There are some ideas that sound foolish first and need some time and a rise in awareness to be understood and appreciated. The principles of what is called “The Warrior Diet” can be filed under this category. The first time I heard and read about this way of eating and living, I closed my ears and called it rubbish. The second time I thought about it, I already had bought a book about it. The third time I considered it, I was already practicing it. And up to now, I did not stop to do so.

What is The Warrior Diet?

The Warrior Diet is a way of eating and living that is different from what we know from mainstream living. The author of the book “The Warrior Diet”, Ori Hofmekler, took a good look at ancient cultures and contemporary tribes and studied their approach to dieting, exercising and lifestyle. The lessons that he could learn from his observations are condensed into his book, with a strong emphasis on the nutrition part (hence the ‘diet’ in the book’s title).

This review will incorporate official recommendations as well as personal additions that have begun to dawn on me.

The Warrior Diet Eating Cycle

The Warrior Diet eating cycle is the central element of this diet and the factor that distinguishes it from other diets. While regular diets are keen on changing on either how much or what to eat, The Warrior Diet is much about the question when to eat.

On the Warrior Diet, the human body goes through periods of fasting and feasting, mimicking the primal circumstance of the hunter that had to survive without steady supplies (fasting) and gorged on his prey upon successful hunt (feasting). This is accomplished by incorporating two phases:

• The undereating phase, where you eat less than normal (down to zero), lasting 20-21 hours of the day.
• The overeating phase, where you eat significantly more than normal (up to satiety), lasting 3-4 hours of the day (usually at the end of the day).

The Undereating Phase

During this phase, you are entitled to fast. This is the time, in which your body digests your feast meal and draws upon the energy storages it has. It is occupied expending energy and has no energy to lose for digestion, which can draw up to 40% of the total energy available. Furthermore, the body detoxifies during this phase and tries to cleanse itself from the metabolic junk that meals bring with them. The foods consumed during the undereating phase are intended to aid the detoxification process, keep blood sugar levels stable and enrich the body’s enzyme pool to strengthen the immune system.

Foods that are okay during this phase are lean and easily digestible proteins (preferably dairy or eggs), raw vegetables (abstain from salads, they are hard to digest and sedative) and fruits (with low fat content). Occasionally, a handful of (ideally raw) nuts is okay, but not recommended. Ori recommends vegetable juices for their high mineral, vitamin and nutrient content – I can agree although I do not use them. Fruit juices are far from ideal as they critically influence your blood sugar levels.

To me, the optimum solution for the undereating phase has become to eat small portions of cottage cheese or yogurt (quark, here in Austria, which can be stirred to creamy consistence) with fruit (apple or peach, berries are very good too), seasoned with a teaspoon of bee pollen and some cinnamon. The smaller the portions, the better. You tax the digestive system less by eating less at a time. Four small meals is therefore better than two bigger ones.

The Overeating Phase

After the work of the day is done, time has come for the big feast of the day. The body is primed for food consumption and will have better ability to digest more of the food you ingest.

Ori recommends starting the Overeating Phase with a salad, consisting of as many different tastes and textures as possible. The salad enriches the body with enzymes that help digestion and helps against cravings – it diminishes the possibility of eating too much afterwards.

The first course thereafter are steamed vegetables and protein plus fat sources. Eat as much as you like of these foods until you are satisfied. Only if you are hungry afterwards, choose on carbohydrates to finish off the meal. Ori recommends this to prime the body to use fats as its primary fuel but also talks about cycling the main fuels – days of high fat content should be alternated with days of relatively high carbohydrate content, ideally in form of whole grains and legumes.

I personally skip the salad and concentrate on the main course which normally consists of vegetables and protein plus fat sources like aged cheese, whole eggs or meats (preferably fish) and do well on this regimen. Occasionally, I eat high-carbohydrate meals, especially when eating with my wonderful girlfriend. She cooks like a goddess. Good that the Warrior Diet is not too strict on these regulations You might as well eat what you want to – without looking at the macronutrient content – but keep aware that the quality of the food determines the quality of your well-being afterwards.

