ID.ENTITY

Major Band Riverside Enters Progressive 4th Decade; after debuts in 2001 they create expanded and dynamic original music. An 8th album on the madness of the world, big companies in search of quick profit at the risk of destroying our planet.

'Friend or Foe?' 80's vibe for new wave and pop rock tunes, go A-Ha for the freshness, the nasty and surly Riverside sound in the background, dynamic, full of life and dancing with a prog ending to perfection .'Landmine Blast' characteristic sound with bass, riff, percussion and bass-keyboard latent phases; playful and furious like an explosion. 'Big Tech Brother' sampled horns for a singular intro and different from what the group usually offers; a solo coming from nowhere, plaintive or melancholy, enjoyable in any case, gives way to Mariusz who has a very beautiful voice, don't forget it; NNN's guitar plunges this title into ecstasy, contemplation while keeping a dynamic, immense rhythm and makes you forget the voice. 'Post-Truth' metallic riff, heavy sound with Mariusz tempering his voice; fresh air, rock above all where the riff moves without worrying about the musical label; crystal clear piano changer final break

'The Place Where I Belong' title river highlighting the Riverside sound, fresh vintage keyboards, nervous bass, clubbed dry drums and furious guitar in the distance which gradually shows; the halfway break leads to a melancholy pastoral digression-ballad where the music has this power to contract time to the point of forgetting it; the finale is intended to be softer in the sense that the ballad expands with the incorporation of all the musicians. 'I'm Done with You' dark ballad, reverberating guitar, based on aggressive percussions, title which rises and makes me think of the first titles of nervous, metal and dark Riverside, a fair throwback with a more airy rhythm. 'Self- Aware' for the adventurous title, with dynamic rhythm, rock and AOR, the thing that played in the stadiums and made everyone move, disconcerting with this FM chorus with reggae air and this so characteristic rushian sound; the vibrant atmo-dark break is breathtaking and confirms that music no longer needs labels to dive into.

Riverside never stops offering an evolving sound so as not to remain in progressive shackles, so as not to hit its audience too quickly. Riverside continues to innovate with the perpetual search for recent sounds bathed in flavors of yesterday; a musical association confirming that sound can evolve over time, pleasantly.

The pinnacle of modern prog. The mixture of absolute virtuosity, musicality and deep philosophy could only end up at this. With this record Riverside proved that they are not the usual heavy prog metal act, all through a varying, versatile gamma of beautiful sounds. Keyboards change from a techno-ish vibe to a vintage hammond organ in a span of a few seconds, just as Mariusz voice travels through every emotion a human is capable to sense.

+ The basslines are just out of this world.

+ The new guitarst soloes just [%*!#]ing well.

+ "I'm done with you" features one of the best melodies i've heard in prog in a good while and "Big Tech Brother" climax is just absolutely tearing.

Nothing else to say gentlemen, this is top notch prog, and every thing that goes unmentioned in this review is still there in the record, so go listen.

Best track: Big Tech Brother / I'm Done With You

Weaker track: The Place Where I Belong (not bad, just goes on for a little too long)

Polish prog metallers Riverside are back with their new full-length album ID.Entity released worldwide via InsideOut on January, 20. The new LP is the first with Maciej Meller as a permanent member on guitar, after the tragic death of the band's original guitar player Piotr Grudziński in 2016. The rest of the line-up is completed by Mariusz Duda (bass, vocals), Piotr Kozieradzki (drums) and Michał Łapaj (keyboards), who have now been playing together in Riverside for over twenty years.

Despite the remarkable stability in the band's line-up, ID.Entity shakes things up considerably as far as its sound is concerned, and it is probably one of the most unique and diverse albums in Riverside's discography so far. Fear not, though: the band's sound is still firmly rooted in that special hybrid of prog rock and metal that Riverside have been perfecting for more than two decades now. The songs strike a great balance between accessibility and technical complexity. The structure is rich, with multiple interconnected sections and returning motifs, but there are always prominent melodic lines to guide the listener through the ebbs and flows of each of composition. There are also plenty of staccato riffs and intricate polyrhythms that prog fans can sink their teeth into, and a very prominent bass sound for the pleasure of 4-string enthusiasts. The playing is sublime as always by all musicians involved, with Michał Łapaj's keyboards striking me as particularly inspired on the new songs.

So far things may feel familiar. However, there are also some clear departures from the sound Riverside developed in previous records. The new songs are much more upbeat and uptempo than usual, shaking off that dense sense of melancholy that had almost become a hallmark of Riverside's albums, especially the last few ones. The sound is also slightly more metallic and heavier, throwing us back to the early, hard-hitting Riverside's LPs. At the same time, the band here experiments with a vaster array of non-metal influences than in any of their previous albums. There are 80s synthpop references surfacing at various places through the LP, more obviously on opening track "Friend or Foe?". In a few tracks, I also hear neoprog influences - Marillion in particular ("The Place Where I Belong", "I'm Done With You"), while "Self-Aware" even digresses in reggae territory, if you can believe it.

Dazzling technical playing, a broad set of influences, and lots of proggy adventurousness to placate our nerdiness are definitely among the many strengths that ID.Entity has to offer. However, if I have to be honest, the new record does not come without weaknesses. Two are bothering me particularly. First, the album sounds a bit like its cover image looks: fragmented. There are lots of great moments here and there that do perk my ears, but somehow I can't seem to find the glue that holds all these little pieces together. Sometimes, it is just a matter of the band cramming too much in too little time: this is especially the case in the shorter tracks where often one does not have even the time to get to know a riff or melody, that Riverside have already moved on to the next one ("Post-Truth"). But things do not always feel smooth even in the longer tracks. The 13-minute "The Place Where I Belong" sounds a lot like 3 separate songs stitched together into one for the sake of it, and it fails to carry momentum from start to finish. I gave quite a lot of thought to what I might be missing, and it seems to me that the new songs do not always manage to create a consistent emotional red thread that can connect the various themes together and ultimately engage and engross the listener. The music does ebb and flow, but the emotional tension remains disappointingly flat for a lot of the album's duration.

