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Beautiful cover art by the extremely talented Travis Smith and a guest appearance from a trombone player, my first thought was that this has to be a very interesting release. And, lo and behold, the debut album from this progressive rock band out of Poland turned out to be something out of the ordinary. The country of Poland is mostly associated with extreme black and brutal death metal thanks to Vader in particular who opened the eyes of metal fans all over the world to this country's metal scene. But there is luckily more to the music scene than just Vader and Riverside actually features a drummer Piotr 'Mittloff' Kozieradzki who has been involved with death metal bands such as Domain, Goetia and Hate prior to lending his skin-bashing services to this young band. I'm not sure when the band began but I don't think they have been around for many years.
I hope you haven't forgotten about Opeth's album "Damnation" with which Mikael Åkerfeldt showed a mellower side of his song writing and payed homage to the progressive rock bands who have influenced him throughout the years. This is the first reference point that came to mind immediately when listening to the opening song of this album, "The Same River", a wonderful song that starts with a suggestive and repetetive riff that leads into a heavier and more dynamic section. Riverside tend to use both slow, psychedelic and progressive elements side by side with heavy metal riffs. Their love for Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd shows more than twice and even a few Dream Theater sounding riffs can be heard here and there. Touches of alternative rock also sneaks in and further colors the diverse audial painting that Riverside offer us.
Despite a few more modern influences in their music, it is far more complex and interesting than the simplicity of radio friendly American rock. Riverside is so much more, so much larger and much more exciting than most of what we are offered on the radio today. Opeth has successfully made room for progressive rock among the metal fans and "Out Of Myself" is a killer debut from a very talented band. A subtle, emotional and melancholic album that fits perfect on a grey and rainy autumn day.
| Tracklist |
| 1. The Same River |
| 2. Out Of Myself |
| 3. I Believe |
| 4. Reality Dream |
| 5. Loose Heart |
| 6. Reality Dream II |
| 7. In Two Minds |
| 8. The Curtain Falls |
| 9. OK |
: 53.16
| Buy other Riverside albums |
