Second Life Syndrome - Space Junkies Magazine

Publication: 01 February 2006
Author: SavaLegions
Note: none

Inside Out Music's first-ever Polish act signed to the roster. This quartet is one of the best progressive metal bands I've heard since Dream Theater came out originally on Mechanic (I was the first person to buy Dream Theater in the whole area and told everyone, this band will be big. One of my great predictions in life besides me and a friend hearing about Guns N Roses before the buzz really caught on). If this band (RIVERSIDE) doesn't somehow get some notoriety, I can only blame it on the media and how it's changed for the worst. RIVERSIDE is so hard to actually pinpoint since there's elements of stuff like Pink Floyd, Dream Theater, Ice Age, Liquid Tension Experiment, Marillion, Shadow Gallery, Live, and 80s stuff with a lot of hybrid sounds, textures, atmospheres, moods and more time changes than you can count on two hands. The guitar work is rich in tone and emotional like that of David Gilmore or John Petrucci. Done very cleanly with no sloppy notes or scraping (I do enjoy that, but it's not the case that this band cleaned everything up like a lot of them do to make them sound clean; these guys are actually professionals and have been schooled). The other amazing thing about this band is how the vocals are used. The clean vocals have an 80s vibe to them like A-Ha or something but at times can give a good death metal or aggro growl and in a few instances, I hear phonetically used vocals (almost sounds like they are singing but no words are spoken; just tones). No, I'm not done yet! RIVERSIDE also has some of the damnedest keyboard and piano pieces in here as well and some follow in the old footsteps of stuff like Manfred Mann, Gary Wright to even some Moog and B3. You mix these vocals, guitar work (including some of the catchiest riffs you HAVEN'T heard yet), atmospheric and emotional keyboards and the layered wall of sound in the background of some of these songs and this band is definitely one of the most original ones I've heard since the days of Australia's Vauxdvihl and the old New Jersey band, Ziad. The most stand out track on here with vocals that blows everything away has to be hands-on easily, "Volte-Face" - I've never heard anything done like this in all my years of reviewing - phenomenal. Also, the instrumental "Reality Dream III" is another must-hear. Roll your eyes at me or make snide comments now, but I assure you I know what I'm saying and stand behind every damn word of this review for those faithful listeners of real progressive rock and metal. I mean the thinking man's music too not just any old band - music that you have to use your brain to figure each part out and the timing schemes they are using. All metal is fine and dandy but this stuff is for the intelligent only; people that actually get it and understand it.