ANNO DOMINI HIGH DEFINITION

It's already been over two months since the release of the new album by the best Polish band. I'm unable to say how many times I changed my opinion about it. After the first hearing I was rather disappointed. I thought: How a group which released three brilliant albums could now record such week material? However, in the course of time I started liking new songs. And after a month I already loved them. Recently "Anno Domini high Definition" is still present in my CD player, and I can safely say that finding a competitor for it when choosing the best album of this year will be difficult.

The initial dislike for "Anno Domini" results from getting used to the group's style, which we could hear on previous albums. The typical sound of Riverside is already present on their debut, "Out of Myself", and was consistently preserved on "Second Life Syndrome" and "Rapid Eye Movement". The fourth album brings many changes. The most important difference is the lack of Grudzinski's melodical guitar solos. We can also forget about Lapaj's atmospheric strings and pads. They're all a rareness now. In exchange we can hear dominating metal riffs, rough organ parts and penetrating sound of synth leads. Let's add Kozieradzki's more powerful drum beats and amazing vocals by Duda, which never were that agressive. This is definitely the heaviest album by Riverside.

Not only did the music change. New lyrics criticize today's life, exposing 21 century's constant problems: incessant being on the run, lack of free time, getting lost in the world where everybody minds only their own business, inability to slow down and rest from the global race and pace we set ourseleves. That's where the album's name as well as the non-accidental abbreviation ADHD come from. The lyrics together with the agressive background work out really well. Why did Duda, Riverside's composer, choose this subject? On the official blog about the new album he wrote that "this kind of albums is necessary, even if we only apply them to ourselves once in a while like a vaccine to become immune, to survive, but most of all not to let ourselves go crazy in these hybrid and hyperactive times".

The best song on ADHD is the opening "Hyperactive". The delicate piano part on the beginning doesn't fit the new material at all, so it can be treated as a joke. On the other hand it may as well be a metaphore. Everyday lives seemingly do not bring that many problems and a common principle dictates: Respect life, as it is a gift. "No!", the band seems to shout, trying to convince us that reality is totally different, when the piano slowly dissapears, agressive and heavy rock sounds fade in and Duda starts to sing about a next day of a man who curses the sun getting out of bed. My second favourite song, "Left Out", has an outstanding ballad intro, reminding me of Riverside's melodies from their previous works, while in the end it surprises with an intriguing and disturbing keyboard part. "Egoist Hedonist" stands out because of the use of brass instuments and a mystical sound of harp created by keyboard. "Driven to Destruction" and "Hybrid Times" are the less interesting songs on ADHD, but this doesn't mean that they're boring. The first one starts with a really catchy bass line and the second one is an ideal ending for such an energetic album.

It takes some time to get used to Riverside's new style. Of course, one can say that the band already had its good times and don't give their new album a single chance. But it's important not to fogret that in progressive rock development and introducing new ideas is always present. Let's not be deluded by the first impression and listen to "Anno Domini High Definition" more than those few times. I guarantee a radical change of opinion then.