Customer Reviews

Rapid Eye Movement

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Riverside have completed their amazing trilogy with Rapid Eye Movement, an album that lends itself to the melodious side of the debut and the heavier aspect of the band's second album. It achieves a wonderful balance between its two predecessors, emphasizing atmospheric dynamics more effectively and also showing signs of growth and compositional improvement. Like the first two albums, Rapid Eye Movement also contains nine tracks and encapsulates everything what the Polish band stands for: moody soundscapes, emotive vocals, dense keyboard structures, and a solid rhythm background.

Though there will always be fans who'll consider Out of Myself Riverside's high point, it is a given that vocalist Mariusz Duda's vocals have improved significantly since the debut came out. Now, Duda incorporates all kinds of styles into his vocalizations with great results. His unique chants that open up "Beyond the Eyelids" function as a foreshadowing to the album's emotionally dark aura throughout its course. His voice is always strengthened by mood-intensive synth work and textural guitar voicings, which eventually transform into jam-like sessions with a strong rhythm presence. The instrumentation on the track is underpinned by keyboardist Michal Lapaj's electronic sequencing, which works brilliantly underneath Duda's doubled vocal harmony that occasionally borders on aggressive outbursts.

The band must have been heavily inspired by Porcupine Tree while composing "Rainbow Box", right down to the vocals. Built around an instantly memorable main riff, this is one of the shorter pieces that lends itself to crunchy rhythm variations, around which Piotr Grudzinski's textural guitar lines are woven. The single-note keyboard in the background is stretched into eternity to provide an extra layer of atmosphere; and segues into "02 Panic Room", a track with a heavily synthesized bass line and a cool guitar theme. This theme is subtly developed whilst fizzling synth sounds pan on the right and left speakers (listen to it with headphones) and Duda's schizophrenic whispers are filtered through a thick soundscape. The last section of the song, while giving the impression that it may have been added as an afterthought upon first list, is comprised of cold acoustic guitars and funereal atmosphere, mostly because of Duda's low monotone singing. The way the guitar sound becomes less and less audible while Duda's voice is set against a mournful piano figure are testimony to Riverside's aesthetic ability, not only songwriting-wise but also from a production standpoint.

From here on, the album sinks into the depths of despair. "Schizophrenic Prayer" boasts Middle Eastern acoustic guitars and a mournful vocal delivery which eventually culminates in a terrific melody. Duda's wordless humming and tragic croon precede a drawn-out instrumental middle part, formed by a steady, unbreakable rhythm. The song is finished off with some of the most schizophrenic whispers and repeated guitar themes you'll hear on any progressive rock release. Much like "Schizophrenic Prayer", "Through the Other Side" and "Embryonic" are also compositions proceeding in a glacial pace. They are both characterized by a largely acoustic framework; the contrast between Duda's ultimately soothing and reassuring voice and the terribly disturbing subject matter on "Embryonic" is impossible to ignore. Riverside brings together opposite poles of songwriting elements here, and concludes the track with a phenomenal guitar solo which recalls Jim Matheos' restrained playing on A Pleasant Shade of Gray, due to its context. It's got the same vibe of building the whole album up and then climaxing with a killer solo that is emotionally draining.

The most progressive cut on the album is "Parasomnia", one of the longer pieces. Not only does it marry the hallmarks of the Riverside sound their fans have come to love over the years, it is a track with a powerful bass centre and wonderful harmonies. The a capella intro alone is worth checking this album out, Duda has rarely before captured so much intensity within only a couple of seconds. As the song proceeds, amidst rampaging bass and Tool-like tribal drumming, Piotr Grudzinski intensifies its degree of heaviness with added guitar voicings and shifts of tempo. The song retreats into a dreamy section, filled with Porcupine Tree-like acoustic guitars and floating synth lines, not to mention the Floydian guitar solo. Just as its intro, the overly repeated whispering atop sparse synth notes at the very end is simply sick -- and his chants are to die for. Duda is among the most expressive singers in this genre no matter what anyone says.

There is another epic-length song on the album to finalise the three-part concept story. After a long jammy intro, "Ultimate Trip" merges both vintage and modern synth sounds, developing a unique Riverside aesthetic, and contains extensive lead work by both Grudzinski and Lapaj. The tense silence in the middle is only a chance for the listener to take a breath as the piece is concluded with smashing rhythm battery and impressive guitar work.

The debut album was perhaps the band's most melodically engaging work while Second Life Syndrome saw the band expanding into heavier territory accentuated by intense guitar work. As for Rapid Eye Movement, this is their most atmospheric statement, created to underline the psychological turmoil of the protoganist. This is not to say any of their albums lack melody or atmospheric depth; it's just each album has its own priority and the level of cohesion achieved between each release is remarkable. The production is amazing, perhaps their best. Upon the first couple of listens, I had to think of the production of Katatonia's The Great Cold Distance, though this has somewhat waned now. Still, I can't help but listen to these albums back to back -- they do have something in common, at least spiritually.

