ANNO DOMINI HIGH DEFINITION

I was fan of hard rock and heavy metal in times, when I still didn't now too much about prog- rock.After 20+ years my point of view is a bit different, but I still love many of great heavy- metal atrists, from Black Sabbath to Metallica.

Another story is modern heavy music. Even if there are some really interesting names ( as Therion, or Opeth, for example), many of new bands are just imitators of different quality. I am not speaking about technical quality of music - there are plenty of very technically skilled musicians all around, but about spirit. The real spirit of neavy metal is gone.

So it's a pleasant event, when I can find something, what is new and has this true spirit of heavy rock. May be you 'll be surprised, but on of this rare pleasant events happened right now, with new Riverside album!

I am quite familar with Polish rock, still from my childhood I grew up with Polish radio translations. There was plenty of good music! But after SBB/ Czeslaw Niemen era slowly I came to the understanding, that Poland is one of the best countries for quality pop-jazz songs, nor rock. Another thing, during last some years Poland is one of the biggest European market for live shows of world well-known prog-groups!

But their original product? Till now it quite often was some groups of different level, but often just of local interest scale. So, I started with new Riverside album with some scepticism. And it was disappeared immediately!

Absolutely world-class prog-metal ( I can say, it something in between of heavy prog and prog-metal), perfect melodies, complex,but very individual compositions. But most important - warm, even nostalgic, sound with this wonderful atmosphere many of us still remember from best rock records from 70-th! Vocal is strong enough, but with this warmness again.

Yes, formally it's a keyboard driven prog-metal, but with strong accent to melodism, even some acoustic sound, not too heavy ( it's a plus there), but soul-catching. Very roughly you can classify this music as something what came from Dream Theater field, but you can hear much more soul there!

So, perfect surprise for me, that album! After checking their site, I realised, that Riverside are starting their World Tour ( supporting this album) just next week ( at the end of september,2009), and three very first concerts are scheduled not too far from my place! In fact Bialystok,Elk and Olsztyn all are about 200 -3oo km right from my hometown of Vilnius. So I'm seriously planning just to cross Polish border next weekend and see them live!