The Warrior Diet and Athletics

Ori Hofmekler looked back not only on the general population of ancient cultures but more specific on the warrior castes of the cultures – so his research has a lot in common with athletics. He wrote about how there are not enough elite athletes to be found on this planet now to row a battleship with the speed and over the distance slaves have rowed it back then – a mark to describe the decay of athletic performance over centuries.

The Warrior Diet is designed to maximize the athletic performance by minimizing digestive stress and priming the body to go into a fight-like state, hormonally. Working out on an empty stomach is one of the key elements for a optimum performance as Ori Hofmekler describes it – workouts are therefore situated in the undereating phase, where the energy output is the central biological mechanism. Replenishing the energy storages is the duty of the overeating phase.

Competitive athletes know that the nutrition around the athletic performance is important to their progression and regeneration and Ori Hofmekler does not miss out on this topic. While he does not write too much about it in his second book, “The Warrior Diet” (the first one was “The Anti-Estrogenic Diet”, wherein he talks about the epidemic ramifications of our estrogen-loaded environment), he goes more into detail about this in his third book “Maximum Muscle Minimum Fat”, wherein he writes about the biochemical background of the mechanisms, that are the foundation of the Warrior Diet. While pre-workout nutrition is reduced to a minimum (to alleviate digestive stress, as explained), post-workout nutrition is described as essential for good regeneration. Ideally, it consists of a 2:1 ratio of protein:carbohydrates, in this case the simple ones. Austrian climber Jürgen Reis, who wrote four books up to date about training and nutrition and is an adamant follower of the Warrior Diet principles, recommended an amount of 24g of protein and 16g of carbohydrates for post-workout nutrition. This number has to be adapted to personal requirements. One hour after the first post-workout meal, it is reasonable to add another post-workout meal, a magnitude smaller than the first one.

I personally do not use post-workout nutrition, because my workouts normally are the last thing I do before I start the overeating phase – this is my post-workout meal in this respect. If I work out during the day, I resort to yogurt, some bee pollen, cinnamon and a banana for the simple carbohydrates. This normally is just perfect as a replenishing meal.

Insulin Stability

Gary Taubes wrote about the role of insulin in nutrition and body composition extensively in his seminal book “Good Calories, Bad Calories”. Insulin is the strongest anabolic hormone and therefore the root of all tissue growth. While the athlete wants to have a decent rate in muscular growth, the growth of adipose tissue is heightened in particular by the (over)secretion of insulin. Keeping the insulin level low therefore is essential to give the body the chance to utilize his fat storages for energy output.

The Warrior Diet eating cycle helps stabilizing the insulin levels. During the undereating phase, insulin is low throughout. Energy stores are used as fuel for activity. The dominating hormones in this phase are glucagon (raising blood sugar levels) and adrenaline (stress hormone), priming the body to expend energy rather than storing it. The overeating phase in return triggers the anabolic switch hard – insulin sensitivity is at peak levels and the body is able to utilize the food for growth ideally.

This function helps to alleviate problems like type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and metabolic syndrome which correlate with problems with insulin secretion. To read more about this, I recommend reading Gary Taubes’ book, he does a great job reviewing the scientific side of the topic.

The Warrior Diet and Weight Loss

Like described above, insulin stability is a key factor to weight loss in general. If following the Warrior Diet principles, the individual should be able to stabilize its insulin levels and trigger the switch to start losing the excess weight. With the Warrior Diet eating cycle, the metabolism is accelerated, as the big meals in the evenings fire up the metabolism at a pace that the fasting phase cannot fully diminish.

Weight loss is not the primary goal of the Warrior Diet, rather a byproduct. I have experienced a few kilograms of weight loss since starting out with the Warrior Diet, but am not representative as a subject, as my weight was already relatively low (75 kg at 184 cm). I believe that the Warrior Diet helps the body to normalize its body weight down (or up) to a point that is ideal.

The Warrior Lifestyle

A major point Ori points out in his book is the decay of the warrior instincts in our civilization. People have become scavengers that eat whatever they are presented rather than consciously choosing what is good for them and only these foods only. This leads further to the way people live their live – they act like dead fish and swim with the stream, devoid of individuality.