The album's concept may be partly the culprit here. ID.Entity focuses on social criticism asking important questions about identity and technology in a post-truth world riddled with fake-news that spread on social media like the plague. It's a controversial and difficult concept, and Duda's intelligent lyrics make for an interesting and at times thought-provoking read. However, I feel that the concept may have somehow hijacked the creative process here, ultimately stealing the poetry out of it. It is almost as Duda's need to clearly convey the message took priority over the musicality and poetry of what he is singing. There are moments in the album where his lines simply have too many prosaic words to make for compelling song lyrics or even for decent lines to sing. Snippets such as "Everyone's divided/extreme right or extreme left/that's the only choice", "And this goddamn anger/coming from every corner/I am not surprised/not happy either/because how much can you bear being [%*!#]ing lied to", or "You are not my own CEO" should give you an idea of what I mean. I find myself constantly snapping out of the album's flow and mood because of it, which contributes to my struggle to get emotionally involved with the music.

Ultimately, and it pains me to say this, ID.Entity is a record that was interesting to spin for the purpose of this review, but that I did not feel attracted to return to for more after each spin. There are only a couple of songs that I genuinely enjoy listening to repeatedly: "Friend or Foe?" (perhaps the best track here), "Big Tech Brother" (but I really have to ignore the annoying fake-robot voice at the start of the song) and "Self-Aware" (though the reggaeton part is a tad jarring). This does not mean that ID.Entity is a bad album, and in fact I suspect that if you are not too bothered by its emotional dryness or the lyrics as I am, you may enjoy this quite a bit as the LP contains a lot of strong music and great playing across its 53 minutes. Overall, while I predict that ID.Entity will divide opinions and is not likely to end up at the top of many people's favorite Riverside LP list, it is certainly yet another high-quality release from the Polish band, and the start of a new chapter that I will eagerly continue to follow.

[Originally written for The Metal Observer]

What was that?

Ok. I gave this album a focused, first listen. No distractions. I have not been so impressed with a first listen like this in a very long time. I'm blown away.

You know, lots of bands take you to lots of places, crossing genres and themes. The best do it smoothly. Seamless transitions. Duda and company do that very well here. However, they have extended the boundaries more than most dare to go, particularly between the contrasting the more poppy elements and melodies with the dark, heavy guitar metal parts on occasion.

You know what Steven Wilson was saying about making good pop for Future Bites. Well Riverside has managed to do just that in parts, maybe more effectively in it's own way, particularly in this album's broader range of moods, themes and styles and, well, prog. If this doesn't fit the classic definition of prog regarding stretching limits and styles and combinations, I don't know what does.

This album manages to incorporate some 80's pop rock themes and melodies with classic Riverside. However, it's an evolved Riverside. Mariusz music is always experimental. This album is no different. You hear bits of former works. But you also hear some different elements come out. Different ideas. I also found myself thinking of Geddy Lee a lot more on this album than others. The bass lines and sound are often reminiscent to 80's (and some later) Rush at times. Heck, even parts of Self Aware reminded me of Vital Signs.

This is a great album. Great instrumentation, wonderful vocals, amazing moods and shifting themes. Oh, and the guitars. The guitars. Maciej honors that Piotr-era, classic Riverside lead style very well.

I don't think this is one of those albums that will be down hill after first listen. There is so much going on, that I am certain it will grow. As I sit here on the second listen, I am certainly certain. I very happily impressed with this awesome effort.

Poland's favorite progressive rock band is back with their eighth studio album release (and first in five years).

1. "Friend or Foe?" (7:29) What's with the recent fascination with/return to the 1980s? It's as if these band members got together and decided that they wanted to do a remake (or tribute) to MIKE AND THE MECHANICS' "All I Need Is a Miracle" but then decided they wanted to put their own lyrics over the top of it. Such simplicity. What happened to Riverside? (12.5/15)

2. "Landmine Blast" (4:50) now extracting a motif from one of their old songs: the first vocal verse from their great epic "Second Life Syndrome" from the the album of the same name the band fuels a new song. (The master composers of classical music did it, so why not Riverside?) At least this song sounds like Riverside. The instrumental section in the fifth and sixth minutes is interesting. (8.75/10)

3. "Big Tech Brother" (7:24) starting with a hokey little public information announcement, the music then picks up as an almost-Jazz-Rock Fusion piece with fast-moving notes of bass and drums mirrored by banked synth horns (which are serving as the keyboard's mirror to the fast-moving drum, bass and guitar play). The music then becomes slowed down, exuding heavy power rock, and then much more cabaret rock-like (with a solo organ for the initial support) for the vocal sections with theatric stop-and-goes and plenty of bombastic bursts from full band and Mariusz' vocal. The soaring guitar solo in the sixth and seventh minute is buried in a very heavy, thick full-band power chord sequence, but then the instrumental passage turns back to the opening motif, only with a far more rock-like flow and palette to it. Nice composition and sound. Almost as edgy and inventive as the Riverside of the 2000s. (13.25/15)

4. "Post-Truth" (5:37) a nice song that uses standard formatting and an attitude that says "we can do this stuff in our sleep" to me. Again, rife with borrowed riffs and ideas. I do, however, love the piano outro. (8.75/10)

5. "The Place Where I Belong" (13:16) sounds like the place that David Gilmour and Roger Waters both ended up when Pink Floyd had run its course: elemental blues rock. Even the lyrics and vocal performance sound like Roger. Still, some nice performances from the individuals: solid drumming from Piotr Kozieradzki, nice Hammond work from Michał Łapaj, excellent vocals and bass (and acoustic guitar work) from Mariusz, nice power guitar and dobro from Maciej Meller. The middle section sounds so much like Roine Stolt and THE FLOWER KINGS. The tenth and eleventh minutes are by far and away my favorite parts of the whole album: absolutely stunning beauty in the finish of Mariusz' vocal performance and gorgeous acoustic guitar-led chord progression. Everything about those final four minutes are just ear candy! Thank you, thank you! A top three song. (27/30)

6. "I'm Done with You" (5:52) built entirely around twin ascending melody lines, this clever song construct is, to my mind, a sign that the creative juices are not quite dead. My only complaint is in the fact that the main idea/motif is by far the most dominant idea used throughout the song, with vary little variations or visits to other ideas. Still, it is a good, fresh idea. Bravo! Another top three song. (9/10)

7. "Self-Aware" (8:43) opens with a sound, feel, and chord/melody line quite similar to that of The Beatles' song "Help!" (if Thin Lizzy playing were playing it). In the second minute, after the first chorus, the band shifts into staccato Reggae mode but then goes full early RUSH with a little guitar chord sequence before falling back into the new Reggae motif. Riffs of homage also go out to Golden Earring, Nazareth, some 80s pop band (like the Squeeze or Godley and Creme), Pink Floyd, The Cure, and others. (By "self-aware" are they meaning that they've all become aware of the sources of formation of their musical tastes and are herein paying tribute to some of those bands?) Clever and interesting but not the type of song I'd ever thought I'd hear coming from this band. Oh, well. I must stay true to my claim that I like artists who grow and evolve--who aren't afraid to try new things and change. Is this a great song? No. Is it good and solid? Yes. Very. Probably my final top three song. (17.5/20)

