ANNO DOMINI HIGH DEFINITION

Let us face it - Riverside surpassed old masters - Dream Theater the moment 'Out of myself' was released. DT somehow cannot find the power and magic they were able to create on their best records; since 'Train of thoughts' there has been little truly interesting music from DT, only individual compositions such as 'Octavarium' or 'In the presence of enemies pt 2'. But coming back to Riverside, these musicians really know what they are doing. In the nick of time they realised that the formula of the trilogy had been exploited and that next album resembling their previous releases would be simply derivative...As a result, this time we are served a progressive metal album where heavy elements dominate. Those who got used to nostalgic, melancholic soundscapes might be a little disappointed but even they ought to be able to realise what a masterpiece it is..Lyrical, subtle parts are still present but this time one has to look for them as they are so rare. The best example of the oldschool Riverside is the composition titled 'Left Out' which contains some truly magical lyrical moments like the amazing opening. The other songs are definitely more metal oriented with agressive but memorable guitar riffs, heavy Hammond organ, and beautiful keyboards (e.g. Egoist Hedonist with oriental motifs resembling harp). The music on ADHD is heavier also due to the much more dense drumming than before. Even the guitar solos by Grudziński seem to be carrying much more emotions than before (amazing bends). Although he does not play 20 notes/sec., he is still able to send shivers down the listener's spine. The album lasts 44 minutes but it is perfectly enough in 'these hybrid hyperactive times' when few of us have time to devote 80 minutes to listen to a record with full attention. Most importantly, this is 44 minutes of 'pure music' without unnecesary moments like annoying jamming in the middle of a song. Undoubtedly, Riverside are great musicians, and great composers; each song develops perfectly well and you do not have a feeling that a particular composition is a blend of several random pieces. There is a natural flow in each song, which makes listening to this record a really pleasant experience. ADHD is an album released by a group that knows what it is doing, a group that knows how to achieve its goals, a group that is developing wonderfully, a group that will surely provide us with at least equally excellent recordings in the future.

A highly recommended record 5 stars