Ori’s writing is an appeal to start acting conscious again – making good judgments what to do, what to eat and with whom to share your time. This is what a warrior is about – he fights not only to survive but to survive the best he can while defending his values and ideals. It is a plea not to succumb to common wisdom and start to live life again with a distinct sense of freedom.

I can support Ori’s vision of a ‘warrior spirit’ that permeates everything a man does. In respect of nutrition, this means consciously choosing what to eat. Most choices we have during the day are below ideal and should therefore be avoided. On a regular diet, man is implied to eat thrice a day and has to succumb to the offers he is made through the day. The search for food becomes an endeavor that leads people to consume what does them no good. Furthermore, people nowadays often have problems sustaining a time span of as small as three hours between meals – they seem to hunger for food all day and have lost the feeling for a sensation of hunger that is essential for good digestion and taste of food. This is a scavenger’s behavior. The warrior has no problem sustaining the whole day without food supplies and is eager to accomplish what he has planned. The warrior has learned to endure hunger and makes hunger his ally rather than his enemy. The feast afterwards is thousandfold more rewarding than any scavenger’s meal can even be.

I personally have learned to endure hunger over longer periods and remember days that have gone by without any food consumed. This is mere adaption – every person is able to do this. During daytime, I have better things to do than think about where to get food from next. I can fully concentrate on what is to do and have the freedom to abstain from food. I experience a sense of freedom by doing so – Ori’s vision holds true for me.

The Warrior Diet and Social Life

If you swim against the mainstream you should expect some resistance. Eating with the Warrior Diet eating cycle is sure to gain you numerous questions on why you are skipping breakfast and lunch and some people will even feel threated by your behavior. It is not easy to convince people that what you are doing is okay, fine for your physical health and rooted in human history.

From my own experience, it is a useless endeavor to convince people of the rightness of your diet. The best argument you can provide to convince your social environment is to just do it. Explain to them, why you are doing it, if they ask and do not talk about it when not necessary. Simply live the eating cycle and the benefits you gain from it. While I faced quite some resistance from my family and friends during the first few weeks, they gradually adapted to my behavior and fully accepted that this is my way of eating. Once they understood that it was fruitless to convince me of the contrary they gradually became open to the possible benefits of living this way. While none of the people in my environment has followed me on this path, the problems I faced have diminished.

The Warrior Diet Cult

Like every (semi-)popular diet, the Warrior Diet has a wide range of followers that gradually grew close to the idea, that their diet is the only truth of the universe and that is has to be followed in a religious way – straying from the ideal literally is considered blasphemy. It is hard to talk with hardliners about the possible problems of a diet and about options to optimize it further – I would go as far as to call it useless to do so. Hardliners are the people you should not follow on your path to learn new truths – they all suffer from tunneled vision when it comes to a certain subject.

Nutrition is not religion. Like I laid down in my article about a healthy attitude towards nutrition, nutrition is there to nourish you, both body and mind. Therefore, use the Warrior Diet principles like a tool, not like a dogma. There are days in life where the Warrior Diet may not be the tool to use and you can fall back to eating three meals a day anytime. I too have phases wherein I adapt to a different eating cycle before returning to the Warrior Diet eating cycle. New experiences bring you to new understanding – so be open to them. If you have the option to adopt a new eating cycle, try it out and stick to it if it serves you better than the former – if not, you can always fall back.

Always do what is best for you. There is no universal truth.

Personal Experiences

I personally did a smooth transition to the Warrior Diet in late 2007 and have been a follower of the nocturnal eating cycle ever since. With the exception of periods of a few days when I ate in other temporal cycles, the Warrior Diet was the diet of choice during the time.

Eating a diet low in carbohydrates has proven to be optimal for my bodily requirements but I have also performed well on meals high in carbohydrates. What has proven harmful are foods that influence my insulin secretion too extreme – white flour and refined sugar, to be exact. I avoid these foods most of the time. I do good on legumes and whole grain products, they seem to provide a steady stream of nutrients instead of a temporary spike. Still, fat seems to be the macronutrient that is better suited to provide long-term energy. At the same caloric amount, I get hungry on complex carbohydrates significantly earlier than on fat-protein foods. Even if you have never done it, I recommend trying out a diet cutting out all starches and sugars and rely heavily on fat-protein foods. After an adaption phase, you are likely to have good results on it.