Total Time 53:11 It never seemed to me that the Riverside of the Naughties relied so much on pre-existing forms and structures like they have in the past 15 years--and this album shows nothing different. Are the guys too busy or too sidetracked by other projects (like life) to put as much into their music composition as they used to? These guys are so talented--and capable of such creativity--that I hold them to very high standards and expectations. I thought that Mariusz' outlet with his solo and Lunatic Soul projects would allow Riverside to continue to grow and evolve, but I think that it has worked oppositionally: the Riverside project may be looked at as the "easy" outlet and thus given far less time, energy and attention or the creative juices of the quartet have pretty much run their course and reached a point at which borrowing from the others--from the past--is the best (easiest) source for new ideas. Or my third idea is that the band has become more lyrics/message driven, that the music now serves more to carry and deliver the message--some of which are quite nostalgic and created from a perspective of age, not youth.

B+/four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.

P.S. the atmospheric instrumental bonus tracks are not included in my review but "Age of Anger" is good and the other one, "Together Again" is better--particularly for its nice Richard Wright keys and "twin" guitar. It would have been my final top three song. The latter, if finished, polished, and included in the main album, would have boosted the album's rating, the former kept it the same.

Riverside once again put out a masterpiece and proves there are one of the best prog band working today. I was a bit worried when I heard the band talk about it on social media, saying it was very different. I was afraid we would get another "Future Bites". There sure is a couple of 80s/pop oriented song in here, like the first and last track, but the sound of Riverside is still here.

While I liked the previous two albums, this is to me the best Riverside album since Shrine of New Generation Slave. The fifth song, The Place Where I Belong, which is probably the best song on the album, sounds a lot like a song that could have been on that record. The album as a whole is very diverse in style and the band still manages to innovate while maintaining the core of their sound.

Highlights: Friend or Foe? , The Place where I belong, I'm Done with You

The recording process of this new album was done in a more relaxing mode. The band is letting it all out here, giving some fresh air to their sound. The first song "Friend or Foe?" is an excellent example with a synthpop style and the vocals of Mariusz Duda who sounds like a heavier version of A-Ha. It's a catchy song with a simple melody. The last song "Self-Aware" is also an accessible song that is more straightforward than the others songs. "Landmine Blast" has heavy guitar riffs, a huge bass sound, and beautiful keyboard lines. It's done in a different atmosphere from the first song of the album. Definitely darker with a cool guitar/bass break. "Big Tech Brother" is a fast pace track with some furious instrumental parts before the vocals bring the song to a calmer atmosphere. "Post-Truth" has again a different feel with some cool guitars and keyboard parts where the song goes on a crescendo that goes into a loud passage that breaks suddenly into a delicate piano ending. "The Place Where I Belong" is acoustic and spacey where the musicians are getting loose , there are some great guitar solos and excellent keyboard parts. As for the bonus tracks, the first track "Age of Anger" is maybe the greatest track of the album. It has a long ambient, spacey intro before the heaviness kick in showing the band delivering some more prog metal riffs. The guitars are simply amazing here. In conclusion, this is another solid effort from the band. I enjoy the variety of atmosphere, the production, and as usual the musicianship.

Another great effort from the Polish guys! The new guitarrist brings a lot of fresh new ideas to the mix, with very dynamic solos and new distortions and textures. It's especially notable when you compare with the (still) excellent Wasteland, but is the Riverside album that is the most sonically closer to Mariusz solo albums (like Lunatic Souls). It's probably their heaviest album since the ADHD days too, but you will find lots of accessible melodies of their late stuff.

As a keyboardist, I can't not mention the fantastic work from Michal. The Hammond Organ sound fantastic and very organic, really loud in the mix, Post-Truth and The Place Where I Belong being the two standout tracks. Some great synth usage such as the intro of Big Tech Brother too.

With ID.Entity, the band feels renovated and with lots of fresh new ideas. Sometimes being more playful with Friend or Foe? (soundling like A-Ha) or Self-Aware (sound like Rush), sometimes getting very proggy (The Place Where I belong), sometimes revisiting their metal roots (Big Tech Brother and Post-Truth).

5/5

I guess this is where I part ways with Riverside. I have been a very big fan of Riverside and own all their albums. I have been looking forward to the release of this album but, I must say, I am disappointed.

What got me hooked on to Riverside was primarily their melodies. Somehow this time around their melodies do not resonate with me. Also the chosen topic for the album is not very interesting. I think all that can be said about the influence of high-tech companies on the society have been said and regurgitated ad nauseum.

Having said all of this I still think their musicianship is still superb. I am yet to be convinced with their new guitar player. I saw them live in a small club and he was doing a good job but again somehow, I am not connecting with his solos on an emotional level.

Although the album contains lots of proggy sections, fundamentally I find the songs very much based on pop music. This is not necessarily bad, but not to my taste.

I had a similar parting of ways with Steve Wilson when he released his Future Bites album. So be it. Pop music is not my thing.

One of the most eagerly awaited premieres of 2023. Entitled ID.Entity... and whose title is a kind of play on words between entity and identity or the identification of a person... a way of reflecting on the alignment, control or domination that large corporations exercise over people or over the planet.

But apart from this subject matter, which is all very well but doesn't say anything new either, what matters is the music. The music both as a reflection of this theme and in an absolute way.

And in this aspect, it is worth noting that Riverside has not rested on its laurels. And as usual, they have once again given another twist to their musical style.

And how do they surprise us on this latest album? Well, the formula is very varied and for me very successful. They start with the audacity of introducing sounds inspired by 80's music, in fact, the first track of the album and first single, sounds close to A-ha: dynamic rhythms, fresh harmonies and melodies with a pop and new wave touch... But it doesn't stop here, far from it: the 80's references are just another resource that they use in a controlled and punctual way to varnish some of the tracks. Tracks that are in constant movement and change and in which we find hard and heavy moments, a fondness for their metal background, more basic rock zones and zones of static atmospheres and contained rhythms with a great profusion and dominance of keyboards.

Of course, we also find very progressive areas: wide and epic developments, with great rhythmic and dynamic contrasts and sometimes emotional and sometimes very descriptive, almost narrative voices that remind me of the way people like Andy Tillison from The Tangent approach their developments. Or other combinations that remind me so much of proposals that could perfectly be signed by King Crimson, Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree.

