Record Reviews
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  | RIVERSIDE ~ ANNO DOMINI HIGH DEFINITION (SPECIAL EDITION)
INSIDEOUT 313 (Barcode: 5052205043806) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009
5th album (and their 4th studio effort) by the brilliant Polish Prog band RiversideFind albums by this artist, which consist of lead singer / bassist Mariusz DudaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Piotr GrudzinskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Michal LapajFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr KozieradzkiFind albums by this artist. The album marks several new bold steps the band is taking in the process of its continuous development: longer tracks (two are over 10 minutes), the use of brass arrangements and one track being a three-part mini-suite. The sound is a bit harsher and metallic, but only at some points, as the album displays overall a great diversity and keeps changing moods and tempi rapidly. It is truly heartwarming to see this band grow and change with each release, eschewing stagnation and not fearing experimentation. Although some fans of the band received this album coldly, I´m pretty sure that in the long run they will discover its hidden beauty. After all there are truly just a few contemporary Prog bands, which can be put in the same league as Riverside. This edition of the album is expanded with a DVD of a live concert in Amsterdam, filmed a year earlier, which is also superb. It´s no wonder that Riverside is considered by many as the best Prog group of the first decade of the 21st Century – anybody listening to this music will simply have to agree.
| | Updated: 16/05/2023Posted: | CD+DVD 2 Recommend To A Friend |
  | RIVERSIDE ~ REALITY DREAM TRILOGY
MYSTIC (PL) 178 (Barcode: 5903427874894) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 2003 - 2008 Released: 2011
This remarkable set (not a Box Set, as it´s not packaged in a box) presents the recorded account of the first five years in the history of the Polish Prog band RiversideFind albums by this artist, which is the only second-generation Neo-Prog Polish band to earn any international attention. It includes the band´s first three albums (hence trilogy) as well as EPs, singles and live recordings spanning this period. Packaged together into an impressive six CD digipak, this is definitely an awe inspiring bundle.
Riverside, who started their musical path in 2003, comprise of vocalist / bassist / lyricist Mariusz DudaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Piotr GrudzinskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Michal LapajFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr KozieradzkiFind albums by this artist. The music they compose is jointly credited to the group. Their albums were all released on the international market (in Europe and US) and they are the only Polish Prog group to achieve such success. Even the group QuidamFind albums by this artist, their precursors and Polish Prog leaders during the preceding decade, did not manage to achieve similar success, even if they deserved it at least as much if not more.
I find Riverside to be a truly misinterpreted Prog group, since most fans and critics conveniently slot them inside the Prog Metal sub-genre, which is completely off the chart in their case. Although they do play heavily at times and the vocals are a bit over the top occasionally, they have absolutely nothing to do with Prog Metal and are mostly a Symphonic Prog group. Their music is beautifully melodic, often even lyrical (typical Polish form of lyricism) and God forbid almost romantic. Don’t be fooled by the guitar riffs and screams, listen to the melody enfolding and you´ll hear what I mean.
Riverside are also the most copied (mostly terribly badly) band in Poland and I suppose even outside the country´s borders. Their relative success pushed many bands to try and copy their characteristic patterns, without of course understanding their musical content and its structure. Absurdly, Riverside, although a great band, is a terrible role model, as it obviously is way beyond imitation. As a result the Polish Prog scene is now full of wannabe Riverside groups playing terrible, ear-hurting and brain-damaging Prog Metal; the price of success?
But this set is full of great music, from start to finish. Perhaps a bit too much to swallow in one go, but still a superb collection of great tunes and inspired performances. Of course the English lyrics sound pretty bad, but the music is so strong that it pushes the bad pronunciation aside, where it can be ignored. Why on earth Riverside decided not to sing in Polish (Quidam stared to sing in Polish) beats me, but this is the most common mistake of Polish bands, hence hardly surprising. Guys, get this: nobody listens to the lyrics in Prog, so you might as well sing in Martian. The vocals are simply a part of the music… oh well.
I suppose this set is mostly for people, who just discovered Riverside, or the real die-hard fans, which already have all this music anyway. In any case it absolutely belongs in the best music collections on this planet, like mine ;) So don´t you dare to miss it!
| | Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: | CD 6 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
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