Now that they've released their albums and solidified their sound, it will be interesting to observe what kind of path Riverside will forge on their future albums.

They will not disappoint.

Riverside's latest release, spacey prog-rock with crunch, is a must have. The songwriting is similar to their previous release, albeit less melodic and there are softer themes, but their musical abilities seem to be progressing. Mariusz's vocals are incredible and have such a beautiful smooth earthy tone and his bass playing is beefy. Piotr's drumming is powerful, Michal's keyboard parts are well thought out and enhance everything, and Piotr's guitar style (not many chords) of constantly accenting the rhythm with a few choice notes and crunching at the right time is very tasty.

The disc is divided into two parts, Fearless (5 songs) and Fearland (4 songs). My disc also came with three "bonus tracks" - "Lucid Dream IV" is a killer instrumental, "Back to the River", another instrumental, pays homage to Pink Floyd with riffs from "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and the third track is remix of "02 Panic Room". 2007 has provided many great discs and this is right there with the best of them.

Riverside have created an impressive end the the Reality Dream trilogy. While I rate this at just 4 stars in comparison to the two previous 5 star albums I would still highly recommend this to any prog fan. Stand out tracks, for me at least, are 02 Panic Room, Rainbow Box and Parasomnia, although there are no really bad tracks on the entire cd. The only complaint about this effort is that some of the tracks are a little too ambient at times and take a bit long to get to the meat of the song, but this is just personal preference and doesn't reflect at all on the musicianship, which is top notch.

If Riverside had been around in the days when top prog bands were filling arenas and selling albums by the millions, it would have been one of those in prog's top echelon that people would still be speaking about today. Unfortunately, the music business has become highly fragmented while the radio business has become highly concentrated. Most good music has almost no chance of being heard on the radio because the hide-bound suits that control it are afraid to allow anything new that might appeal to someone older than twelve. The twaddle that one hears on top-40 radio today is so vapid that more discerning youth have been driven in ever-increasing numbers to embrace their parents' music. Thankfully, the tech revolution that has been ongoing for more than twenty-five years makes it ever more possible for those who seek quality to find it.
Under the leadership of lead singer and lyricist Mariusz Duda, the Polish power prog group Riverside has become just the kind of quality band that should make a lasting mark on the music history of the early 21st century. Rapid Eye Movement is their third full-length album and establishes Riverside as one of today's best progressive rock groups. The dark atmospheric sound with vocals eerily reminiscent of the Moody Blues and music often compared to Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree, Riverside sounds like its set to bring progressive rock back to its former prominence.
There isn't much that could be said about this CD that the reviewer from Istanbul didn't already say so eloquently, so I will just get into his amen corner. The Special Edition of this CD, which is the edition I recommend, offers the listener just over 70 minutes of great music. It comes with a booklet containing the lyrics and some interesting images that reflect the mood induced by the music. Just one reading of the lyrics should convince you of Duda's brooding and introspective genius, and English isn't even his native language! Think of Joseph Conrad, another Pole who wrote masterfully in his adopted tongue.
Its difficult to say what I like best since most all of this is so good. If I had to pick, I would choose Beyond The Eyelids, both mixes of 02 Panic Room, Cybernetic Pillow, and the bonus cuts Lucid Dream IV and Back To The River as my favorites. Those fans of Riverside who have not yet heard Rapid Eye Movement may find this to be a bit "heavier" than previously releases. No complaints from me on that score, I like the band's deft integration of modern metal elements with their core prog fare.
If you are one who likes inventive music, darkly intelligent lyrics, and have not yet heard Riverside then now is the time. I recommend not only this CD, but all of their other releases as well.

I confess that, like many Riverside fans, I awaited the release of this, their next studio recording, with great expectations. I am a bit disappointed, however, mostly by the lack of development in many of the key songs holding the CD together. There are some typically beautiful, melodic passages countered by driving metal and rock. These ideas are not as well developed or fully fleshed out as they were on previous releases. They get briefly referenced, then dropped, with the song ending prematurely and the listener begging for more. Themes are rarely revisited. That stress and release thing that Riverside, unlike so many prog outfits out there, do so well, just doesn't come through effectively, for me at least, on this release. Perhaps they've said all they can say to end this beautiful trilogy. If so, I'm hoping for new ideas and a return to lengthier, more fully developed songs on the next release. I would stick with the first two installments of this wonderfully crafted trilogy if you are new to Riverside.