But all these references are simply impressions, as all the music contained in this album seems to me to be highly personal and original. In the end, the references only serve to frame or give form and what matters is that the proposal knows how to integrate those references while contributing new things... And in this ID.Entity there are good doses of that.

An album that, although it must necessarily be classified as progressive rock, it is really only nominally so, as for me it stands out above all for its open-mindedness to integrate multiple references from arena rock, through new wave, metal or atmospheric music.

And of course all excellently performed. The instrumental contributions are very good: amazing bass lines, the keyboards are very dynamic and provide a rich timbre, and the guitar solos are very intense.

A very complete album. An album that I think people with different musical sensibilities will like, and that since the beginning of this 2023 is positioned as a firm candidate to be among the most outstanding of the year.

A really strong, melodic, beautiful and a bit dystopian new album by Riverside - the Polish prog rock masters return in 2023 with the eight installment in their studio catalogue, titled 'ID.Entity', this time taking some more time between this release and the previous one, which landed in 2018. One important change in terms of the band's line-up after the unfortunate passing of their ex-guitar player Piotr Grudzinski in 2016, as he has been officially replaced by Maciej Meller, previously only a touring member. Now with a proper lineup of four again, Riverside come back to present a collection of a little more uplifting than usual, quite versatile, and very lovely compositions, whose style ranges from their usual prog rock with tints of Porcupine Tree to a more classic rock-oriented numbers, all making up for a pleasant listening experience. Apparently Mariusz Duda is taking a critical look upon the contemporary world, with the songs hinting at themes like mass control, identity crisis, disillusion, disappointment with friendships and relationships, among other topics.

A catchy and somewhat 80s synth-prog-inspired opener, 'Friend of Foe' is quite a lovely way to kick off 'ID.Entity', starting off on a more uplifting note, presenting some tasty bass playing, lovely keyboards, and the usual warm vocals delivering some thoughtful lyrics. Even if the music seems a bit different than usual, I would not consider the lyrical content too distant from what is expected from the band, meaning that what Riverside is best known for, is still present here, the identity of the band could hardly be lost, despite the fact that this is one of the revolving themes of the record. 'Landmine Blast' is also very strong, tricky bass playing here, with Duda displaying his great songwriting capabilities once again. 'Big Tech Brother' is very interesting, once again reminiscent of some 80s synth-prog, I just cannot put my finger on exactly what it is, but the keyboards are very impressive on this one, so are the guitars. 'Post-Truth' is unfortunately a bit more forgettable and 'The Place Where I Belong' is not my favorite longer track by Riverside, but 'I'm Done With You' redeems both of them with its powerful, darker and anthemic nature. Finally, there is the playful and enjoyable 'Self-Aware'. The deluxe edition of this album features two bonus instrumental tracks as well as the single edits of 'Friend or Foe' and 'Self-Aware'.

'ID.Entity' is a very solid addition to the band's discography overall, it presents a different side of Riverside, and catches them trying to display a less darker musical presentation - the end result is a very well-constructed new album for them and a great entry point for their new lead guitarist.

I confess that I am no great fan of prog metal, but, with Riverside, that doesn't tend to matter overmuch, because their music routinely stretches far beyond the confines of any particular sub-genre. And I have enjoyed various tracks from each of their albums from Out of Myself to Wasteland. (Looking at my collection, I note that tracks from Love, Fear and the Time Machine feature most prominently.) Sadly, and contrary to the widespread acclaim for ID Entity, I have found it a real struggle to add anything from the latest album to my collection. Suffice is to say, I just found it a directionless jumble, perversely lacking any sense of identity of its own. By far the band's weakest album to date in my opinion, notwithstanding the undoubted (and usual) technical excellence on offer.

Whilst I duly concede that I may have a blind spot as regards the magic that fellow reviewers are so patently recognising, I am nevertheless quite happy to sit unmoved on the canal bank and simply wave at the ID Entity barge as it passes serenely by, until it altogether disappears from sight, behind the lock gates.

For what it's worth, I ended up salvaging only Friend or Foe? for my collection. The rest of the tracks simply sunk without trace. And there they will remain, unloved, for all time, I reckon. Three stars max.

Long gone are the days of the giants of 00s. From the generic new release of Porcupine Tree to the rapid downfall of Haken, it looks like we don't have anymore those bands whose albums devastatingly land like bombs on the grounds of the prog community, collecting thousands of votes with the average rating of 4.1+. Prog is far from dead, but it is now moved forward by forces of, luckily numerous, modest lesser-known bands springing up unpredictably all over the place.

What about the Riverside, whose first albums keep their rightful place in the annals of progressive metal? To be honest, I was skeptical that the band could exist after the death of the guitarist, but Wasteland proved to be quite solid; moreover, his trademark soloing was hard to find on LFTM already. So, despite the massive loss, the band is moving on, now releasing yet another new album with the updated line-up. The latest solo efforts by band members have also been very decent, so there clearly is still a ton of potential.

The second post-Grudziński album is, just like its predecessor, solid. It does not look, however, like the band has evolved in any way since the times of Reality Dream. There are some new sources of inspiration, but they are questionable (read "poppy"). So what we get here is average Riverside slightly adulterated with mainstream influences. From a band of this caliber, you probably expect more?

One other problem with the album is its concept. It seems that some bands are better off with abstract whimsical lyrics like RS were at the beginning of their journey; Anno Domini already was a rant about modern society, but at least the delivery was not as straightforward and naive; it also was 15 years ago, though even then it didn't look too fresh. I'd normally not pay too much attention, but the band literally forces me to attend to the concept by bringing musical dynamism to its altar: take, for example, the annoying spoken word in Big Tech Brother, or the vocals of The Place Where I Belong which sound like a spoken rant much more than singing. They even use the f-word for the first time (not counting "f you" in Artificial Smile). I wish I could cut it all out. Maybe one should finally unsubscribe from [&*!#]ty Facebook communities (upon writing this I realize that it's exactly the band's suggestion in one of the songs)?..

Musically, the best things here are where Riverside sound like themselves, e.g. on the two shorter tracks, or on the 20- minute instrumental treat of the bonus disk, which sounds like an EP from the good old days of classical Riverside. Everything else, while enjoyable, does not strike me as essential. I don't think I will be coming back to this album after a while.

Still, the album is not to be ignored: the band is incapable of playing bad music. "Good, but not essential" is the precise description.