Detoxification has been intense for me and still is. I have a direct bodily feedback on whether or not food does me good by the symptoms of detoxification on the next morning. The best mark for this is slime in the throat and a very yellowish and smelly urine secretion. If the food was okay, slime is minimized and the urine is transparent and has no scent.

During the day, I have a great feeling of lightness. With no food in my stomach, I feel that I can perform at my best with no ballast dragging me down – and normally this proves to be true. The feeling of sublime hunger has become an ally for me – it is a good feeling that makes me alert and enhances my performance. While this is mostly a psychological thing, it has immense importance for my daily life. Feeling good is the root of all productivity.

The freedom not to eat has been the greatest asset of the Warrior Diet for me. Since I do not have on the lookout for food supplies constantly, I can focus my energy on other (more important) topics. This sense of freedom is the main reason for me to stick to the Warrior Diet – I could spare the other benefits – detoxification, the light feeling and a good body composition – but never want to let go of the freedom to be independent from food for a long period of time.

In conclusion, this diet has worked out well for me and I wholeheartedly recommend it both as an eating cycle and a way of life. By becoming a warrior by design you take back control over the primary components of your life like personal environment, goals and nutrition. Living this way should be normal for a healthy individual so it is normal to be attracted by this lifestyle.

Try it out, give it a serious chance and consideration and report your experiences in comments.

Live life freely,
Simon

Album Title: Second Life Syndrome

Album Artist: Riverside

Year of Release: 2005

Genre: Progressive Metal

Tracklist

1. After (03:31)
2. Volte-Face (08:40)
3. Conceiving You (03:40)
4. Second Life Syndrome (15:40)
5. Artificial Smile (05:27)
6. I Turned You Down (04:34)
7. Reality Dream III (05:01)
8. Dance With The Shadow (11:38)
9. Before (05:23 )
total 63:34

In 2005, the Polish band Riverside caused an eruption in the static genre of progressive metal that has heard the same sounds for years. After one and a half decade of bands with style comparable to Dream Theater, an exception amongst few appeared with Riverside’s first release Out of Myself but it was another two years before they really managed to turn the heads of progressive metal fans.

2005 saw the release of Second Life Syndrome, second part of the Reality Dream trilogy, which became an instant genre classic and I can wholeheartedly agree with the praise the album got. It is a rare occasion that a record is of such perfection and beauty that one is at a loss of words when it comes to describing it.

First of all the band’s sound is unique – the way they manage to merge the instrumental sounds together is something I have never heard in this way before – this is pure art of musicians who have a tremendous feeling for what they do. It is not important whether they use a broad front of sounds or stick to a few guitar accords and slow drums – the atmosphere is breathtaking. Atmosphere is the most important trait of music – it is the soul of the music, so to say and Riverside managed to express the soul of music in a most beautiful shape.

Secondly, the music feels like a constant flow. The sounds merge into each other, weaving a dense fabric, metaphorically speaking. There are no uncomfortable or unnatural breaks that divide the tracks into separate fragments.

Thirdly, I advise you to just sit back and close your eyes. There is no helping in getting goosebumps while listening. Every note embraces you and never lets you go – you are dragged deeper into the music as it progresses. Starting with the melancholic After, the stage is set for the masterpiece to unfold. Volte-Face is the first encounter with the potential aggression, which bubbles below the surface of every moment – a constant build-up towards bursting out. This facet is then shut down for the gentle Conceiving You, a ballad of fragile beauty.

Second Life Syndrome, the title-giving key element of the album, is the longest and best song on the album. From soft to hard, the progression is continuous and oscillating. Both instruments and vocals go beyond every scale of sheer beauty I have ever ear-witnessed – it defies every textual description.

Artificial Smile is a straightforward song which acts as a structural counterpart to the aforementioned core longtrack – although more simplistic, it does not lack quality. The driving interplay of vocals and instruments will be well-memorized by the listener.

I turned You down is the second ballad of the album and the pinnacle of melancholic feelings. It is a song more powerful than the first ballad Conceiving You – meaning that even more melancholic emotions are allowed to roam free on the waves of sound. Reality Dream III, the third part of the instrumental series on the Reality Dream trilogy. Musicianship and atmosphere are beyond criticism – flawless, so to say.

