The █
█ album opens with "Ouverture", a 5-minute █
█ introductory track which happens to be the █
█ shortest one. Some voices or noises at the █
█ beginning, later piano in a classical way and then █
█ the other instruments enter and begin to create a █
█ structure; of course, the keyboard work stands out █
█ in some moments, while strings create nice somber █
█ atmospheres. It is an instrumental track with some █
█ great inner changes. █
█ The second track "Oniromanzia" opens with the █
█ increasing sound of keyboards, which remind me of █
█ Anglagard in some way. It is strange, but in █
█ moments while listening to them, not only RPI █
█ bands come to my mind, also Swedish and even █
█ Japanese, so they sum up different prog cultures █
█ and styles in a few minutes. After two minutes, █
█ male vocals appear for the first time in the █
█ album, you will immediately notice the 70s █
█ resemblance, however, it is important to mention █
█ these guys are young musicians, but tremendously █
█ talented. In this second track I love how they █
█ pass from smooth passages to tense and fast █
█ moments, and so on. After 6 minutes there is a █
█ moment where a flute appears, adding a pastoral █
█ touch, but it lasts some seconds and later voice █
█ and a rockier sound come. █
█ "Caligari" is a 10-minute track that really brings █
█ the modern sound of RPI, though of course the █
█ retro elements prevail in some moments, but I █
█ think here it is more evident this fresh and new █
█ sound. The quantity of nuances they create through █
█ the minutes is impressive, so their talent is █
█ evident in both, composition and performance. The █
█ voice is great, and thankfully they sing in █
█ Italian, which is a lovely language. What I like a █
█ lot is that all the musicians are equally █
█ important, the music would not be the same without █
█ one of them, I mean, they complement each other █
█ really well, and know where to emphasize keys, █
█ bass, guitars and drums. █
█ "La Meccanica dell'ombra" is a fabulous track █
█ whose sound might be something like "modern █
█ gothic", if that exists. The composition is very █
█ well crafted, nice tense atmospheres, fast █
█ passages contrasting with some faster moments, █
█ great piano in the right time, etc. It is █
█ impossible not to praise them, and not to be █
█ surprised by their inner changes in time and mood. █
█ After four minutes the voice enters and adds that █
█ soft and gentle sound. Great song! Later, "Il Nome █
█ di Lei" is another wonderful track where their █
█ musicianship floats, and where no matter how many █
█ retro prog elements they bring, the sound is █
█ totally modern. I hope you get me, but well, I █
█ perceive it. Unreal City might actually have two █
█ different sounds: with and without voice, because █
█ when Tarasconi's vocals appear, the sound █
█ immediately becomes mellower, beautiful, calmer. █
█ "Lo Schermo di Pietra (Kenosis)" is a great █
█ bombastic track that brings more energy and power █
█ than the previous ones, the rock is evident here, █
█ perfectly suited by keyboards, strings and drums. █
█ But well, it shows the two faces again, because █
█ the instrumental introduction is the faster and █
█ passionate, and later when voices enter, it brings █
█ the emotional but calmer sound. But wait, after █
█ minute three, both sides are combined, so we █
█ listen to a fast and exciting song with vocals █
█ included. Great track without a doubt! █
█ Finally, the long 20-minute suite "Ex Tenebrae █
█ Lux" which simply shows how competent they are in █
█ compositional terms, they are young exquisite █
█ musicians that have much more to offer in this █
█ progressive rock realm, this sole song is enough █
█ to realize about that. This epic song is amazing, █
█ they combine space rock (first moments) with a █
█ gothic sound, with even funk in some brief █
█ passages, with jazzy tunes and of course, a █
█ splendid progressive rock predominance. The █
█ addition of some non-conventional elements such as █
█ the violin, is always welcome because it brings █
█ new textures. But well, it would take me another █
█ page to describe all the moments of this song, but █
█ I will sum it up in this line: a magnificent salad █
█ of progressive sounds gathered in the cage of █
█ life. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Having lived for almost 2 years in Italy, I should █
█ know a little more about Italian prog rock than █
█ what I do. But, it was in 1980 that I lived there █
