 The band's excellent 2009 album.
Format: CD / Cat No: 504382 / Released: 06/07/2009
Track Listing: 1. Hyperactive / 2. Driven To Destruction / 3. Egoist Hedonist / 4. Left Out / 5. Hybrid Times
More information: Line-up/Musicians:
Mariusz Duda / vocals, bass, acoustic guitar
Piotr Grudzinski / guitars
Michal Lapaj / keyboards
Piotr Kozieradzki / drums
In a society which continues to develop at breathtaking speed, racing through world history in seven-league boots, mercilessly trampling down anything unable to keep pace with this ruthless goose step, Riverside have composed an album which is a perfect reflection of our times. An offering full of symbolism – starting with the fact that the title of their fourth release consists of four words and that the album is precisely 44:44 minutes long – and an intelligent stocktaking of reality.
Anno Domini High Definition is no concept album in the classic sense, although it features a central theme and a haunting message. “It’s an album about people who know they need to speed up or they’ll get left behind“, Duda summarises the tracks, adding: “About people who sometimes, despite themselves, will stop at nothing to achieve their aims. It’s an album about chaos, constant race, uncertainty, stress, and the struggle to survive.”
This permanent inner restlessness, a constant search for the latest thing, is reflected in the band’s complex music. The five songs consciously keep up a high energy level, be it through a pounding groove, a turbulent bass line, cutting keyboard passages or haunting vocals. Anno Domini High Definition is a pulsating hybrid of a range of different stylistic means. Anno Domini High Definition sees Riverside take another step in the evolution of their extremely significant sound, documenting a total focus on the here and now. “We feel that we have something new to say, and lots of moments on this album feature a fresh approach to some things. First of all, our main influence – our lifes, or to be more precise, the speed of our lives. That’s why we had to cut an extremely dynamic record, which suits the times we live in.”
Experts have called Riverside a stylistic mix of Tool, Porcupine Tree and Dream Theater, but Duda reckons that other influences are more dominant on Anno Domini High Definition: “We wanted to reflect the energy of the early 70s and combine it with modern sounds. Now I think there is more of a Rush, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple sound. But at the end of the day, this record ultimately sounds like Riverside.”
|
