Label: Inside Out Music
Release date: 31.10.2005
Production: Riverside
Album length: 62.33 min
Genre: Progressive Rock / Progressive Metal
And just like that, it went off in Eastern Europe too! Poland’s Riverside have been running like a truly well-oiled machine for the last three years, and right now they’re one of the main prog rock attractions on this planet. I won’t be modest with my words here. This is the real cream of prog rock! Today’s prog rock! What drives Riverside forward is definitely their deep emotions, which come through so authentically in their music. No influences on show here, no schoolbook rushing through the notes like Dream Theater or Shadow Gallery – this is a pure “feel, switch-off” album. “Second Life Syndrome” is the second part of the conceptual trilogy the guys kicked off with their debut “Out Of Myself” (2003). Compared to the debut, Riverside now sound even harder. They’re now adding a good dose of genuine “progressive” metal elements to their sound. The album stands out for its exceptional drama and depth! The atmospheres are grandiose. The whole album has a distinctly melancholic touch, yet it’s far from depressing. Bassist Maruisza Duda’s vocals play a major part in that – he sings with incredible feeling, marked by a warm, deep voice that carries a hint of sadness throughout.
“Second Life Syndrome” is diligently dosed with more complex passages that weave fluidly into the simpler, more straightforwardly composed material. The title track is the peak of the record when it comes to stringing together different atmospheres and those varying levels of complexity in the motifs, while in the instrumental Reality Dream III, for example, the guys go furthest on the record in progressive complexity. The keyboards in the production build an equal part of the sonic picture, and the guitar, which isn’t shy about the aforementioned real metal chopping, still doesn’t take the lead on the new record. Riverside don’t hide the rage, madness and pain, and Mariusz deliberately finishes some verses with proper “death metal growls” that fit the picture brilliantly and lift the already high ambient mood of the whole record even further. Artificial Smile is one such track, a schizophrenic song where Riverside sound at their hardest on the record thanks to the pronounced guitar riff.
The guys work coherently and the chemistry is top-notch! They aren’t shy about oriental motifs either, laid over a properly progressive, broken rhythm, for example in Dance With The Shadow. Expressive guitar melodies, run through a compressor in places, together with the massive involvement of the keyboards, fleetingly pull toward the latest musical directions of the likes of Porcupine Tree. “Second Life Syndrome” is a record with an extraordinary subtlety that develops completely unexpectedly and spontaneously (I Turned You Down, Before). The sound is thick, with a massive sonic curtain marked by an exceptional depth, into which the rhythm section bites uncompromisingly, only amplifying the effect! Riverside carry a truly modern “new age” sound, full of high “groove”!
With their birth, Riverside are an outstanding addition to the prog rock scene. They’re marked by a completely their own voice, built on a fantastic knack for expressing emotion through a musical sermon. Riverside are spontaneously unpredictable, with a fluid, rich diversity of motifs in their compositions. Clearly, a true post-socialist syndrome of anger, despair and disillusion runs through the music, where you end up giving very little of a damn about anything in the world! And now into turbo capitalism. Not much of a better option. Riverside are a brand-new, totally convincing musical moment in prog rock. There are no rational musical parallels or calculations in them, just plain, naked “feel” everywhere.
author: Aleš Podbrežnik
rating: 9.0 / 10
Tracklist:
1. After (3:31)
2. Volte-Face (8:40)
3. Conceiving You (3:39)
4. Second Life Syndrome (15:40)
5. Artificial Smile (5:27)
6. I Turned You Down (4:34)
7. Reality Dream III (5:01)
8. Dance With The Shadow (11:38)
9. Before (5:23)
Lineup:
Mariusz Duda – bass guitar, vocals
Piotr Grudziñski – guitar
Michal Lapaj – keyboards
Piotr Kozieradzki – drums
