Riverside Second Life Syndrome |
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 | Tracklist:
1. After
2. Volte-Face
3. Conceiving You
4. Second Life Syndrome
5. Artificial Smile
6. I Turned You Down
7. Reality Dream III
8. Dance with the Shadow
9. Before
| Ranking: #65 for 2005 | |
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On 58 Lists
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| Summary: Riverside’s magnum opus and a truly outstanding piece of modern prog. |
9 of 9 thought this review was well written
Out of Myself was a fantastic debut album for Riverside. Despite often wearing their influences on their sleeve, the band managed to create a unique piece of work that managed to combine impressive musicianship with a melancholic atmosphere, topped off by the emotive vocals of Mariusz Duda. After such a beautiful and surprisingly mature debut for such a young band, their sophomore effort had a lot to live up to. Second Life Syndrome not only lives up to its predecessor, but surpasses it. It’s heavier, more epic, and more ambitious, and yet it still retains the atmosphere that was so pivotal in the debut.
Second Life Syndrome is extremely consistent, but where it shines the most is in the epics. Volte-Face is a perfect introduction to the new epic rock sound that Riverside sought after on this album, with massive riffs, engaging vocals from Duda, and the band’s signature melodic guitar solos. Even with all of this, it’s far from the best track on the album. That honor goes to the title track, which is the best song Riverside will ever do, and a song that deserves to be called of one of the best prog epics of all time, even though it will probably never get anywhere near that level of recognition. Despite its running time of nearly 16 minutes, it never drags or feels like a filler passage has been added; it’s cohesive and each section is well-developed. This is where Riverside’s band chemistry was at its absolute best, as sections of technical guitar and bass riffing mix with beautiful melodic sections, all leading up to the outro which contains the most brilliant guitarwork in the band’s discography. Dance with the Shadow is not far behind this track in quality either, and while the musicianship is once again superb, this epic is made complete by Duda’s vocals, whose delivery perfectly complements the darker atmosphere.
Although the biggest appeal to most prog fans will be that trio of epics, the shorter tracks are just as impressive. Conceiving You, the album’s sole ballad, is driven by emotional vocals and gorgeous guitar leads. Elsewhere the band demonstrates great use of dynamics with the melancholic I Turned You Down and the post-rock inspired closer Before. Instrumental Reality Dream III shows a marked improvement over the first two installments on Out of Myself and is an epic guitar and keyboard-driven rock track that is just as engaging as Riverside’s vocal-driven pieces. After and Artificial Smile are both solid tracks but are easily the weak points of Second Life Syndrome. The former is a pleasant-sounding intro piece that is much less interesting than everything that follows, and the latter is simply a great but straightforward hard rock song that pales in comparison to the atmosphere of the rest of the album.
While Riverside’s career has generally been an impressive one, this is where the band reached their peak. Although their next two releases were still very good, they would unfortunately not live up to the standard that they set on Second Life Syndrome. Here the band displays great technical ability but never to the point of indulgence in pointless soloing or meandering riff sections. The focus is on memorable musical passages and this is achieved throughout the album. With Second Life Syndrome, Riverside made a convincing case for why their name should be included with the other greats of progressive rock.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Perfect review man. I mean it.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
YES TIES
Digging: Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight Digging: Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight | | | Album Rating: 5
Thanks man. I've had this review in the works for a good while now.
Digging: Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here Digging: Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here | | | Album Rating: 5
heck yeah bloc
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Riverside is by far my favourite band in the modern prog scene.
It's been quite difficult trying to find some Riverside clones though....
| | | Album Rating: 5
They're definitely my favorite prog band right now.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Great album.
edit: good review too, pos.
Digging: Vauxdvihl - To Dimension Logic | | |
album is really good, and i can agree, Riverside is def one of the top proggers out there. excellent review too
Digging: Encoffination - O Hell, Shine In Thy Whited Sepulchres Digging: Encoffination - O Hell, Shine In Thy Whited Sepulchres
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
Just found out that Lunatic Soul issued their third album recently.
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^thats funny u mention that, i happen to be listening to it right now
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I have their debut on physical copy and it is excellent.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Another Lunatic Soul? Oh shit...
| | | Album Rating: 4
good album, will read the review later
Digging: Meshuggah - Koloss | | | Album Rating: 3.5
Another Lunatic Soul?
Yeah, just added the album to the database.
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now it needs a rev
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
and ratings B-)
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iv heard all the tracks already its def a 3.5-4 in my book right now. based on my first listen through im just gonna give her a 4, which feels the best at this time
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Awesome review...the title track is also one of my favorite songs, among the highest examples of dark prog ever created.
Digging: Anathema - Weather Systems Digging: Anathema - Weather Systems | | | Album Rating: 5
Cheers guys
I still need to listen to Lunatic Soul
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the newest is good, i liked it
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