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Rating: To consider progressive as a genre, in my view, is somewhat reductive for such a widespread attitude in music.
Progression, the evolution of a piece, is to be found in all those artists who believe they have something new to say in a field like music, which thrives on innovation. However, convention, let's call it that, has stamped this label on a limited number of artists with common characteristics. Among these stands the remarkable technical ability, a quality that has turned into a double-edged sword. Especially in the metallic version of prog, one often hears avalanches of notes played without rhyme or reason, certainly difficult to imitate, but decidedly incapable of communicating new emotions or sensations. The technique, which should have allowed for greater expressive ability and a wider range of solutions, has turned in on itself, communicating nothing but great confusion and diverting the audience's attention away from individuals who could have made a decidedly interesting contribution to art.
Fortunately, however, there are those who have managed to make instrumental skill a means and not an end, thus allowing themselves to paint their soundscapes with vibrant and varied colors, without mixing it all into an inextricable chaos. One of these entities is called Riverside, a Polish quartet that has reached its third studio album with this interesting "Rapid Eye Movement". The album appears decidedly less heavy than the previous one, more electronic and relaxed, surrounded by a subtle melancholic vein perhaps indebted to the latest Anathema and the more intimate Opeth, but it's never a copy, rather a personal reinterpretation of evocative sound choices for lovers of the melodic.
The musical journey opens with "Beyond the Eyelids"; 8 minutes of variations always supported by an ethereal and enveloping keyboard and the soft, nostalgic voice of mastermind Mariusz Duda. Great importance is given in the mix to his bass which stands out particularly in the less conventional passages, those that will surely remind you of the Tool of "Lateralus". We must not forget the guitar work of Piotr Grudzinski, always present in weaving delicate and evocative phrases in the best Pink Floyd tradition, no ultra-fast solos, just extremely sensual passages, sometimes repetitive, but always of great emotional impact. It continues with "Rainbow Box", an interesting and lively track that very much recalls the Porcupine Tree of "Stupid Dream". "02 Panic Room", the single from which a video was also extracted, seems instead to return to the debut album "Out of Myself" but with a decidedly more electronic and modern flair. The keyboards always play a fundamental role and accompany the other instruments in the various movements with great mastery, without ever becoming invasive. The following "Schizophrenic Prayer" is much more agitated, schizophrenic indeed, a feeling emphasized by a repetitive and rhythmic bass riff. "Parasomnia" is in my opinion the best of the bunch, mysterious throughout its duration, it remains enclosed in itself until the end where it explodes in a glimpse of relaxation, perhaps the only one of a dark and reflective platter entirely focused on the lyrics on the inner search. Simplicity and beauty instead with "Through the Other Side", where a delicate guitar arpeggio supported by a disconsolate and never so evocative voice accompany us in "Embyonic"; a few chords of acoustic guitar, a backdrop of airy keyboards, and the magic is done. The final solo only cuddles us while waiting for the last two tracks where it returns to the winning formula of the open track, perhaps losing itself a little in the excessive length of the pieces.
In conclusion, an album delicate and dreamy played by great musicians which, however, apart from some splashes of electronics, says nothing new compared to what the band has done in previous years. Beautiful songs, easy to listen to but still built for a more demanding audience as well. A confirmation without the bang in short, but I would say that it's perfectly fine this way given the already high level these Poles have accustomed us to. Recommended for fans of the more intelligent and melodic progressive, whether of rock or metal derivation.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
03 02 Panic Room (05:29)
Used to be my panic room
The other side of me
Where I slept and woke by turns
And nothing seemed real
I was feeding on your life
Peering through the hole
And it scared me out someday
You would knock on my door
Sweet shelter of mine
I'm freezing without
Sweet shelter of mine
I'm dying without
Cover up my twisted thoughts
Shattered all around
Mufled sounds
Recurring dreams
Melatonin smile
Used to be my 302
The other side of light
Trap of my own
That helped me deal
With what I lost inside
Sweet shelter of mine
I'm freezing without
Sweet shelter of mine
I'm dying without
Sweet shelter of mine
...
I've tried to make self-portraits before
But they always turn out so contrived
I've spent too much time
Correcting light and shade
Hiding wrinkles
Blurring scars
I've tried to make self-portraits before
Through my eyes
Just see myself
Now I know
I'm not in denial
That I need someone else
To see me
To see me...
05 Parasomnia (08:10)
Lying here on the floor
Starting to come around
What you did Mr. Hyde
What you got me into this time
There's blood on my hands
Emptiness in my mind
I don't remember my name
Don't recall who I am
What's wrong with me now
I'm shying from the light
I start to realize
Feel I'm falling down
Every inch of my skin
Feel the pain I saw
The self - I was running away from - just back!
Lost the light of day
Lost my picture of you
This nightmare I was afraid of
Just becoming the truth
Oh no
What have I done
Can't just put it all behind me
Can't afford to lose my mind
Oh no
What have I done
You don't know how much I need to
Find a way to bring you back
Lying here on the floor
Starting to come around
What you did Mr. Hyde
What you got me into this time
Drugged from sleep
In front of the mirror
Shrugging off the darkest fear
Keep asking myself
the same question
When did I turn to this side of me?
When did I turn to this side...
I need to find a way
To bring you back again...
06 Through the Other Side (04:05)
So welcome to the No Man’s Land
Where you can finally face yourself
Fear of feeling something real
Is your friend now
There’s no need to run
So welcome to the No Man’s Land
Where nothing is as it seems
Mysteries hidden from you
Six feet under
And six feet above
And to feel your heart this way
Before it gets too late
The moon began to split in half
And the darkness could be touched
Blindfolded
You’re trying to find a way
To the bottom of your soul
But I can see all your scars
That you wish you could hide
And I won’t let you remember
What it was like
When you were here before
And to hear your voice again
And to feel your touch this way
Before it gets too late
09 Ultimate Trip (13:23)
Even if I had my life to live
Over again
Even if I had my life to live
Over again
I would keep coming back to the same place
Waiting on the shore for me to return
I'm nourished by
Your day's residues
Seeing through the veil
Unclose your mind
I'm the reflection of
All your waking lives
Narcoleptic sins
Unclose your mind
In the depth of me
Can control your life
With your shell around
Unclose your mind
I'm your amber light
Way of passing time
Movement of your eye
Unclose your mind
I'm your better life
Hidden desire
Never Neverland
Unclose your mind
We could be so good
Broken looking-glass
So much left unsaid
Fearless on top...Fearless on top...
Fearland at heart...
Fearless on top...
Fearland at heart...Fearland at heart...
And now you will be my soul mate
I'm going to make you up again...
It's ok now, but...
I don't know how long it needs to last
Sooner or later
I will need you to come and get me out of here...
Sooner or later
I will need you to come and get me
Sooner or later
I will need you
Sooner or later
Closed inside
I have my life back
Trapped inside
I give my life back
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