Riverside - Rapid Eye Movement [2007]

“

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.

”

Tracks
Part One - Fearless:
1. Beyond The Eyelids
2. Rainbow Box
3. 02 Panic Room
4. Schizophrenic Praye
5. Parasomnia

Part Two - Fearland:
6. Through The Other Side
7. Embryonic
8. Cybernetic Pillow
9. Ultimate Trip

Line-up
- Mariusz Duda / vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
- Piotr Grudzinski / guitars
- Michal Lapaj / keyboards
- Piotr Kozieradzki / drums

Download
http://rapidshare.com/files/98320950/6-59c2f-RS_REM-001.zip
http://rapidshare.com/files/98320091/7-cda30-RS_REM-002.zip

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Out of Myself is an album for those of you who appreciate good guitar playing. When I listen to this album I hear influences from all the masters but Riverside bows to no band. Their work is both original and wonderful. The music tends to be dark and dreamy. It's progressive but there are songs that could be right at home on the radio. Singer Markus Duda is an superlative singer and guitar player. His voice is a little like Opeth`s Mikael Akerfeldt. There is no question that the first two songs are the highlights but the remaining songs all stand on their own merits. For a debut album this is amazing. If you like great progressive rock/metal music dig out seventeen bucks and splurge. You won't be disappointed.

”

Tracks
1. The Same River
2. Out Of Myself
3. I Believe
4. Reality Dream
5. Loose Heart
6. Reality Dream II
7. In Two Minds
8. The Curtain Falls
9. Ok

Download
http://rapidshare.com/files/98319929/8-96b10-RS_OOM-001.zip
http://rapidshare.com/files/98319776/9-613a2-RS_OOM-002.zip

“

Second Life Syndrome is the second album by Riverside and was released in 2005. The album has songs on it that vary in tempo and overall pace, making it pretty diverse and an overall great listen. It's atmospheric but not enough to put you to sleep. The lyrics are brought through clear and crisp and backed with that you get some beautiful instrumentals. The latter is what is fun about progressive styles like this, instead of one cool beat, one little part that you love about a song, one heart stopping jolt, you get a multitude of experience like that on just one track! Nine tracks clocking in at over 60 minutes in length, Riverside is more soulful than anything. I wish some of the older grunge bands like Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains would have taken notes, simply because this is really a better way tone wise to evoke depressive harmony. Gaelic and not Guttural, Heartfelt as much as heart wrenching.

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Tracks
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 shadows
9. Before