A Very Uneven Endeavor with a Few Bright Spots

Riverside has been creating a unique take on progressive metal for over 20 years now based in part on Mariusz Duda's amazing voice and heavy use of Floyd-ian atmospherics. ID.Entity still has these elements, and some very solid riffage. But the band has also decided to slide in the pop / 80's direction to mixed effect. Though I don't usually review song by song, this album almost demands it as there is so much variation in approach and quality.

1. Friend or Foe - maybe it was Stranger Things. Pulling in early 80's keys is trendy and Riverside goes full in on the opening track and promo single. The song reminds a bit of the similarly intention retro 80's synthpop of the Weeknd's 2019 hit "Blinding Lights." Luckily, I think the move works here. It's a great melodic hard rock song. Hard to call it prog, besides the fact that it's (too) long.

2. Landmine Blast - my favorite song on the album. The band takes a great riff (yes a throwback to their own previous work) and trades it through different instruments and permutations almost like a classical piece. Some of the guitar solos also intentionally point back to early work (even though it's not the same player).

3. Big Tech Brother - after a clumsy, dumb spoken word intro, we get another very strong song. It opens with a great riff in odd time that almost has an R&B feel (a horn like keyboard patch is used and I can definitely hear a Tower of Power horn section taking it on). Duda uses a staccato delivery in the verses a la Haken to great effect. It has a strong aggressive rhythm, and plenty of layering. So far so good.

4. Post-Truth - here things start to slow. The lyrics, meant to be political criticism, start to sound obvious and whiney. The songs itself it pretty straight forward. Nothing wrong here but no surprises.

5. The Place Where I Belong - and we go off the rails. This epic length song has almost nothing progressive, or even interesting. The first half is quite boring. The second half is PF/PT moody and does carry some emotion, but there is absolutely no excuse for a song of this kind to be this long. There just isn't enough happening, too repetitive.

6. I'm Done with You - another relatively straightfoward rock song with bad lyrics. The main riff and intertwining parts are pretty driving and form a good groove, but the verses are boring and the chorus is bad. The "Fire Away!" section is pretty cool. The instrumental breaks toward the end are good. But like the album as a whole, really uneven.

7. Self Aware - starts with a riff straight out of the 80's that Ghost has already used with more menace and I consider them a tongue-in-cheek parody / novelty act. Not as tightly constructed as Friend or Foe, but seems to have a similar intention or inspiration. Harmless.

Perhaps that word is the best description of the album. Harmless. The first time I listened to this album I actively disliked it, probably because the last 3 tracks are the weakest. But on repeat listens, I can appreciate it. It has it spots. But overall - harmless. Not compelling. Mostly solid. A little better than meh. Not sure I would ever put this on just for enjoyment (I listen to alot just to see what's new in the world) when there is so much better music out there (even from Riverside). I may steal track 2 for a 2023 prog playlist. That's about it.

Good but really non-essential

One of the first big releases this year, and one I have been looking forward too, is the latest Riverside album of ID.ENTITY. Riverside, to me, is one of Poland's finest prog bands out there, besides the curious cases of SBB and CzesŁaw Niemen. Mixed with the top tier contemporary sounds of Porcupine Tree with a more drive for metal, this band has been a recent favorite of mine. However, I feel like they have started to trickle down to safety rather than progression after the release of Wasteland, which, in my eyes, felt like an album they didn't give their all in. It seems like that safety has reached a second, and concerning point with their latest record.

On my first listen, I thought it was fairly mediocre, second listen I thought it was really good, but not after a third listen I find that it shifted back to mediocrity.

I do not like to dwell on the negatives, so let's start with what I actually like about this record.

For one, I think some songs on here are actually very superb and some of the best Riverside material we've got in a bit. The very 80s Neo Prog feeling Friend Or Foe, the super jazzy Big Tech Brother, and the very brilliantly executed I'm Done With You, are some of the best Riverside songs to come out of their current line-up. I feel like these tracks alone can make up a very great EP that could rival albums like Anno Domini High Definition, or my personal favorite of Love Fear And The Time Machine. I especially love I'm Done With You, with a very amazing combination of the usual prog metal affair, with a curious dosing of more Haken flavored keyboards, topped with star shining vocals that could rival some of the best vocalists in prog metal to begin with, creating for a modern day Riverside masterpiece.

Another aspect I like about this album is the general concept around modern times and politics. Each track centers around elements of corruption, big businesses, technology, racial issues, gender norms, and so on and so forth. It creates a very progressive outlook that I think is quite needed in prog metal, more than just the odd political song here or there.

However, that brings me to the issues I have with the album, and that is while I like the concept, I feel like the execution is very cringy at best. Tracks like Landmine Blast, Post-Truth, and especially The Place Where I Belong just have that awkward lyricism that I give odd looks to. The Place Where I Belong especially has this weird awkwardness with the lines of "What's my gender, What's the color of my skin" which just doesn't sit well with me. I know the band definitely means well, but when it comes to topics like racial issues and gender dysphoria, I feel like they could've been handled way better.

Aside from choice lyrics, relatively speaking this feels like a very generic Riverside album. What I liked about Riverside was their willingness to change their mold a bit, not to the point where their fans could not recognize them, but to ensure a healthy and steady evolution to newer sounds that test the waters. I think those tests reach a gold standard with Time Machine, but afterwards it seems like they missed an opportunity to mine diamonds and gold with Wastelands. I was fairly excited for ID.ENTITY as it could mean a new Riverside sound, but aside from a few songs, this feels like the Riverside I am used to, and I do not like that. It feels like they aren't trying to change, but rather be conservative within their sounds, and this is a PROGRESSIVE metal band we are talking about. For them to not make progress in their sound in some shape or form, even if it is subtle, is quite sad to me.

An album that I looked forward to managed to be one of the more lackluster. It has some good tracks, but the album's lows outway what I actually like, to where I fear that the band will stay the same. I want a new Riverside, not a Riverside that is the exact same from yesterday. I don't expect them to have King Crimson levels of change and variation, but I want something more. A change in atmosphere, maybe an emphasis on acoustics, maybe a more heavier sound, something to drive me ahead to new waters. This album doesn't do that for me, rather it sinks me down in the river.

Oddly enough, "Wasteland" was released in 2018! So it was time for Riverside to follow up on that transitional album.

And thankfully, that transition has crystallized into this brilliant "ID.Entity". The album has been produced by Mariusz Duda himself, singer, leader and bassist of the band, reaching what is perhaps the most successful production of his entire discography in terms of sound (the bass sound and melodies are just incredible!) In Europe the album has been released by Inside Out Records, who have been working with the band since its inception.

