INTROVERT

Retrospective with this 5th modern album sounds in the line of Paradise Lost, Antimatter or even Pain Of Salvation for an evolving progressive metal; singular sounds disrupting the traditional framework, an extrovert sound dripping with energy, with tangled melodies, a masculine-feminine duet: Paradise Lost-style piano-based 'Log Out', crescendo and explosion with duet vocals, all on a plaintive note where heartbeats come to light; a crystalline fruity guitar break heightens the emotion. 'New Perspective' for a continuation in the same vein, beautiful and consensual with this vocal duo and the piano; the Gilmourian guitar solo sinks into a proven melancholic dark prog. 'Invincible Man' continues on a more synthetic tune this time and a languid echoing song, a beautiful title oozing with spleen which could be played on the radio if the world turned around more smoothly.

'Intoxicated Generation' returns to the airy piano intro, latency and sad atmosphere; a heavy riff breaks that up to take us on snowy dreamscapes; a mid-range Floydian riff on phrasing eyeing the archangel Gabriel; it's monolithic and you have to wait for the last two fabulous minutes to come out of the torpor. 'Away' for the song that stood out to me the most; programmed solemn rhythm, of the felted Paradise Lost, mid-oriental air where the piano flows; halfway through we emerge from this spleen with oriental percussion and the sensual, high voice of Beata; it's beautiful until the post Anathema solo. 'Self-Control' thwarts my impression by offering 'finally' a title that stirs from the start thanks to a synth in front; the sound becomes bombastic, airy and comes out of the doldrums, the solo wants to be evolutionary, enjoyable, letting go of the musical horses, extroverted.

Retrospective launches catchy sounds with piano at the base then the sound expands and amplifies. A story of addiction, alienation on a somewhat redundant concept album; the moods are...dark without being depressing; an aptly named introverted album that nevertheless shows its hidden side in its much more telling extroverted moments. (3.5)

A nice piece of Polish Neo Prog, with presence of puncturing guitars in the vein of Clepsydra with tons of dark melodic soloing, the constant invading pianos and keys with a lot of Mark Kelly influence to them, heavy and tight rhythmic section resembling the music of bands such as IQ and Riverside, and the presence of female vocals accompanying the male lead, specially on the opener song "Log Out"? very atmospheric and dense at spots. "New Perspective" reminds me of a heavier version of the Norweian band OAK, with a heavier punch and a more symphonic approach, the piano work is superbly catchy and is definitely key to their sound, as is the sharp and heavy riffing rounded by the keys. Perhaps some of the darker moments of the album, both in music and lyrical content can be found in "Invincible Man" and "Intoxicated Generation", with edgy melodies that seem to take the listener to brighter shores but it never happens? "you will never find relief, you already lost"? or "I really want to close your eyes" are some examples of a deeper darkness laying under the soft and warm vocals and the psychedelic pop found in the surface, with a slight touch of PF's The Wall and Riverside teasers, a cool mix indeed. "Self Control" is the perfect example of that heavy Neo Prog sound the band has developed, haunting keys intricately maneuvering alongside the heavy guitar riffs, the tight rhythmic section, and the atmospheric wall of sound that support the melodic content of the composition. Retrospective sounds like so many progressive rock acts but at the same time so unique and easy to identify, and Introvert a very interesting and enjoyable album. Cheers

RETROSPECTIVE is one of the many Polish bands that have emerged in the 21st century that straddles the line between neo-prog / symphonic prog and progressive metal in the vein of the nation's most popular export of this ilk, Riverside. Founded in 2005, this band almost goes as far back as Riverside itself. Amazingly enough despite almost 20 years on the scene and six albums under its belt, RETROSPECTIVE has featured the same lineup all this time with the sole exception of guitarist Darek Kaźmierczak joining ranks to make this band a six-piece instead of a mere quintet.

So what is this band exactly? Hard neo-prog or wimpy prog metal. I don't know. Labels and boxes don't interest me except to get a general gist of what to expect but what one can clearly state about INTROVERT (sorry this is my first experience with this band so the only reference i have thus far) is that this band is clearly focused on instantly catchy melodies in the vein of neo-prog while casting a wider net of including a pseudo-metallic guitar heft that eschews the excesses of Riverside's aerie fairy atmospheric ambience and rather steers the band's approach more into a Pink Floyd style of space rock that meets an 80s new wave demeanor not unlike The Psychedelic Furs in the beginning.

