Band Profile: Riverside

khekshial · #1 (**permalink**) 03-20-2007, 12:42 PM

Riverside is a critically acclaimed progressive metal band from Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in 2001 by Mariusz Duda, Piotr Grudziński and Piotr Kozieradzki, who shared a love for progressive rock and heavy metal. Following their 2003 debut Out of Myself, the band were signed by major prog metal label InsideOut, releasing Second Life Syndrome in 2005. Riverside's music has been described as a mix between Opeth, Anathema, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Tool, and Dream Theater, containing long, ethereal keyboard-laden passages and heavy, crunchy metal riffs.

Riverside is a way of expressing reflections, dreams and fantasies through music. It is an idea for exposing emotions, for an escape from the grey or unnaturally overcoloured reality. It is a music inspired by a time, a place, a thought and a word, a figment of their own and other people's imagination. It is joy and sadness, a whisper and a scream.

Lineup:

The first live performances after the release of "Out Of Myself" took place on 6th and 7th March 2004 in a befriended Warsaw club "Progresja," and on 27th March in Wrocław club "Kolor," where, surprisingly, almost 600 people turned up to watch the "unknown" band. In May (1-15 May 2004), Riverside started "Progressive Tour," their first one. Together with two other bands, Anamor and Intricate Division, they visited 12 cities, Cracow, Wroclaw, Bydgoszcz, Konin and Łódź among others. On 11th June 2004 they gave their first open-air performance at "Ryockowisko" in Goleniów (near Szczecin), and on 12th June 2004 they played support to the British band Anathema in "Kuźnia" club in Bydgoszcz.

In the meantime, Riverside got media attention in Poland and abroad. It turned out that their songs were aired not only late in the evening and at night. "Loose Heart" got to the popular hit list on the Polish Radio Programme 3, and the track "Out Of Myself" topped the Warsaw Radio 94 and the Polish Radio Programme 1 charts. The interesting thing was that before its worldwide premiere, Brazilian Internet zin "Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal" recognised "Out Of Myself" as the album of July 2004.

On September 4th , 2004, they gave another open-air concert. This time it took place at the "Alternatywne Granie" festival in Amfiteatr Miejski in Zgorzelec. On 11th September 2004 the band performed during the "Rock Against Terrorism" festival in Warsaw and a day later, in Poznań, together with the German band Sylvan.

21st September 2004 saw the worldwide release of "Out Of Myself," issued by the American label Laser's Edge with Travis Smith's (famous for Opeth and Anathema covers) graphic design. As a way of promoting their material, Riverside played their first gig abroad on 3rd October during Progpower Festival 2004 in Baarlo, Holland. They performed before such stars as Devin Townsend and The Gathering, and were acclaimed the biggest surprise of the festival. All their CDs and T-shirts were sold out before the end of their concert.

On return from Holland, the band started the second part of the Progressive Tour (7-17 October 2004). This time they played in 10 cities, Białystok, Olsztyn, Gdynia, Poznań and Katowice among others. They also found their way 250 metres underground to play in a salt mine in Bochnia.

The great reception of "Out Of Myself" in various media polls and round-ups both in Poland and abroad crowned the year 2004. The band won the title of the debut of the year (monthly magazine Metal Hammer) and the revelation of 2004 (Belgium site Prog-Nose).

Discography

Riverside (promo, 2003)

Loose Heart (single)

Out of Myself (2004)

Voices In My Head (2005)

Conceiving You (single, 2005)

Second Life Syndrome (2005)

Voices in my head (2006 reissue)

Upcoming Album

Rapid Eye Movement (September 2007)