Artist: RIVERSIDE
Album: SECOND LIFE SYNDROME (CD)

Release date: 2006
EAN/UPS: 5052205041727
Media type: CD

After the release of their debut album "Out Of Myself" in the autumn of 2004, Riverside suddenly found themselves in the fast lane. An original mixture of atmospheric new art rock and dark metal with touches of Porcupine Tree, Opeth and also Anathema, the band was received incredibly well by the media. A month later the quartet from Poland performed their first foreign gig at the Progpower festival in the Dutch city of Baarlo. They left audiences completely floored, and sold out of all CD stocks. Finally, InsideOut Music took the bait. Off to a seriously promising start, it raises the question; can the band maintain this level of high expectation? "Second Life Syndrome" is the extremely positive answer.

"Nobody thought that 'Out Of Myself' would be such a success", Mariusz Duda, bassist, singer, and songwriter, sums up the difficult situation. "So there was some pressure with the new recordings. But we made it clear to ourselves that we hadn't even begun to explore all the possibilities with our debut, and we stuck to our goal to convey the bigger picture of Riverside to the people".

"Second Life Syndrome" first and foremost, remains true to all positive aspects of the previous album. Elegiac guitar solos, dark keyboard textures, creative and complex guitar riffs, with powerful drumming, unique bass lines, and the dynamic vocals of Mariusz Duda. At times he evokes the highest quality of heavy metal vocals and then at the right moment, is able to shift into wonderfully arranged harmony lines.

Furthermore, Riverside's music has clearly developed into a harder and darker realm, which really fits in with the theme of the new album. "'Out Of Myself' is the first part of a trilogy that deals with a lonely human being on a quest in search of his true self", says Duda. "In the first part he tires to begin a 'normal' life with another person, but fails bitterly. Now, in the second part ('Second Life Syndrome'), he wants to change his life. In order to achieve more self-confidence he has to battle against his memories. This leaves him ultimately stronger but our protagonist wonders whether he really wants to go where he has arrived. This will be the topic of the third part, which will be our next album".

"Second Life Syndrome" has all the elements that fans of powerful and demanding (art) rock desire - ranging from dark atmospherics with slightly psychedelic guitar solos ("After", "Reality Dream III"), powerful rhythms ("Volte-Face"), sparse minor key melodies ("Conceiving You") and sumptuous waves of sound ("Artificial Smile"). Keyboardist Michal Tapaj who replaced Jacek Melnicki after the recording of the first album, has enhanced the band's overall sound in a very noticeable way with more sophisticated keyboard parts and the use of Hammond and piano sounds. With "Second Life Syndrome", Riverside have not only maintained the standard they set with their debut album but have gone a step further in establishing themselves as an important new force on the scene.

Tracklist:

1. After
2. Volte-Face
3. Conceiving You
4. Second Life Syndrome
5. Artificial Smile
6. I Turned You Down
7. Reality Dream III
8. Dance With The Shadow
9. Before

Musicians:

Piotr Grudzinski - guitar
Mariusz Duda - bass, vocals
Piotr Kotzieradzki - drums
Michal Tapaj - keyboards