For this revival and confirmation of the new Riverside with the guitarist Maciek Meller already as a full member, the band has chosen to offer a mix between their most classic style (Landmine Blast could have been in "Second Life Syndrome", High Tech Brother reminds to "Anno Domini High Definition"...) mixed with new sonic adventures that presents a great influence of eighties pop and techno music even with influences from bands like Rush and The Police (Friend or Foe and Self-Aware), as well as more purely progressive grounds (The Place Where I Belong) and even surprisingly aggressive tunes (I'm Don With You)

The result is a very varied album, tremendously fun to listen to repeatedly in its entirety, and which brings us back a Riverside which is in top form. In fact, for me this "ID.Entity" is without a doubt their best album since "Shrine of New Generation Slaves", and a serious candidate for best prog-rock album of 2023.

Congratulations guys! That's how things are done.

Best Tracks: all the songs are very good, it is very difficult to stick with one in particular. Even the two bonus tracks on the special edition, Age of Anger and Together Again, are of a very high quality.

OK, I've never been a fan of progressive metal, but Riverside has always been interesting due to their mix of strong melodies and emotional depth that is quite appealing despite the sometimes overly heavy spots (and Mariusz Duda's great vocals are always a highlight). Riverside is lead by Mariusz Duda (vocals, bass), Michal Lapaj (keyboards), and relatively new guitarist Maciej Meller. On this album, their 8th, and with topical themes and lyrical content dealing with issues of the day, the band tries to incorporate a bit more of a commercial sound (at least on the released singles), while still maintaining their powerful Prog and Prog Metal cred, and are mostly successful in that. The opener 'Friend of Foe' has something of an '80's synth pop feel that features Duda's wonderfully smooth vocals. On 'Big Tech Brother' and 'Post-Truth' they flex more of their prog metal tendencies, which is why they are, for me at least, the least enjoyable tracks. 'The Place Where I Belong' is the longest and best track, a lovely song moving from an opening plaintive melody to a beefier prog middle section, leading to a more moody, atmospheric section, and a magnificent emotional extended instrumental outro. 'Self-Aware', the album closer, sounds eerily like some lost Rush track from the early 80's, but it works very well. Overall, a very good album, with strong vocals from Duda throughout, whether singing beautiful soaring melodies or more fierce metal ravings, but because of the lighter pop elements mixed in with the heavier metal-influenced aspects, it may not totally please either the prog metal or the more melodic prog fans. Best Tracks: The Place Where I Belong, Self-Aware, Friend Or Foe, I'm Done With You. Weak Tracks(due to metal content): Big Tech Brother, Post-Truth. Rating: 3.5 stars

ID.Entity is the eighth album from this renowned Polish progressive rock/metal band; their first in five years as well as the first release featuring guitarist Maciej Meller (replacing longtime original guitarist Piotr Grudziński after his sudden death in 2016). Their last LP, 2018's Wasteland, represented (certainly in retrospect) a transition moment for the band. With Grudziński's passing, Duda took over primary guitar duties (alongside bass and vocals), resulting in a more riff-heavy, metallic sounding record. Without question and by nature a somewhat different sounding record, Wasteland nonetheless represented a powerful and affecting statement from the band. "Lament" still hits me hard every time.

With the January 2023 release of ID.Entity, Riverside has not only returned with a strong new album, a new fulltime guitarist, and a world tour that kicked off in my home state (and of course I had to miss it), but also with a renewed sense of artistic purpose. Traveling along a musical spectrum that ranges from quiet, almost ballad-like nuance to explosive metal anger, with multiple stops in between, ID.Entity bleeds emotional verisimilitude amid a broad dispersion of heavy progressive melody.

ID.Entity exemplifies the themes of this record: identity in the digital era. How vision is warped and manipulated by social media. Truth becomes malleable, political discourse becomes weaponized, self-realization becomes anathematic, and the entirety of one's being becomes commerce fodder.

Heady themes indeed, and Riverside delivers them in a powerfully cohesive and engaging album. Their songs reflect these ideas in a thematic concept album that questions and challenges the new realities of this social transition.

Leading off the album with "Friend or Foe?" is a gutsy choice. For starters, the track doesn't sound like anything else on the album. Nor does it sound like a Riverside tune in general. At least, not at first. It's a synth driven 80s pastiche with pop sensibilities of a bygone (but influential) era. To my ancient ears it sounds like something a-ha would have released in their '80s North American heyday. Only when the guitars crunch in during the pre-chorus/chorus do we realize we are in other territory entirely.

So yeah, it's gutsy, but it's the meta aspect that fascinates me. The early/mid 80s was the beginning of the personal computer/online era. Although it took another decade for mass acceptance and then another for social media to take off, the mid 80s was the launching pad for the Digital Age. What a perfect stylistic metaphor for this album's opening track, which delves into the sublimation or obfuscation of self in a virtual world, and the endless parade of masks worn in online interaction.

Plus it's a total pop earworm of the best kind.

"Landmine Blast" evokes the booming, forceful immediacy of crap going sideways in social media. Be it from Cancel Culture overreacting or General Stupidity accelerating. For whatever reason, the wrong words were said at the wrong time, context be damned, and the resulting detonation of outrage rolls on exponentially, without nuance or understanding, or perhaps even with too much of both. The track opens with some country-esque riffing, moving into a strong metal power swell. Middle Eastern melodicism is woven throughout the tune, adding exotic beauty through the crunch and distortion.

You can almost forgive the band for including the cheeseball 'terms and conditions' opening to "Big Tech Brother". Good idea in theory, but in practice, it's a bit silly. Still, it's over in seconds and the keyboard-driven riffing takes over. While the synthetic horns are an odd aesthetic, the transition to Hammonds as the intro ends allow the song to take on a haunting, howling vibe. The song excoriates its title subjects as it puts the adage "when you don't pay for the product, you are the product" to powerful musical effect. The band plays with dynamics to drive their concepts with melodic precision, from quiet piano interludes to atmospheric guitars and organs to evoke an endless digital prison landscape.

"Post-Truth" laments antagonism, hatred, and division, in which the dissemination of truth and verifiable reality becomes refracted through emotion and agenda. Capitalizing on the manipulation of fear, anger, and outrage is big money.

Headline drew attention Then I lost my temper Again

The song ends with a soft piano reprise of the main melody, a plea of hope and reconciliation perhaps? Or is it a normalization of self-righteous outrage? This is the world we live in.

