Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Riverside
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2007
After four years, Poland’s champions of progressive rock and metal are back with a new album, Rapid Eye Movement, which wraps up the Reality Dream trilogy they kicked off on their debut, Out of Myself (2003). That one brought them recognition and countless best debut and best newcomer band titles. And it didn’t stop at titles, either: Riverside have now put out their second record on a giant of a label, the biggest label in progressive metal and rock, Inside Out Music.
Riverside are one of the most hyped names on the current prog scene, and rightly so, because this is a band you simply can’t overlook. Their dark, sensual, atmospheric sound gets compared to names like Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree, while the heavier, metal side of their music is shamelessly mentioned in the same breath as prog giants Dream Theater and Opeth. But these guys blend elements of 70s and 80s progressive rock with the modern sound of progressive metal so well that they come out totally unique and authentic.
The album Rapid Eye Movement is split into two parts, Fearless and Fearland, which together give you almost an hour of ethereal music that carries you off to other worlds. Musically the record isn’t all that different from its predecessors. This time there’s maybe more emphasis on atmospheric, calm passages and less on melody, but you can definitely hear growth in the songwriting and an overall step forward. The one thing worth singling out here is the vocals of Mariusz Duda, who has an incredibly natural, warm tone that, personally, reminds me at times of Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and the clean vocals of Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), and the two are also close when it comes to fantastic emotional delivery of the lyrics. This time Duda treats himself to a whole range of different singing styles, everything from gentle vocals and furious outbursts to almost choral singing. All of it just adds to the dark, goosebump-inducing atmosphere of the album. It goes without saying that Riverside are instrumental geniuses, but let’s stay on that for a moment anyway. On top of the vocals, Duda also handles the bass guitar, and he does it superbly. The bass lines are downright brilliant, and the bass production is so good that it melts into the music as one. The guitar blends insanely well with the rhythm section, so the whole thing occasionally sounds almost like a jam session, and Lapaj’s keyboards add an extra touch, giving the vocals great support and creating an incredible atmosphere, from gloomy to beautifully mystical.
The album kicks off right away with a masterful composition, Beyond the Eyelids, which opens with a mysterious electronic vibe and Duda’s incredible “chants”. A wild bass groove soon joins in, then a guitar that leads into a real prog treat with some sawing riffs that slightly recall Dream Theater. The shortest track on the album, Rainbow Box, was heavily influenced by Porcupine Tree and is built around a main heavy riff, generously helped along by excellent bass and drums. 02 Panic Room is one of the more experimental tracks on the album, leaning heavily on keyboard atmosphere and loads of samples, which thankfully aren’t distracting. With whispers and a melancholic voice, Duda builds a chilling atmosphere, and the final part of the song closes it out with a cold guitar and piano tone, over which a deathly, eerie vocal hovers. Schizophrenic Prayer plunges us even deeper into despair, with a sorrowful vocal and an acoustic guitar with oriental motifs building an incredible ambient mood. One of the album’s best moments is the eight-minute Parasomnia, which has that real Riverside “trademark” sound, a mighty central bass line and fantastic harmonies, ushered in by an intro with just Duda’s mystical voice, who is without a doubt one of the best lyric interpreters in prog right now. Through the Other Side and Embryonic carry on in a similar vein to Schizophrenic Prayer, built mostly around acoustic guitar patterns that at times recall Opeth’s masterpiece Damnation (Through the Other Side strongly echoes Windowpane), and both build up very slowly, yet effectively and powerfully. Cybernatic Pillow is brilliantly built on staccato riffs and, once again, outstanding bass that blows your mind. The album closes with the epic thirteen-minute masterpiece Ultimate Trip, ruled by an opening jam with ingenious “lead” parts from guitarist Piotr Grudzinski and keyboardist Michal Lapaj, followed by a more aggressive vocal performance this time.
The production on this album is indescribable, probably even the best so far. With Rapid Eye Movement Riverside have only cemented their status, and with it they’ve also closed out the trilogy. It’ll be interesting to see what’s in store for us down the road. Judging by what we’ve heard, the future is bright.
Lineup
Mariusz Duda – bass, vocals
Piotr Grudziñski – guitar
Piotr “Mittloff“ Kozieradzki – drums
Michal Lapaj – keyboards
Production
Riverside
Tracklist
1. Beyond The Eyelids 07:56
2. Rainbow Box 03:37
3. 02 Panic Room 05:29
4. Schizophrenic Prayer 04:21
5. Parasomnia 08:10
6. Through The Other Side 04:06
7. Embryonic 04:10
8. Cybernetic Pillow 04:46
9. Ultimate Trip 13:13
