ANNO DOMINI HIGH DEFINITION

Wow! I'm stunned. I've never been a fan of Riverside, despite the fact that they are from my native Poland. I don't know why, but something annoyed me in their music. I didn't like the vocalist. I know it's a matter of taste and lots of people seem to praise him (just like lots of people bash James LaBrie but I love him). I decided to give this one a spin and It blew me away. I still had an issue with the vocals, but the more I listen to the MUSIC, the less it started to annoy me and I kind of got to terms with it. I don't really pay attention to the lyrics , but as for the music, this is how modern progressive metal should sound like. Technical (but not in a show-off kind of way) but beatiful and atmospheric at the same time. And progressive at its best ALL the way - something that for example Dream Theater have lost lately, going for a more commercial-metal-kind-of-approach. And since I mentioned Dream Theater, I think they should learn from Riverside how to PRODUCE. This album has a perfect balance between all the instruments - I love how the bass is exposed and often plays a major role in the instrumentation. The use of keyboards and synthesizers is also something other bands should take note of. It stands as a perfect background to amazing guitar work - riffs and solos are fantastic, but what is the most important - they're not going for SPEED but MELODY and FEELING.

The album is quite short, but I think it plays as an advantage. Some prog-metal albums can get too long and they can become boring or tiring, or simply ran out of ideas. This one is a perfect listen from the first to the last minute. A masterpiece of modern progressive metal. Must-have for any fan of the genre.