Riverside
Memories In My Head


2.0
poor

Review

by Xenophanes EMERITUS
July 21st, 2011 | 44 replies


Release Date: 2011 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Proggin' just ain't what it used to be...

I can remember it vividly—the summer of my senior year of high school. This was time of growing up and growing older, with changes on the horizon, and the fleeting youth behind me. More importantly, however, was progressive rock, and more specifically, the “neo-prog” movement of the 2000’s. The idea that songs could consist of multiple movements, span ten minutes, and be filled to the brim with spacey guitars and meandering melodies was mind blowing. It was as if I had stumbled onto a different realm of music, and one which deserved unwavering hyperbolic claim.

Needless to say, I was diluted in my vulnerable and more impressionable youth.

Riverside, a Polish progressive rock band that rose to prominence in the mid-2000’s, was one such band that grabbed my attention back then. And truly, Riverside has displayed excellence, stepping outside the mold just enough to come off as refreshing, interesting, and wholly appealing. That being said, the passing of time has tarnished the group’s once intriguing sound, buffeting their once polished veneer, revealing a collective of musicians who’ve lost faith in what they do as they cling helplessly to the conventions of a genre that’s since become tired and uninspired.

Now this isn’t an affront to progressive rock as a whole, not in the least. However, Riverside’s latest EP, Memories In My Head (as opposed to where else?) shows a trend that Riverside, and prog rock in general, have been following. Spacey soundscapes, indulgent guitar melodies, and aimless songwriting all rear their ugly heads on Memories In My Head, giving an overpowering sense of “déj* vu.” This is the same band that put out Out of Myself and Second Life Syndrome, and there’s no way in hell that they want you to forget that. True, those were both fantastic releases, but hearing them time and time again becomes tiring. In this respect, their latest suffers from the same blight as 2009 Anno Domini High Definition—the feeling, not only of familiarity, but of stagnation.

And that seems to be exactly how to surmise Memories In My Head—stale, vapid, and stagnate. The three selections here aren’t terrible, per se, but they certainly where out their welcome, which is an unfortunate sentiment considering the unnecessary length of each piece. Flashes of intrigue can be found, but they are soon swallowed up by whichever indulgent guitar solo Riverside decided to throw in. Sure, these moments sound exciting at first, but when minute six hits and the song has yet to go anywhere, whatever enjoyment was being had disintegrates. Such is the story of Memories In My Head.

Memories In My Head will find its appeal in the doldrums of prog-rock fandom, that much is certain. Yet those wishing for a meatier, more substantial experience will have to look elsewhere, as Riversides latest EP is nothing more than a shade of a band who once cared for their craft.



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user ratings (130)
3.8
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
Obfuscation24
July 21st 2011


3938 Comments


i refuse to believe that riverside could make an album that bad : (

coneren
July 21st 2011


11111 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

i liked it

Willie
Moderator
July 21st 2011


20316 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

This is boring as fuck.

coneren
July 21st 2011


11111 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

oh god that picture

CrownOfMagnets
July 21st 2011


2334 Comments


"The three selections here aren’t terrible, per se, but they certainly where out their welcome"

wear

Dreamflight
July 21st 2011


2301 Comments


Their last two albums were already boring as hell, but I'll listen to this nevertheless.

Great review.

Tyrael
July 21st 2011


21108 Comments


The aimlessness of this review is indicative of my feelings towards this album.

Csb, pos. Great to see you reviewing again :]

Underflow
July 21st 2011


5297 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

deluded, not diluted.

scissorlocked
July 21st 2011


3538 Comments


I can easily imagine the progness of this one

ow god, so prog

RedSky
July 21st 2011


309 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I honestly thought this was a bit of a return to form for them. More mellow than their past albums but hardly bad.

ti0n
July 21st 2011


1772 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Really good stuff from them. Still waiting for their next LP.

MO
July 21st 2011


24131 Comments


Great review. Also,

"However, Riverside’s latest EP, Memories In My Head (as opposed to where else?)"

made me laugh.

bloc
July 21st 2011


70694 Comments


I remember this being kind of boring but also remember exaggerating my rating because I FUCKING LOVE RIVERSIDE.

Irving
Emeritus
July 21st 2011


7496 Comments


Il y a beaucoup de diamonds noir dans ce critique. Je te neg.

XP

Phideaux
July 21st 2011


1664 Comments


Been meaning to get into these guys. Guess I wont start with this.

QuestionableScum
July 21st 2011


116 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

You completely misused the term neo-prog in your first paragraph. Neo-prog is a genre of prog rock that originated in the 80s with Marillion, Twelfth Night and Pallas. Riverside has nothing to do with neo-prog at all.



I largely agree with your review, but I think that Living In The Past is a solid, well-balanced track that stands head and shoulders above the other two pieces on the album . The rest of the EP however, seems very meh.

greg84
Emeritus
July 21st 2011


7654 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

This is quite disappointing. But, it's only an EP. They might get better on their new full album.

jybt
July 22nd 2011


359 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

First listen to this was at a family's house on a laptop, the day after my second listen through the Reality Dream trilogy cycle. Definitely not quite at the stratospheric heights of ADHD, and quite a short release, but it still sounded like the same band, looking at the past through their current eyes, and it's plain solid. Still haven't heard the whole thing again, and my opinion may change.



If short, a decent review.

Jarvig
September 30th 2011


168 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Far from their best work. But still decent. A bit boring.

conesmoke
July 2nd 2012


7875 Comments


riversliiiiideee braaaa



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