"The Place Where I Belong", at 13 minutes, is the album's "epic" track. In many ways it summarizes the entirety of the record, emphasizing political division, anger, insincerity, hiding identity, being forced into social conformity, and ignorance presented as defining knowledge. The slow, quieter opening erupts at around the three minute mark with a bluesy bass riff. The band briefly breaks out in a strong jam before the verses kick back in.

Duda's vocals vacillate between anger and self-recrimination as he tries to obtain the titular Westphalia, that place of individual balance, self-realization, and acceptance. His vocals, alongside Meller's shimmering guitar melodie, imbue the song with a strength, beauty, and dignity. It's not a powerful "TIME TO KICK ASS! I BELIEVE IN ME!" bit of posturing that erupts with wailing soloes and a thundering wall of rhythm section badassery. This is powerful musical reconciliation that underscores the lyrical recapitulation of self.

"I'm Done With You" takes its fuzz-bass opening and drives into full-on exorcism mode; good riddance to bad rubbish indeed. Through musical urgency the band bids a not-so fond farewell to the patronization of those who insist they have our best interests at heart.

You are not my judge You are not my God You are not my own CEO Why don't you simply shut your mouth And take your poison from my soul Far away

A powerful piece of self-determination, "I'm Done With You" pulls no punches. It segues into the more uptempo "Self-Aware", with a strong central riff, driving rhythm section, and even some elements of pop melodic construction. If anything, it makes a fine reflection of the "Friend or Foe?" opener. There we questioned who we (and others) really are; here the focus is on reconciliation. Unplugging but not disconnecting entirely. We still need that human connection. Musically the song has hints of Signals-era Rush; again bringing that mid 80s milieu back into high relief. We've come full circle in our reflection of the deregulation of human behavior in the digital realm.

ID.Entity was the first "major" prog release of 2023, and as such set the bar pretty high. It presents an exemplary collection of songs that probe the fragmentation of social and individual identity. The album doesn't proselytize, but it doesn't pull its punches either. Change, as it always does, begins with the individual. Riverside delivers this excoriation of the digital ethos in a manner both explosive and measured. ID.Entity is a different sounding album for the band, but not an entirely foreign one and ultimately an engagingly successful endeavor. Welcome back guys!

Riverside is one of the bigger names in the progressive music world. They're a progressive metal act based out of Poland that came to prominence in the early 2000s. Their first decade or so of existence was great, with 2009's Anno Domini High Definition being one of the best records of that decade. Moving into the 2010s, though, the band faltered a bit. Shrine of New Generation Slaves didn't quite land, in my opinion, and I disliked Love, Fear and the Time Machine so much, I didn't even give their 2018 album, Wasteland, a listen. So, when I saw they had a new record coming out (their first since I started this site), I was viewing it comparably to how I view Dream Theater: something I'm pretty much obligated to cover; something I'm not that jazzed about; but something I'm willing to be surprised by.

When I first heard "Friend or Foe?", the album's opening track and leadoff single, I had a rather negative reaction to it. Those blooping faux-80s synth lines usually summon a visceral revulsion from me. I don't like synthwave or most of the other '80s pastiches that have been in vogue for what feels like at least a decade at this point. It can be fun as an interlude to switch things up, admittedly, like BTBAM did on Colors II. "Friend or Foe?" isn't even a bad song; I've warmed up quite a bit to it. But there's a difference between tossing in some contrast two-thirds of the way through an album versus leading an album off with such a decision. I was worried this would wind up being something of a mission statement for the record, but thankfully it isn't.

"Landmine Blast" opens with a Steve-Howe-inspired riff in an irregular meter. This is the sort of sound I expect from Riverside. It's dark and atmospheric, straddling the line between rock and metal. Mariusz Duda's voice is gentle but strong, and it suits the song very well. The closing 90 seconds features a lovely instrumental crescendo, building from a quiet moment back to the main riff.

Hacky, robotic sci-fi narration opens "Big Tech Brother". It made me roll my eyes a bit, but it's thankfully short. The opening riff on this song is really well composed, but the synth tone is atrocious. It's this awful, farty synth brass that sounds like it's right out of 1988. After this speedy, technical section, the verse is dark and slow-moving, evoking some of the stronger moments off The Wall. The lyrics are a bit Steven Wilson-y for my taste (specifically his shallow technophobia seen on Fear of a Blank Planet and The Future Bites), but it's not that hard to tune out.

"Post-Truth" opens with some great, growling organ. As the song goes on, it does blur a bit into generic Riverside-ish mush. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as generic Riverside is pretty decent, but this piece doesn't do much to stand out in their oeuvre.

The longest song on ID.Entity is the 13-minute "The Place Where I Belong". Duda opens this track with gentle singing over acoustic guitar in a passage reminiscent of Porcupine Tree. Duda's voice has a warmth that Wilson's does not, though, so while similar, it is distinct. (It's really hard to not repeatedly compare this band to Porcupine Tree, and I apologize for doing it so much. There's just a lot of sonic similarity. At times, Riverside may as well be Drzewo Jeżozwierza.)

Moving past this acoustic opening, a groovy, slightly-fuzzed bassline leads to a churning, hard-rocking passage where their keyboardist gets a few chances to show off. It's melodic and engaging, and it does a great job of moving the track along. In its second half, the song slows down and focuses more on mood and melody; it's a nice way to wrap things up.

"I'm Done with You" kicks off with a crunchy instrumental passage that gives bass, organ, and guitar their turns in the spotlight. This energy contrasts against the quiet, tense verses. This lull in turn builds to a more impactful passage, but the band constantly switches up the dynamics. Loud-quiet contrasts are a staple of their sound.

The riff that kicks off "Self-Aware" reminds me strongly of '70s hard/arena rock acts, like Boston. I'm not crazy about the rather poppy melody of the verses, either, or the first six minutes of this song, but I could see a lot of people liking it. As the song enters its final three minutes, though, the mood becomes more ominous and anxious. A palm-muted guitar line and eerie stabs of synth cultivate a nervous atmosphere that adds another dimension to the piece overall. 

A spacious, haunting plucked passage opens the 12-minute "Age of Anger", though this intro lasts for too long. It's not until three minutes in that some semblance of a real musical idea shows up. A simple pulsing rhythm and lonely guitar line provide a small sense of momentum while maintaining that isolated atmosphere. A metallic riff finally emerges to give this cut some urgency and backbone. Unfortunately, this song can't keep it up, and it keeps oscillating between some pretty solid riffs and vacuous noodling. This instrumental probably could have been halved, and it would have been stronger for it.