Dance with the Shadow plays its role as the little brother of Second Life Syndrome. Equally complex in structure, it is heavier in nature. With this song, I found the only point of criticism on the whole album: Although it builds up to a peak of aggression (like Volte-Face), it never erupts and therefore leaves the listener behind a wee bit dissatisfied. A speck of dust on a shining monument, in comparison – it does not belittle beauty of the song.

With Before, the album fades out in an again mellow way. Like After began it, Before ends it – it closes the circle, making it whole and perfect.

This is no objective review of the album but you will soon find out why. I have recommended this album to numerous people and have yet to find one not enchanted by the beauty of its sound. For every friend of progressive metal, this is a must-have – for every friend of music in general the same applies. Since 2005 I have yet to find an album that masters Riverside’s masterpiece.

Conclusion: A timeless masterpiece and essential to every lover of music.

Rating: 10 points (out of 10 points)

Album Title: Unreal
Album Artist: Spheric Universe Experience
Year of Release: 2009
Genre: Progressive Metal
Tracklist
1. White Willow (6:28)
2. Down Memory Lane (3:58)
3. Lakeside Park (5:37)
4. 3rd Type (7:24)
5. Near Death Experience (1:46)
6. Lost Ghost (6:17)
7. Dragged (6:05)
8. O.B.E. (3:59)
9. Tomorrow (8:08)
Total: 49:42

The French progressive metal quintet heads for the release of their third album in 2009. After two heavy records (Mental Torments (2005) and Anima (2007)), the question was and is: Will they finally be able to leave the smothering shadow of genre greats like and especially Dream Theater, upon whose style they relied heavily on their sophomore release Anima?

After listening to this record numerous times, there still cannot be a distinct answer if they did or did not. Their musical style still is classical progressive metal in the way Dream Theater coined it at the beginning of the 90s – although they heavily rely on modern effects to distort the soundscape of their release. Whether they do this to sound modern or just because they like the sound is irrelevant to the listener – the ever-dominating keyboard atmospherics are something you have to like in order to like this band. As for me, I love this type of sound and therefore have a special affinity for bands like Spheric Universe Experience.

On Unreal, they do not really have evolved from their former releases. Altogether, I would even go as far as to conclude that the record is a step back from where they have already been. The technical work still is outstanding, guitar and keyboard soli are – without a trace of doubt – top notch, but musicianship as a whole is somehow fragmented – the songs sound like pieces put together not entirely correct – their elements may sound great, but the complete work has a mediocre touch.

Criticism certainly has to go towards the vocalist of the band, Franck Garcia. Although he pulls off a solid performance, he never is able to really convince the listener of his qualities. He sounds just like one amongst many – with little individuality (which can also be said about the band as a whole). Three albums are enough to prove that they are technically able to be amongst the best bands in the genre but still they lack what it needs to really stand out of the crowd.

As for the songs themselves, White Willow is a rather weak introduction, a song without soul. From there on, the band progresses – Down Memory Lane is ok, although not too creative – heavy sounds, but no real catcher. With Lakeside Park, while the refrain really sticks; the sound still is the same.

From 3rd Type on, the album really gets into gears – this song is longer, has more internal structure and variability. Near Death Experience is a short opportunity to catch ones breath – piano and a bit of drama – leading over to Lost Ghost, which is easily the song with the tightest atmosphere on the whole record – aside from the instrumental part, which somehow does not fit entirely. Dragged sounds very electronic at the beginning and evolves to a classic prog song – nothing to special, although the intro was promising. With O.B.E. the inevitable instrumental is placed as semi-ending of the record. This one is far less complex than the instrumentals on the former records – it does well on the atmosphere part, nonetheless. Tomorrow finally is the longest song on the album – another one highly atmospheric. Even the vocals fit into this song that closes the album in a just fine way.

A point of criticism that is valid against most progressive metal bands is the overexcessive use of instrumental parts – and Spheric Universe Experience is no exception. I feel they could do better if concentrating on the song as a whole, not on how to create a technically complex piece of music. This record suffers heavily under this burden – I hope the French guys wake up and will remember that they are able to write great songs without instrumental madness – like Echoes of the Stars on Mental Torments – but for now I will have to wait patiently.

