OUT OF MYSELF

"What a great debut" said hundreds of people around the world in 2003, when the first Riverside' record came out. Well, I cannot agree with them. I really tried to like it, believe me. For me Riverside' opus magnum is "Second Life Syndrome" and that's that. I don't claim that "Out of Myself" is a bad album though. It's fairly good one, but it lacks...

...good composition. I know that "The Same River" has nice melodies, good harmonies and great atmosphere. But it is composed in a way which I would describe as "immature". Sometimes themes change unexpectedly and I don't know what's going on. I would even venture that some parts are a little bit boring. Some of them are very good, that's right, but the whole album seems to be a little bit chaotic.

Another thing is the mood of the record. It's highly subjective opinion, but it is somehow banal at times, at least in comparison with Second Life Syndrome. The ballads aren't as enchanting as they should be and sometimes I'm a bit bored with them. I know that this album is the most Marillion influenced Riverside' release, so maybe that's why my impression is rather negative. Nonetheless, the heavier parts of the record are good and they elevate the rating. Especially first Reality Dream deserves attention, since it is fantastic prelude of Riverside' potential, fully manifested in Second Life Syndrome.

Generally speaking "Out of Myself" is the weakest Riverside' album but it still deserves some attention. 3 stars.