ID.Entity closes on "Together Again". The track alternates between slow, stretched out guitar-and-synth passages and more muscular metallic riffing. Much like the preceding cut, this is an instrumental, and it also goes on for too long, though its length is a more digestible six-and-a-half minutes. It feels like a fitting conclusion to the record, but it simply doesn't say or do enough to warrant its length.

I was pleasantly surprised. This is a pretty good record. Is it worth the eye-watering 21 US dollars they're charging for it on their Bandcamp? No, absolutely not. No digital release of this length is. But it's pretty solid. This is about what I would expect from Riverside. It's consistent, dark, fairly heavy progressive rock; and it's a worthy addition to your library.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2023/01/30/album-review-riverside-id-entity/

I'm a huge fan of Riverside, but with this album, the first time I listened to it I wasn't convinced at all. But after a few times listening to the album, I understood it better. Conceptually and lyrically, a great proposal and critic about society.

Musically, it's like a mix of all their albums; you find some dark metal moments as you would see in their first records, and some fresh and soft rock as in their album "Love, Fear and the Time Machine", which is my favorite one. I think this time, you enjoy it more if you listen to the entire album, all the songs work well together as a unity.

However, if we had to choose a song or two, I would definitely go with "Friend or Foe?" (I know it's really melodic and pop but it's a nice tune), "Self-Aware" (more classic hard rock, very Rush-ish) and with the longest track "The Place Where I Belong".

Not my favorite album, but a great job by the guys from Riverside!

If there is something that we have to highlight in the entire Riverside discography, beyond how good musicians they are, it is the ability to generate very well-achieved musical proposals, well wrapped up by impeccable production work. All this, from the hand of its leader, the singer and bassist Mariusz Duda, who clearly sets the group's agenda.

And "ID. Entity" is no exception. Riverside experiments with sounds that go beyond the limits of progressive, as with "Friend or Foe?", a clear reference to the new wave and industrial wave of the 80s, or the jazzy and excessive "The Place Where I Belong", which gives us , in the midst of its extensive development, a little over two sublime minutes, where Duda's voice is perfectly accompanied by Maciej Meller's acoustic guitars and Michał Łapaj's keyboard. There's room for his distinctive progressive streak, too, with "The Big Brother," tinged with electronic elements and dark pinkfloydian sanatorium guitar, arguably the album's best. To conclude, the scratchy "I'm Done with You" and "Self- Aware", reminiscent of the synthesized structures of the 80s Rush.

All in all, and knowing that Riverside releases are always good news, the feeling remains that with "ID. Entity" the Poles have left some punch on the road, a bit of that spicy color that made them combust and be part of the proud front line of prog metal. Being that the central theme of the album inquires about the future of human existence, we find them less aggressive and more reflective, surely motivated by what we call evolution.

3.5 stars

It has been five years since the last album, 2018's 'Wasteland', which was recorded as a trio with some guests, following on from the death of guitarist Piotr Grudziński. They are now back as a full quartet with Mariusz Duda (vocals, basses, electric and acoustic guitars), Piotr Kozieradzki (drums), and Michał Łapaj (keyboards and synthesizers, Rhodes piano and Hammond organ) being officially joined by touring guitarist (and guest on the last album) Maciej Meller (electric guitars). There is no doubt that Duda has a fine voice, but the issue with this album is the lack of soul and power and the way the production has sanitised any roughness or power out of existence. My initial thoughts on hearing this was just how much they reminded me of Marillion, not in the musical style but the way the singer had now ripped the passion out of the band and all the focus was now on him.

A Polish friend gave me the debut album not long after it was released (can that really be 20 years ago now?), and while I never put them into the same brackets as bands like SBB or Collage there is no doubt the prog masses fell in love with them and to many are the ultimate Polish prog act. That this is very clever and well performed is never in doubt, but I have found the more I play it the less I actually enjoy it as I am feeling somewhat smothered whereas I should be feeling invigorated and excited at having the first new Riverside album for five years. It may well be top of the PA charts for Polish releases in 2023 but is actually the only one to get enough reviews to be included and does not have as many points as last year's album by Collage. It currently sits at #28 in the overall charts for 2023, but sad to say that is in my mind mostly due to fans being so pleased to hear a new album that they have marked it very high indeed. Don't get me wrong, this is a pleasant release which many will find satisfying, it is just that for a band 20+ years and eight albums into their career they should be producing music which is far more exciting and dangerous than this middle of the road affair.

3.5 stars. RIVERSIDE hit us with studio album number eight in 2023 after their longest break between albums and I'm sure the emotional toll of creating 2018's "Wasteland" was a part of this. Where do we go from here? This is a concept album about technology and how it affects us all in negative ways. I have said many times that I'm just not into concept albums and the lyrics here don't "cut it" overall for me. Why am I tired of this?

Right from the first spin I have been on the fence about this record. I remember how connected I felt with this band when I first got into Prog in the mid 00's. That FLOYD-like space contrasted with the heaviness and aggression, but then add a vocalist and guitarist who would become among my favourites so yes maybe I hold them to a higher standard but these guys have always delivered the goods. Until now. This is the first record of theirs I have not given 4 or more stars to.

There's so much good music here but I just find the album to be inconsistent. And for me this is a big drop-off from "Wasteland" their previous record. So a lot of my feelings have to do with comparing this to what they've done in the past and I feel it's left wanting. I do have a top three though and that begins with the opening track that got me excited the first time I heard it. I like the keys and heaviness early on then some electronics with bass and beats. Catchy as the guitar arrives and synths followed by vocals after 2 minutes. There's more passion on the chorus and some riffing later.

"Big Tech Brother" doesn't get off to the best start with those spoken words but then a fast bass line arrives as it builds. Steven Wilson comes to mind here as he did on the previous track "Landmine Blast". Awesome sound after 2 minutes with those powerful synths. I like when the heaviness returns at 5 minutes. "I'm Done With You" is my final top three and starts out great with the electronics and riffs. It settles with vocals and the only time we get some brief aggressive vocals is on this song. I like the heaviness of this one. I'm not into the closer "Self-Aware" like most seem to be but find it inconsistent like some of these other tracks. Great start to it though. I actually thought of THE TANGENT at one point later on. The longest one "The Place Where I Belong" also sits in that category but some amazing stuff on it. A fairly moving second half at times on that one.

So yeah sad to not be fully into this one even though it has it's highlights.