█ and I didn't keep up on the scene like I should █
█ have. Of course, I am somewhat familiar with PFM, █
█ i Pooh's "Parsifal" (which is frankly the only █
█ real progressive piece they did in their huge █
█ discography), and The New Trolls and their █
█ progressive work in that era. I really should have █
█ stayed up to date, but I haven't. I have basically █
█ concentrated on the many progressive bands that █
█ are English based, and that is where my weakness █
█ with Prog lies, in the huge library of RIP music █
█ out there. Time for me to get to work, right? █
█ So, in reviewing this album, I am perhaps █
█ comparing somewhat unfairly to the Progressive █
█ music that I am familiar with. But, if it is █
█ unfair, I still think this is a worthy progressive █
█ release anyway. I must say, for only a 2nd █
█ release, this band sounds very mature and █
█ well-versed in progressive techniques and have █
█ quite an impressive understanding of the music █
█ that they have been inspired by. █
█ Overall, the voice and the instrumentals work well █
█ for the genre. The vocals do have a little na∩ve █
█ sound to them, but not enough to put me off or █
█ make me think that their sound isn't mature █
█ enough. On the contrary, the sound is very mature. █
█ The guitar and bass guitar work is well done and █
█ tasteful, the keyboards are mostly current █
█ sounding and in good taste, especially the █
█ acoustic piano work. There are some synths that █
█ sound dated when compared to some of the general █
█ sound of progressive music, but those times are █
█ seldom and short. It may be that the sound is █
█ current in the sub-genre of Italian Progressive, █
█ I'm not sure, but to me there are a few times the █
█ seem dated. But that still doesn't put me off █
█ much. In most cases, the interplay of the █
█ instruments on the long instrumental passages is █
█ really very tasteful and mature sounding, very █
█ well done. I also love the addition of the violin █
█ from time to time that helps to give the album █
█ more character and variety. █
█ To mention a few highlights, there is some nice █
█ inventive sections in these songs. In the first █
█ half of "Caligari" there is a great instrumental █
█ passage 5 minutes in that shows off that interplay █
█ between the instruments between the bass, the lead █
█ guitar, the piano which is later swapped out for █
█ the organ that is fun and exciting which later █
█ turns into a keyboard-led ballad with wordless █
█ vocals towards the last part of the song. "La █
█ Meccanica dell'Ombra" has an almost Jewish dance █
█ music vibe to it during the first part and later █
█ easily morphs to a mid-eastern style vibe. "Lo █
█ Schirma di Pietra" has a more dense section that █
█ actually approaches the sound of The Mars Volta █
█ for a few minutes. But the sound never really █
█ settles in to anything predictable throughout the █
█ entire album and if anything, compares a lot to a █
█ Neo-Prog sound. You get glimpses in the album of █
█ their contemporaries both old and new, but the █
█ music still stays fresh and alive throughout. The █
█ biggest highlight here is the multi movement 20 █
█ minute epic "Ex Tenebre Lux" which is a █
█ masterpiece and some of the quickest 20 minutes █
█ ever because it goes by so quickly and never █
█ drags. █
█ The biggest complaint is that with the █
█ multi-faceted songs, there are a few times when █
█ things sound a little same-y and it can be hard to █
█ distinguish one song from another as far as each █
█ song's individuality. I think that might be only █
█ an issue for the first few listens though. It █
█ would have been nice to give each track a little █
█ more individuality, that maybe the ever changing █
█ music is a bit overplayed within each track, but █
█ as I get more familiar with the songs, that might █
█ change. In any event, I enjoy this album enough to █
█ want to get to know it better. I can easily give █
█ it a four star rating and would easily recommend █
█ it to fans of the more progressive Saga music or █
█ even Spock's Beard. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Ouverture: Obscurus Fio 5:01 ░
░ 2. Oniromanzia 9:02 ░
░ 3. Caligari 10:05 ░
░ 4. La Meccanica dell'Ombra 9:16 ░
░ 5. Il Nome di Lei 8:25 ░
░ 6. Lo Schermo di Pietra 7:54 ░
░ 7. Ex Tenebrae Lux: I. Gelida Imago Mortis 20:34 ░
░ II. Ci? Che Disse Il Tuono III. Processo ░
░ Secondario IV. Ab Aeterno ░
░ 70:17 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░