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: 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)