While difficult to categorize accurately, as "progressive rock" isn't descriptive enough for many, I like the description of Riverside that www.BurningShed.com came up with for one of their releases: "Poland's Gods of widescreen, cinematic Rock."
Yes. That.
I was introduced to Riverside by Marek's best friend, Michał, who, following a conversation in which I declared my deep and abiding love for Porcupine Tree, told me that Riverside was effectively Poland's answer to Porcupine Tree.
This is in no way to state that Riverside was copying Porcupine Tree, though certainly one could hear the influence, especially in their first album. And at some point, someone even sent us an MP3 of Riverside covering PT's song "Radioactive Toy" at one of their concerts, which I dearly love.
But Porcupine Tree was far from their only influence, and they had a style all their own, even in the beginning. And, like Steven Wilson and PT, every album they released was better than the last.
Based in Warsaw, which is Marek's home town, their band name refers to the Vistula River, Wisła in Polish, that flows through the city; it is not only the longest river in Poland, but the longest river in Europe that flows into the Baltic Sea.
I came to know Riverside in late 2008, shortly before the release of their third studio album, which completed the Reality Dream Trilogy; Out of Myself (2004), Second Life Syndrome (2005), and Rapid Eye Movement (2009).
Each album consisted of nine tracks, for a complete twenty-seven song cycle, that brought the story begun in the first album, of a man suffering a mental breakdown, and his long climb back to health and some semblance of sanity, full circle.
And yet, even as the trilogy tells an ongoing story, each album stands on its own, so that music lovers who bought one album, and possibly were not even aware of the others, still had a cohesive experience without the feeling that there was something missing. That is a delicate balance to master, yet master it they did, which is quite an accomplishment for a band at the beginning of their recording career.
Since I acquired the three albums together, and got to know them at the same time, I didn't have to contend with the long wait between albums, which I consider a blessing. Still, I found that I liked the albums in reverse order of their appearance, as the excellent first album was followed by a better second, and a still-better third. And the story they told was compelling, recognizable, insightful and personal, while being musically among the best introductory albums of any band I have heard.
Mariusz Duda, whom I've introduced before in my post on "Impressions," by his side project Lunatic Soul, is Riverside's lead man, lead vocalist, bass player and primary songwriter, and he does them all exceedingly well. I've already mentioned his moving and nuanced lyrics, which are among the best of the artists I love, which is saying quite a lot.
He has a wonderful, resonant, and sometimes amazing voice, and while he does the obligatory metal growl from time to time, he uses it with restraint, as more of a spice than a main course, which I appreciate. And I absolutely love his bass lines, which are inventive, restrained, and very effective.
Michał Lapaj is the keyboardist for the band, and background vocalist, and is a fine musician as well, creating intricate and layered soundscapes for their music. He started out very good, and has grown substantially as a musician since the band has been together, which has led to greater and greater musical accomplishments along the way.
During his childhood, his mother was in a band that held rehearsals beneath their flat, which is when he got interested in keyboards, though he also studied flute in music school. He is constantly upgrading his skills and knowledge, and experiments with new styles and types of music on an ongoing basis. He is currently studying in a jazz school.
Piotr Kozieradzki is the drummer of the band, and drummed for a succession of metal bands before joining Riverside. After several years and several metal bands, he was looking for something new, and since his favorite band was Marillion, he was looking for a band where he could play similar music. When Piotr Grudzinski approached him about Riverside, he knew he had found his musical home.
While Marek often wishes he played with a harder edge, I like his more laid back approach, and his style is often less-is-more, which I find quite effective. He may not have the incredible flash of a Marco Minneman, but he is a very good drummer, and in my opinion, a perfect fit for Riverside.
For more on the current band, check out this link on their official website: https://riversideband.pl/en/band
Piotr Grudzinski, the band's guitarist, also played with well-practiced restraint, heavily influenced by David Gilmour and Peter Greene, among others. He had a seriously less-is-more approach to his guitar parts, which were often emotionally raw, evocative and moving, but he could also shred with the best of them when he chose to do so.
Regarded as the heart of the band by the other members, who considered him to be their musical older brother, they were devastated when he dropped dead of a heart attack just short of his forty-first birthday, on 21 February 2016.
The band was supposed to start a concert tour in support of their sixth studio album in just a few weeks, and promptly called off the tour. They were also in the middle of recording tracks for a special one-off album of their electronic music, including a lot of their experimental tracks throughout their career together, which Grudz was very excited about. It was really hard for them emotionally to finish the tracks without him.
They have since made the choice to go on with the band as a trio, rather than replacing him, and to record and tour with guest guitarists who can play in his style, which I think is an amazing way to honor him.
Had he lived, he would have been forty-three in two days, on 15 March 2018. Beware the Ides of March. RIP Piotr. He will be much missed.
Rather than report on the band's response to his loss, I would rather let Mariusz Duda tell you in his own words:
https://www.facebook.com/Riversidepl/posts/1184824814862768:0
The band announced on 5 March 2018 on their website that they are now back in the studio, recording their seventh studio album, which will be the first regular album they have recorded as a trio. For more info, check this link: https://riversideband.pl/en/
This song, "Towards the Blue Horizon," from their sixth studio album, "Love, Fear and the Time Machine," was Mariusz Duda's homage to one of his best friends, who died in his sleep at age forty-four.
And the final verse of the song, while a loving tribute, was also uncannily prescient:
Where are you now my friend?
I miss those days
I hope they take good care
Of you there
And you can still play the guitar
And sing your songs
I just miss those days
And miss you so
Wish I could be strong
When darkness comes
"Love, Fear and the Time Machine" had been out only a few months when Piotr Grudzinski died. When his death was announced, by Mariusz Duda, who replaced his profile photo with a black square on Facebook, fans immediately began posting this song, and/or the lyrics thereof, in tribute to him, and it has become an unofficial eulogy of sorts.
Interestingly, during a concert shortly before his death, during one particularly moving guitar passage, many in the audience held up their lighters in tribute, and a photographer snapped a photo of Grudzinski, playing his guitar, with the sea of lighters beyond him. Riverside posted it both on their website, and their Facebook page, as a fitting tribute indeed.
It's bringing tears to me as I write this, and I never met the man. But his music moved me, as did the clear and obvious grief of his band mates. What connects us all is our humanity.
This song was a tribute in a more cheerful manner as well, as at around the 4:50 mark, there is a clear homage to Porcupine Tree in the form of a highly recognizable riff from "Mother and Child Divided," from their last studio album, "The Incident." I've always respected artists who honor those who have inspired them, and this was one of those moments.
Riverside is one of the few bands of whom I can recommend every album they've made, because there is not a bad song among them. They are consistently excellent, with great musicianship and production values, and if you didn't know them before, I hope that you will take the time to get to know their work now. You will be glad you did.
Their Burning Shed store can be found here: https://burningshed.com/index.php?route=product/search&filter_name=riverside&filter_sub_category=true
All words are my own. The video and song, which I sourced from YouTube, belong to Mariusz Duda and to Riverside, their producers and record company, and I own no rights. I offer it here in the hopes of introducing their music to a wider audience and gaining them new fans in the process.
Resteeming is welcome, you may link to my post from your own website or blog, and you may use excerpts and/or images as long as you credit me, Cori MacNaughton, and link back to this post.
Please ask for permission, before using my work without linking to this post, as all rights are reserved.