Finally, the judgment over Unreal is not an easy one to do. Technical brilliance and good atmosphere on the one side, lack of song structure and instrumental narcissism on the other. Conclusively it can be regarded a good album – everyone interested in progressive metal should give it a try – it can be either loved or regarded as uninteresting.

Conclusion: Solid progressive metal album with genre-typical flaws and a lack of uniqueness.

Rating: 7 points (out of 10 points)

Album Title: Ocean Machine: Biomech
Album Artist: Devin Townsend
Year of Release: 1997
Genre: Progressive Metal
Tracklist
“Seventh Wave” – 6:50
“Life” – 4:31
“Night” – 4:45
“Hide Nowhere” – 5:00
“Sister” – 2:48
“3 A.M.” – 1:56
“Voices in the Fan” – 4:39
“Greetings” – 2:53
“Regulator” – 5:06
“Funeral” – 8:06
“Bastard” – 10:17
“The Death of Music” – 12:15
“Things Beyond Things” – 4:47 (bonus track)
Total 1:13:53

When it comes to progressive metal, Devin Townsend is not amongst the best-known artist of the genre. If genre primus Dream Theater announces to release a new album anytime soon, it stirs so much rumor that a new record release by Devin Townsend will go by comparably unnoticed. This holds true especially for this album, released in the second half of the 90’s, when progressive metal still was not gaining the momentum it has today. I would go as far as to say, that this album has been completely overlooked in the history of 90’s music.

Ocean Machine is the first solo album released by Devin Townsend in 1997, the same year he released his band Strapping Young Lad’s critically acclaimed sophomore album City. This album hence falls into the same frame of time and musical evolution of Devin Townsend – it is the more mellow version of the extremely straightforward record by Strapping Young Lad – and has a completely different personality.

Styles range from aggressive industrial parts (Regulator) to spheric ambient sounds (Sister), the music varies from high complexity (The Death of Music) to almost sing-along-songs (Life). I argue that this record contains it all – it is a complete toolbox of music how it should be done.

The name is program on this record – the sounds are like the ocean, enveloping you in a soundscape you cannot escape – it’s not like you will ever want to. A quotation (Seventh Wave) sets the perfect beginning for a journey into the deep waters of sound. The very nature of the ocean is that it sometimes is perfectly silent while it can also be ruthlessly aggressive. The waves can splash onto the seashore brining a sense of freedom and happiness, but they can also trigger fear of extinction – a cold blue grave. Either way, it is an impressive sight, memories carved into your brain forever. It’s like humans are hardwired to lose themselves in sensations like this one. The ocean is the perfect metaphor for this album.

What I especially respect about this record is the fact that there in fact is rarely a note misplaced – the whole arrangement is near perfection and Devin Townsend sounds like he does something he has done forever – albeit being his first album of this kind. The whole sound structure is very homogenous, the songs flow into each other and thereby create the impression that this album is not only consisting of great songs but can also be considered as craft of art as a whole.

For everyone interested in progressive metal, I highly recommend listening to this album. In a time when most contemporary progressive metal greats were still small or not even founded, Devin Townsend already set a milestone in the development of progressive music beyond instrumental soli and extreme longtracks. History proves not to reward those who deserve it – but in music it never is too late to give a man the credentials he is worthy of. Ocean Machines crux was that it was quantum leaps ahead of its time in 1997 and probably is up to now.

Conclusion: If you are in search for a flawless album with creative content, I wholeheartedly recommend buying Ocean Machine. This is not perfection, but back then it was something, whose greatness was yet to be comprehended.

Rating: 10 Points (out of 10 Points)

Album Title: Anno Domini High Definition

Album Artist: Riverside

Year of Release: 2009

Genre: Progressive Metal

Tracklist

1. Hyperactive (5:46)

2. Driven to Destruction (7:06)

3. Egoist Hedonist (8:56)

4. Left Out (10:59)

5. Hybrid Times (11:53)

total:  44:44

After their 2007 release Rapid Eye Movement, the Polish progressive metal combo Riverside is finally free to live out their ideas and emotions without being bound to a dedicated concept – and to incorporate new flows of style which were missed throughout the last release by the band. Riverside became increasingly known after their sophomore release Second Life Syndrome, which is – up to now – regarded as one of the classics of progressive metal post 2000 and in general. They have set the bar extremely high and for the second time they are on to best their up-to-now masterpiece.

