WASTELAND

After a recent compilation and two Lunatic Soul solo albums in quick succession from their bassist/frontman Mariusz Duda, 2018's `Wasteland' is Polish heavy prog band Riverside's first proper album since they vowed to carry on in the wake of the passing of their longtime guitarist Piotr Grudzinski. While the core trio remains in place, their sound is bolstered on their latest work by Maciej Meller and Mateusz Owczarek's added guitar solos, as well as Michal Jelonek's evocative violin, and the combination of the musicians help to make `Wasteland' one of Riverside's most lavish, daring and sophisticated discs to date.

Somewhat surprisingly, `Wasteland' is not only their heaviest work in parts since 2009's `Anno Domini High Definition', but despite remaining highly melodic the tunes have an added weight again after the stripped back approach the band took on their previous disc `Love, Fear and the Time Machine'. While not presenting a narrative-driven concept, many of the album lyrics allude to a recurring focus on survival in a world that has ended, that also doubles with the band reflecting on their own career and identity in the wake of their departed guitarist, and despite the return of some guitar grunt, their latest is actually quite ballad heavy, sometimes resembling the moody restrained approach that British band Anathema have headed in lately. But Riverside here still find time for longer multi-part compositions and even purely instrumental tracks to ensure that there's plenty to keep the proggers satisfied!

`What if it's not meant to be?' asks Mariusz starkly on short introductory lament `The Day After', his plaintive voice echoing around slowly emerging gloomy droning synths and orchestral slivers, but within less than two minutes the band enter properly with the two-part, six minute `Acid Rain'. Instantly it kicks in with power by way of grumbling riffing heavy guitars, snarling bass and a brooding chorus, even holding a touch of gothic menace with Duda's menacing purr and symphonic synth/organ washes. Its finale adopts a more hopeful atmosphere with sparkling electric piano, rousing group-vocal cries and Pink Floyd-like slow-burn guitar embers.

There's a gnarling guitar swagger and spacey metal touches to `Vale of Tears' that is met with mellow chorus breaks, Duda adopts a deeper raspy croon for introspective acoustic ballad `Guardian Angel' that's flecked with light dusty country flavours, and `Lament' blasts fragile acoustic passages with harder chugging guitar drama back and forth around a contemplative vocal, and some soothing group multi-part harmonies and searing violin add plenty of elegance. But it's the three-part, near-ten minute instrumental `The Struggle for Survival' that will have metal fans foaming at the mouth! After an ambient intro, it morphs into a relentless dash of twisting-turning guitar rages and strangled soloing, driving drumming, giddy electronics and slithering bass, and in parts it's perhaps the closest the band have come to delivering something more along the lines of the somewhat Dream Theater-modelled `Second Life Syndrome' album all the way back in 2005 - and damned if it doesn't groove like a mother-effer in parts too!

`River Down Below' proves a nice respite to the previous instrumental tour-de-force, a gorgeous and romantic Anathema-like acoustic ballad/soft-rocker that's beautifully sung with embracing words, and the instrumental backing is restrained and full of warmth. Some expanded versions of the album also include a radio-edit of the piece that only highlights what a great song it truly is at its core, and it has a good chance of becoming Riverside's equivalent of Porcupine Tree's `Trains' or `Lazarus' by appealing to a wider range of listeners. The title-track `Wasteland' starts as a ballad of rousing bluesy acoustic guitars and a scratchy parched vocal being before battered with wild stalking riffing and delirious synth wig-outs but still finding time for more subtle mysterious interludes of expansive bone-dry country presence. The band then close on a final classy ballad `The Night Before' that is probably the most straightforward moment of the disc, highlighted by sparkling piano that brings a defiant air of hope to wrap on.

Fans who embraced Riverside's harder-hitting earlier period may still be a little disappointed (it's heavier again, but still pretty far removed from `heavy metal'), and perhaps the over-reliance on ballads might bore a few listeners, but `Wasteland' is another superb addition from a band that hasn't put a single foot wrong, who continue to offer intelligent, mature and excitingly epic works, and it only hints at the potential and possible directions this renewed trio might still head in from this point.

Four stars for another big step up for the band, with an effort that's sure to be a favoured album of 2018 for many prog-rock fans.