For the prog-rock enthusiasts out there; here’s a little treat for you…. Poland’s number one progressive rock group RIVERSIDE is giving us a new album called “Memories in My Head”, for release on the 28th of June 2011 (The Laser’s Edge).

If you are not already a fan, this mini-album is a great way to get acquainted with a really good band. With three songs totaling just over a half-hour, “Memories in My Head” is a nice little taste of what these guys can do. For those who do know the band, this release promises to be a return to the mellow, spacey style used in their earlier work.

The album starts off with a light touch on Goodbye Sweet Innocence; with musical and vocal arrangements that are very reminiscent of PORCUPINE TREE. The atmosphere and mood has that same ethereal quality.

Over the course of the three tracks there is a distinct sense of the music progressing ::wink:: into fortissimo, the peak of which is founding during the first third of last track, Forgotten Land. The feel then drops off steadily back into the warm, synthetic vapors in which it began. One thing I really like about this general dynamic shape is that it reminds me of the way many classical pieces are arranged like a big bell curve.

It’s also clear that these three tracks were designed to fit together as a single, seamless piece of music (fitting for so short an album). In terms of sound and style, “Memories in My Head” does maintain RIVERSIDE’S signature methodology; highly characterized by Mariusz Duda’s unique voice. The main difference I noticed between this album and their other work such as 2005’s ”Second Life Syndrome”, is that the pace seems to remain fairly steady throughout the duration as a result of the cohesive design of the songs. There is a bit more versatility on “Second Life Syndrome” in terms of tempo and feel but this is merely an effect of the cohesive nature of the songs on this new album.

To sum up, I’d highly recommend this album and band to those of you with a taste for progressive music. Because this is review for SKULLSNBONES I’ll just reiterate that this is not a metal band…so don’t expect any growling vocals or shredding guitar solos. Think PORCUPINE TREE but with a bit more going on and you won’t be disappointed.