Anno Domini High Definition is the name of their newest release – the age of high definition video streams, of crystal clear audio files, of permanent media exposure – a hectic time where standstill is prohbited – which is in particular the theme the album is built up around. The abbreviation of their fourth album – ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – also merges nicely with the theme and the total album lenght of 44:44 is a take for the trivia – they only miss out on doing only four tracks on the album, otherwise the numbers would have fit perfectly.

The music reflects the lyrical theme just perfect – from the emotional and moody sound of the predecessors, they evolve further towards hectic sounds and breaks, dominated by spacy keyboard solos, a loud hammond organ and the ever-present guitar magic of Piotr Grudziński. The vocals of Mariusz Duda, which are the amongst the trademarks of the band, do use up too much audible space, although they are present most of the time – the range of his vocals is again tremendous – from sensitive and hurt to aggressive shouting – an improvement over the relatively monotonous predecessor Rapid Eye Movement. The whole sound landscape seems to be thoroughly filled, the overall impression of a very dense production cannot be overheard – a very welcoming feature, Riverside did not try to stretch out the album’s total length unaturally and focused to place the notes just where they are right.

The album itself starts with a piano solo, which leads over into the highly electrifying modern sound of what Riverside is anno 2009. Start-stop is the mentality of the vocals, harsh shouts tear harmonies apart – this is what Hyperactive, the opener, sounds like. Driven to Destruction offers a very groovy side, combined with classical Riverside style, overall a very pleasant experience. The real innovation dawns with the inclusion of trumpets on the so-far longest track Egoist Hedonist - also the first track to offer a real moment of the sound magic, Riverside has become famous for – amid the song. Sadly, the instrumental leading out of the tracks seems to go nowhere – and leaves the track without conclusion –  a flaw I hadn’t expected from Riverside.

The second half of the album consists of two longtracks – Left Out and Hybrid Times. The former lets you catch your breath after the racing sound of the first three tracks – melancholic soundscapes flow naturally into hammond harmony, growing harder and increasingly epic – truly a longtrack in its dimensions. The finishing track gets back into gears instantly – high tempo and insane rhythms drive the ultimate anthem to the title-giving hybrid times – a wild rollercoaster of progressive sound elements. This has to be amongst the creative highlights in the history of the band – or does it only sound like it’s refreshingly new?

Lyrically, Riverside are beyond criticism. The words to ADHD are impressive and flow perfectly into the song structure, reading and singing along to the lines won’t go without a shiver or two, the atmosphere is just so dense and the whole impression makes me think about what the world is like today. I feel that music has to be very good to deliver such a state of awareness.

Anno Domini High Definition does not reinvent the wheel, but it is a distinct refreshment of a band that was endangered to be confined in a sound universe that limits their capabilities. It’s like Riverside has finally broken free and the musicians pour themselves on the tape. The concept is hardly noticable but ever-present in the style of the record – these are hyperactive times and Riverside naturally go with this flow – it is new, it is refreshing and there are no objection towards musicianship and quality of lyrics.

Does this mean, we have a new, perfect masterpiece which will best Second Life Syndrom in the second attempt? Listening to ADHD a lot in the last months, I doubt it. ADHD, without any shadow of doubt, is a terrific record and masterfully crafted but it lacks something a record needs to have to be a remarkable masterpiece – magic. Aside one moment during Egoist Hedonist, I won’t find too much traces of this magic. It is already too modern to be a classic – and therefore probably condemned to be forgotten all too soon.

I recommend this record to anyone interested in progressive music. This is – up to this point – one of the best records released in 2009 and shows what Riverside are capable of. However, if you are particularly interested in discovering Riverside, I suggest you try out Second Life Syndrome first.

Conclusion: Riverside have reached the modern ages, with all their advantages and setbacks. This is the nature of this record.

Rating: 8.5 points (out of 10 points)