OUT OF MYSELF

Riverside is yet another great progressive metal band from the second (or third, it depends on how you see it) generation of progressive metal, originating in the late 90's and early 00's, when progressive metal was already a solid and well established genre of both metal and progressive rock. This new generation tried to expand even more the horizons of progressive metal, not only trying to refine and polish metal so much that it became progressive or adding classical music, jazz and progressive influences like the pioneers did, but going further in the refinement of metal music and also adding even more diverse and colorful musical influences into their music, making it sound great and (more importantly) different.

So, due to what i just said, Riverside have a wide variety of influences. However, there are three bands that just stand up from that mix, and those would be Metallica, Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd. Pink Floyd is probably the most evident influence of Riverside, since the whole album (in fact, all three albums) have that space rock feeling, that gloomy and quiet desperation that Pink Floyd translated so well in their music, with moody / spacy keyboards and guitar melodies filled with emotion and feeling. Intricate thrash metal, like Metallica during Master of Puppets and ... And Justice for All, can be seen in probably every heavy / metal part of the album (and every heavy / metal part of all three albums), specially in the aggressive drums. Porcupine Tree also can be found here, as the band is kind of in between of metal and prog rock, though being inclined more towards prog rock. In the end, Riverside will sound more like Pink Floyd than anything, because Porcupine Tree also have a great deal o floydian influence.

Most songs here are very, very good. The opening track, The Same River, is just awesome! The emotional guitar melodies, heavy riffs, energetic drum beat, moody keys and powerful bass lines combined create a great atmosphere. The songs Reality Dreams I and II also are great, they alternate strong and calm parts very well, though sounding heavier than the opening song of the album. The closing songs, The Curtain Falls and OK, have an even bigger Floyd influence, to the point that you identify the albums were some melodies came from or the albums that inspired them, which is not too good, although not being too bad also.

The highlights go to The Same River, Reality Dreams I and II and The Curtain Falls.

Grade and Final Thoughts

This excellent debut from this polish progressive metal band is a very good album. New and refreshing, it is a decent starting kick and show Riverside's great talent, but also show that they still have to grow, so it will be 4 stars. On a side note, i would like to say that Out of Myself is also yet another proof o Pink Floyd's great and unrestricted influence among rock and metal bands around the world.

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