Riverside - Out Of Myself *MP3@192* torrent

Every few years, there is a wave that brings some new bands who honestly believe in prog rock resurrection. And though there is no point deluding oneself into believing that the golden years of that music will come back, every such upsurge brings something interesting in its wake. Riverside from Warsaw testify to that. Their debut leaves the most positive impression. Everything begins in Pink Floyd style. Someone is turning the knob flicking through different radio stations. A moment later, we hear delicate sounds of keyboards and a guitar solo. All the time, in the background, there is the sound which imitates the flowing water. The composition evolves, intensifies. After a while it's more specific, more rhythmically systematized. A heavier riff appears. There's the first change of the rhythm and the moog keyboards. Another change and there is the leading bass figure. Six minutes into the track we hear the vocalist, Mariusz Duda (also playing the bass in Riverside). At first, he just whispers something in a soft voice but then he fully shows his timbre. His singing fits perfectly into the music and his English does not disturb the listening, which is very important... It all happens in the opening track of the album, "The Same River," which lasts for, well, twelve minutes. And it is equally interesting further on. In the short title track we can hear the metal inclinations of the musicians. Then, the third track, "I Believe", shows the acoustic side of the band. A similar climate comes back in "In Two Minds." We can also hear some American prog rock influences and inspirations (like in "Reality Dream"). The person who surprises in the band's line-up is Piotr Kozieradzki, known in the metal world as Mittloff. It turns out that the guy who had been playing like an air-hammer for years, finds himself in this so much different genre. Piotr Grudziński, ex-Unnamed guitarist, can also play wonderful, emotional solos, like the ones towards the end of "The Same River" or in "Loose Heart." In the ending of the latter, Duda proves that he doesn't have any trouble singing, say, more metal parts

All in all, it is a promising album, undoubtedly attractive for the fans of Pink Floyd / Porcupine Tree type of rock. Let's hope that the guys will not be discouraged by the fact that such music - at least for the time being - will not earn them luxury cars and that they will record another album of at least the same quality.



Teraz Rock (March 2004)