SECOND LIFE SYNDROME

So... the magic is gone. This is an incredible album for those who enjoy prog-metal, but the debut was more then just that (it blended genres). Fans who enjoy all sub-genres of prog could easily listen to "Out of Myself." This album is prog-metal and there's no doubt about it, the tempo is quicker now and sometimes so is the singing significantly. I give three stars because "Second Life Syndrome" deserves the title "Good," by no means is this a masterpiece, even though i'd rank it at about 4th or 5th for favorite album for 2005 favorites (good year for Prog I'd say). The biggest difference to notice from the debut to the sophmore album is the change in mood through instruments. Riverside is evolving, into what I don't know. I only hope their third album isn't stuck on "Prog-Metal", because a band limited to one genre or more specifically a sub-genre is a band that repeats itself, more like a group of guys with two or three songs worthwhile. On the upside, Mariusz Duda is still amazing. He performs better on "Second Life Syndrome" then on "Out of Myself," I have been amazed at this guy every second since I found out about him. I suggest checking "Second Life Syndrome" out, especially if you want a quicker pace then the first album. This is progressive-metal, enjoy.