Thursday, November 29, 2018

The struggle for survival (Riverside) (LP 280)

Riverside Wasteland (CD - InsideOutMuisc, 2018) ****

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: FOPP (Covent Garden)  


Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Struggle For Survival - a 9 minute epic that showcases the band's strengths well.





Gear costume: The Night Before - meditative closer is the perfect final track.  

Active compensatory factors: I love Riverside. Much more than I love mainman Mariusz Duda's spin-off band Lunatic Soul. I have all of the CDs those bands have done (being a completist is tough at times) so I think I'm in a position to judge.


Riverside is the big deal. For some reason Riverside's combination of musicians works for Duda, and the, even darker, solo stuff, although interesting, doesn't quite.

The album is a return to bone crunching prog metal for the most part, with some ethereal tracks for variety.

In total, I've only heard the album three times but The Struggle For Survival immediately stood out. Up there with the best of Riverside.

Where do they all belong? Return to prog metal form after the death of a band member and the noodling electronica of the previous album, Eye Of The Soundscape (worth checking out if you like that sort of thing).

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