I had read the reviews of Rapid Eye Movement before the CD was even released (i.e. There was a download of the Album on the Web somewhere), and the overall impression was that of people expecting more. I was pleasantly surprised with R.E.M. and I believe the final part of the Trilogy could not have gone much better. I guess it is like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. If you liked the 1st one, you are bound to like the next 2 servings provided the formula is not drastically changed. I will concentrate this review on the Bonus Disc as the Original single release has been reviewed elsewhere in detail on Amazon. The Bonus 2nd disc offers some nice touches, especially on the re-mixed versions of "Behind the eyelids" and "Panic Room". The version of Panic Room is more mellower than the original but really works. To be honest, I prefer the re-workings to the original mixes. I sincerely hope the band moves in this direction for their next CD which will be without doubt their most important so far. Porcupine Tree had a formula of changing their style of music after 3 or so albums, and I believe that Riverside must do the same be it with the introduction of a new style of sound, or even with the inclusion of a second guitarist/backing vocalist (Refer John Wesley, and it works). The musicians of Riverside are all immensely talented, however, I believe that the weak link is in guitarist Piotr Grudzinski. I am not saying that he is a bad guitarist, but he can be one dimensional at times in his sound. That is why the re-mixes really had me surprised. His stage presence also lacks unlike frontman Mariusz Duda who has loads of energy to boost. "Lucid Dream IV" is an instrumental which closely revolves around the "Reality Dream" instrumentals of "Out of myself" and "Second Life Syndrome". "Back to the River" is a nice slow soothing Instrumental with a sample from the begining of Floyds "Wish you were here". They actually opened their gigs supporting the Second Life Syndrome album with this track. "Rapid eye movement" is the final track on the Bonus disc and is another moody shortish instrumental. The fan base for Riverside is seriously gathering Steam, and as I have mentioned earlier I really hope their next release is a genuine Masterpiece. All the three full length Riverside CDs are great and essential, but I know there is an album in the making which will truly skyrocket Riverside to the top. I would not be surprised however if their next CD release is to be a live album. I would view that as a step backwards though BUT a live DVD of the Trilogy would be totally awesome. Long may the River flow.

I don't know if my expectations were too high after "Second Life Syndrome" or if this release truly is subpar to Riverside's previous offering, but I just can't get into it that much. It seems that at least half of this CD is ambient filler. There are too few musical themes and not enough catchy vocal/instrumental hooks that were so abundant on SLS. Even when they are there, they seem underdeveloped.

The first half of the disk is pretty good. Tracks like Rainbow Box and 02 Panic Room are strong and very attractive. The second half of Panic Room is really a separate song by itself. I have to say, though, I can't understand what it's doing at the end of the track, and I certainly can't understand why they chose to keep it as short as it is, considering how beautiful the melody is. This complaint I have to repeat over and over again throughout listening to this CD. They would play a some wonderful theme and just abandon it without exploring it further for reasons that are completely unclear.

By the time we get into the second half of the album, things start losing steam. Even short songs are not grabbing my attention. The last track, The Ultimate Trip, sounds more like The Ultimate Drag with 13 minutes of slow to mid-paced riffing that doesn't seem to go anywhere.

Lyrically, I'm as baffled as ever. This is supposed be the last installment of a trilogy. Well, I have all three albums, I've read the lyrics plenty of time, but I just have no clue what the concept is. Since I haven't encountered a single review out there that actually attempts to explain what the trilogy is about, I'm guessing other reviewers are just as clueless, but don't want to admit it. The closest I can get is that it's about a guy with a whole bouquet of psychological issues.

I'm still giving this album 4 stars because of the strengths of the first half and because of the overall quality of musicianship and production. While this is not as good as Riverside's previous effort, it's still worthwhile having.

This is a must have as every other album they have made for progressive rock/metal fans. This album starts powerful and ends even more powerful. For those of you who have known this band for a while, I have to tell you, that this album will not match "second life syndrom". In my opinion their second album was far better. However, by no means I am trying to put this album down, just that I personally love the second album far more.
In any way, I belive they have done one amazing job with this album. If you are a fan of progressive music, this album is a must have...enjoy!

This album finalizes the trilogy of the Dream Reality story... even at the end they got the radio scanning just like the beginnig of Out of Myself (1st CD). They have their unique sound down with an excellent creativity that is comparable to Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree without ever sounding like them.... if prog Rock is your thing this trilogy is a MUST have... highly recommended

Riverside seems to have no issues about crossing genres. That's why every album they produce is unique. They are influenced from everyone: Floyd, PT, DT, even Radiohead with whispered vocals. There are elements of metal, but I wouldn't call them metal. They fit progressive and yet there's elements of pop, alternative and indie rolled in. So they aren't out to please purists.

But I like that. Every song has a distinctive feel that's unique. It makes the entire album unpredictable and gives me a reason to listen again and again. In that way, I'd say this is a nice addition to "Out of Myself" (my other fav). Riverside is also independent of RIAA.