Riverside

RIVERSIDE [PL] - Progressive Rock

Riverside @ Bospop, Weert (NL)
July 10, 2011
Pictures by Franky Bruyneel

Recommended albums

#1 Second Life Syndrome
2005

#2 Out Of Myself
2003

#3 Anno Domini High Definition
2009

Discography

01|2003|Out Of Myself
800 (#2)
02|2005|Second Life Syndrome
807 (#1)
03|2007|Rapid Eye Movement
736 (#6)
04|2009|Anno Domini High Definition
791 (#3)
05|2013|Shrine Of New Generation Slaves
768 (#4)
06|2015|Love, Fear And The Time Machine
765 (#5)

Rock Report's choice

Second Life Syndrome

InsideOutMusic, 2005
Production by Riverside, Magda & Robert Srzedniccy
Ratings: PA: 4.26 (1389) | RYM: 3.81 (2192) Total rating: 807
Updated: 160216

Line-up

Mariusz Duda (b, v)
Piotr Grudziński (g)
Michał Łapaj (k)
Piotr Kozieradzki (d)

Track listing

Songwriters

Riverside (music)
Mariusz Duda (lyrics)

Rock Report review

Last year, myself and many of you were surprised by the debut album of Polish progressive rockers Riverside. Comments like "fantastic album, enough said", "THE release of the year if you like your prog in the same style as Pink Floyd, Opeth and Porcupine Tree" and "the best alternative to Pink Floyd in years" confirmed the 5-star rating yours truly had given to "Out Of Myself". The many raving reviews didn't go unnoticed by one of the main players on the label market. InsideOutMusic - home of Asia, Fates Warning, Shadow Gallery and Vanden Plas - offered the guys a contract and recently released Riverside's second album "Second Life Syndrome". Besides the label jump, not much has changed though. Keyboard player Michal Lapaj had already joined the band one month before the debut was issued and is now officially credited. And the overall feel of the album has become darker, moodier and consequently more aggressive, including a more frequent use of extreme vocals, which stresses the Opeth resemblance. No worries for those who don't like that however, as Mariusz Duda's sublime clean voice is still one of the band's most important trademarks. So are Piotr Grudzinski's waving Floydish guitar parts that, together with Lapaj's keystrokes, keep the dreamy and prog aspects of the band's music alive. These are at their best when alternated by Grudzinski's heavier guitar riffs. There's something for everyone as well: from short and simple but haunting tunes as "Conceiving You", "I Turned You Down" (nominee for song of the year) and "Before" to epic tracks like the title track and "Dance With The Shadow", of which the atmospheric intro reminded me of Simple Minds' "Belfast Child". There also is the third piece of the beautiful instrumental "Reality Dream" suite. Audiophiles will be pleased by the very good production and those in for some eye candy can admire the special artwork by Travis Smith. It's clear that "Second Life Syndrome" deserves at least as much merit as its predecessor. I'll stick to 5 stars for now and curiously await the third part of Riverside's trilogy on the subject of a man in search of his true self. These guys need no searching though. Great album!
Stijn Lambert, November 2005