Riverside-Second Life Syndrome (2005)

Riverside is considered one of the leading progressive rock bands of the 21st century. With a series of albums focused on the dark sounds of metal and the avant-garde atmospheres of space rock, they have forged an impressive reputation among today's prog fans. With their debut album, "Out Of Myself", released in 2003, where the influences of Pink Floyd's darker side were more than evident, Riverside returned several years later with another monumental work, this time steering their sound towards progressive heavy metal. This remarkable Polish band, comprised of Mariusz Duda (vocals, bass, and acoustic guitars), Piotr Grudziński (guitar), Michał Łapaj (keyboards), and Piotr Kozieradzki (drums and percussion), created another concept album with "Second Life Syndrome", amply demonstrating the creative inspiration of all its members. From the opening track “Volte-face”, a heavy, atmospheric song, the band showcases the complex and catchy guitar riffs typical of death metal, as in “Dance With The Shadow”, more conventional fusions with pleasant and beautiful solos in tracks like “Conception You” and “I Turn You Down”, or progressive themes in the purest Porcupine Tree style in “Artificial Smile”.