OUT OF MYSELF

When a debut album comes out of nowhere (not that Poland is nowhere but I mean the group) and creates an immediate worldwide buzz, you know that it's a rare occurrence and that it must be somehow deserving of all the praise from pretty much all us proggers. To put matters even more into perspective, when those first notes blasts through the speakers are excellent, it's like an Apollo rocket exploding into space. Riverside slickly begin their career with the slurred distortion of scanning the airwaves on your FM audio system, issuing newscast items, snippets of Hotel California, silly commercials and suddenly, out from the slime oozing from your set, the guitar screeches with ominous synth washes, the bass shuttles into position, cymbals rattle on the job, all emitting an electric buzz waiting for the relentless beat to grow in stature, inexorably gathering steam while elevating the doom- laden riff to heights of psychedelic pleasure. When the lead guitar soars majestically over the aural landscape, Riverside have in a matter of a few minutes made an indelible impression on any incredulous listener. Few albums in the history of Progressive music have kicked off a career quite as convincingly as on "The Same River"! Other reviewers have correctly dissected the Floydian influences, as well as the occasional Opeth winks, particularly when the overall tone veers into rage and harder edged substance. Piotr Grudzinski has certainly digested his Pink collection but truthfully, he possesses a bulkier style and a rawer tone than Mister Gilmour, sounding at times more like Inquire's Dieter Cromen, both fondly preferring a "bleeding" sustain when soloing. The keyboards are essentially massed synthesized back grounds full of lush symphonics, giving the entire production a fuller sound and the drums are certainly way more propulsive that anything Mister Mason would come up with. Vocalist, bassist and main songwriter Mariusz Duda is obviously the musical direction motivator, a mood conductor capable on so many different fronts, from gentle ballad crooning to out right metallic grunting and growling as well as letting his reptilian bass sort of reconnoiter the road ahead. All the tracks are of exceptional quality, well-balanced between the softer moments and the outright volatile blowouts, with the 2 part "Reality Dream" instrumental sequences raising a few eyebrows and some superb songs such as the imperial "I Believe", the simply gorgeous "Loose Heart" and the dreamily majestic "In Two Minds". The overall sound and the production are rarely a weakness from Polish or Hungarian prog bands and this is no exception. One other atypical compliment is that this is some of the best drive-in-your-car music you will ever slide into your auto's system. Definitely autobahn material, Vroom-Vroom, so try it out on the highway. Riverside offer pristine art of the very highest caliber that has really nothing much in common with Division Bell, simply a young progressive rock band with the right philosophy, out to conquer the Prog World and leave a legacy of quality music that transcends styles and really searches out new frontiers. The artwork from Travis Smith at Seempieces is well worth the hype. A definite 21st Century prog must have. Can this be bettered? 4.5 dudas (car horns in Hungarian).