Yeah there's a very 80s new wave style of crafting the melodic touches here. Is that a bad thing? Well only if you hate poppy easy-listening musical compositions. What's cool about this one is it doesn't try to pretend it's something its not (like Riverside). It's not trying to be another band (like Riverside) but rather just delivering some great music that has obvious influences that happen to be from an era where unadulterated melodic performances weren't frowned upon. This album BTW features six tracks at almost 45 minutes. What sets this apart from other similar bands is the male / female vocal tradeoffs of Jakub Roszak and Beata Łagoda who share equal billing on the opening track "Log Out" (should be "Log In'' no? :/ )

In comparisons to Riverside, this band doesn't try to craft ambitious excesses in the vein of Porcupine Tree which obfuscate the pop hooks but rather just lets it all hang out so to speak. Yeah one could consider this a pop metal band that embellishes its charm with ample atmospheres and other personal touches but what's wrong with that? Basically these types of bands are highly idiosyncratic. Does it work for you or not? Well, for me this band works incredibly well. Although i have not experienced another RETROSPECTIVE release i can say that i have enjoyed this one thoroughly from beginning to end. Warning though. For metalheads this is barely metal and for prog rock lovers this may be too metallic. Oh limbo here we go.

Yeah this isn't a perfect album or the next level of quantum metal mechanics. Oh well. This one has an emotional pull unlike many albums even remotely metal these days and on the prog side of the equation likewise. Basically this is crossover prog of the 21st century really. It's catchy as hell. The vocals, instrumentation and compositions are stellar for what they are and the band sounds somewhat unique really. Not a masterpiece of all ages but i really enjoyed this much more than i could've imagined. This is one of the few examples where a foreign accent singing in English actually works amazingly well. I know this music has nothing to do with the 80s post-punk / new wave band The Psychedelic Furs but vocalist Jakub Roszak really sounds like Richard Butler at times!

This review marks my first exposure to this 6-piece progressive rock outfit hailing from the land of popes: Poland.

iNtrovErt is their new well-'polished' album (notice my pun- it wasn't deliberate). It is their fifth studio release, so clearly I'm late to the party.

It is an admirably solid and cohesively put-together album- a weighty collection of modern sounding songs, radiant with a dark, edgy and slick aura.

The band's main singer, Jakub Roszak, has a distinctive and masculine breathy vocal style. Adding to the richness of their sound, Beata Lagoda often pairs up with Jakob in a sort of dual-lead vocal singing style. Their voices lock together seamlessly, creating an awesome harmonic convergence of machismo and machisma. Beata also takes on lead singing duties and is the band's piano and keyboard player.

Compositionally I find it delightfully unpredictable, avoiding clichés, but still sounding mainstream and approachable. They are kind of Pink Floyd-y in parts, but with a more modern blend of soft metal/ hard rock and metal sound. Maybe some other comparisons could include glimpses of Muse, Rammstein and Porcupine Tree.

The album is not a bumpy or herky-jerky ride. If you prefer your prog moderate (without too many complexities in key or time signature changes) you've found your band. They keep the songs on an even keel and pumping. Generally they have a spacious sound: tasteful, big and melody-driven. There are broad and wide atmospherics throughout. The guitars and bass are tight and restrained but do move to the fore to shine in spots with some wicked broad-stroke guitar solos for example, and trench-digging bass riffs.

iNtroVert is actually quite danceable, even slow sexy danceable at times. There's some deep gyrating grooves in the track called Away.

Some of Retrospect are Coldplay fans, and one of the refreshing things I like about the album is the use of straight-up acoustic piano throughout (as well as synths) and Beata, the only woman in the band, is behind that solid presence throughout. This also makes the band primed for stadium rock shows. They are currently rehearsing for dates in Europe to promote Introvert.

(Also worth mentioning for the interest of others who still collect CDs and LPs: the CD packaging is awesome: generous with a lyrics booklet and excellent original artwork throughout).

The lyrics are timely in a brooding way, given the current state of the world- and I get from them a sense of struggling through the chaos of modern life and yearning for a grounded and palpable sense of what's real vs. what's fake- searching for silence amid the noise.