Back to the River : Riverside Omnibus 2 : Voices in my head

This is the EP that makes the permanent addition of keyboard player Michal Lapaj.
 This EP is in two part.
 the second is simply 3 titles from the first CD live, namely out of myself, I believe and loose heart.
They are the side of discovery of this EP, 3 great tracks from the great first CD.
 the second ( or first actually) part are 5 new tracks.
let's focus a bit more on that.
 the first one Us is a gentle acoutic almost ballad about love. hardly similar to the previous album.
Acronym love , is a bit the same , yet slightly more electric and in the style Riverside created.

The next one Dna ts. rednim or F.rat  is a long half instrumental , hypnotic and relentless more in the veins of what the band produce..
After comes the time I was Daydreaming, and we go back to semi accoustic ballad.


Finally , we round the new tracks with Stuck Between , which is a bit less acoutic love issued tracks but still is well stuck between these one and the traditionnal riverside songs.

This EP seems a bit indeed stuck between  the discovery one with the live tracks and the B sides , off course new songs that should appeal to the fans but in the end does not really gives a good starting point to the Riverside kind of songs. Especially since the live ones really outshines the new songs.

So maybe it is a bit of discovery part B sides collection which clearly shows the many talents of Riverside yet is not their best effort.

Back to the River : a Riverside Omnibus review 1 : Out of Myself

First disc from the polish Band Riverside.
 I started going back to them sadly because of the passing of their guitarist Piotr Grudzinski.

The first album, called Out of Myself is short of masterpiece in the old sense of the term. The crafting ability that makes the artists crowned by the profession.
 Out of myself achieves that.
 The album starts by a long and powerful intro going into sparse lyrics setting the tone.
 The album is about a man having probleme either with living in society, or with a companion but can also be seen as a man with schizophrénic problems ( since this album is the First of the reality dream trilogy, named after an instrumental in many parts, two of them in this album)
With a great start then comes out of myself, where the Riverside sound really starts to take shape.
Subtil yet prowerful drumming, gilmouresque guitar sound, shy keyboards  that some times takes center stage as prog goes and the voice  whispering or shouting from groovy bassist and leader, Mariusz Duda.
The music is similar to Porcupine Tree with bits of Anathema and Opeth as it was largely said prior, and that is true. But the band managed to create their own sound, probably due to the front man being  a bass player which writes the lyrics also.
Slightly Metal yet prog with all 4 of the muscians having their say, not doing only rythmic or such. 2 instrumentals, 2 calm intimists songs that goes with the concept running through the album.

This album is a great start for the band and almost a perfect ( the last closing song "ok" being a not very necessary coda)

Arena - Unquiet sky afterthoughts and Review

20 years for the group of Pointer, Nolan and Mitchell. 20 years of neo prog métal, a genre by itself.
 Now with a new bass player here comes the new album with new Vocalist Paul Manzi.


The new album, concept like the last one is based on the short story Casting the runes (which you can read here).
The songs, much like the previous album are rather short ones without an epic like the band used to do.
They seem primarly composed by Pointer and Nolan, Mitchell, being on his Lonely Robot album, managed to still placed great crystal like soli here and there.
 The album flows strangely as right after the kick ass opener, the band gives us a oddly and yet powerful slow song, very moving before re-attacking. As usual the songs are a testimony to the writing skill of the creative force, leaning a bit to the metal with Pointer hammering on his drums.
 Of course the band does not reinvent its sound. It is still the neo prog metallish they created and perfected for the last 20 years.
Mitchell delivers still great solos and rythmns, a truly underrated guitarist in Prog world.
But the bigger asset comes from Paul Manzi who delivers, either powervul vocals and intimate, with this second album he can truly make his claim as Arena's best vocalist so far.
The album in itself does not really gives itself away but cautious and regular listenings makes it shine as a great melodic constructed album with solid songwriting and good performers.
 A good addition to the band, a good jumping point to néophytes and maybe not the best but definitly a great sum of what the band can achieve, just behind the golden duo of the Visitor and Contagion to my opinion.

Toward the blue Horizon - RIP Piotr Grudzinski

Really sad way to start back this blog and writings.
 Just learn the sudden passing of the Riverside guitarist Piotr Grudzinski.

This year has been sadly firmly entrenched in the death of several peoples from the culture and the music.
I was gutted by David Bowie's death but this one, though as untimely as David's, really strikes me.
Because I knew Piotr.
Not as close as friend or other guys, even in the band, but I knew him.
We shook hands, talked a bit but I was around a couple of times. He was more "real" to me than Bowie.

I discovered Riverside on their second album and when they came to Paris, I think it was the first tiime ever to play my city. It was before the happy few in one of the caves of the ex-locomotive. I helped them with the loading of the mini van they were in. Happy memories (except for Michal facking KORG keyboards....^^)
Shared some beer afterwards.

I went to all their Parisian concerts. Piotr was (and still is, on the records) a great guitarist , very gilmourian in his feeling.

We went to the Prognation @sea cruise and sunbathed next to each other (and the Jolly fellows who toured with them once...)

I saw him in July 2015 shake a hand while watching other bands in Be Prog in Barcelona.

Last time was in Paris in October 2015 for the last album. All bearded he was.

I wish I could have exchanged more. I'm at loss of words.
My deepest sinceres condoleances goes to his friends and family.  I will now just shed a tear, thinking of a guy almost my age, very talented and nice who went toward the blue horizon too soon; listening to your glistering sounds..

You'll stay in my memories  in my head.
And you'll be missed Piotr.

Fish out of water : Rip Chris Squire.

This day saw the passing of YES co-founder and only Bassist Chris Squire. For those you knew the musician there is no need for words to describe the talent of the big guy .
For those you don't know, just  go around the web and listen and see him play. No words can be found to measure the loss of one of the best bass player and musician around, not to the prog rock world.
Gone over the edge, condoleances to the family and extended musical world family.

The Gentle Storm- The Diary (review and live)

The new project from Arjen Lucassen (of Ayreon fame) comes In the form of a double CD.
 Th whole concept of this one is the story of two lovers, one ais a voyager going to India in the  old days  the other is his wife, waiting for him in Amsterdam and both sending letters which arrive by the biais of other sailing ship with of course a bit of décalage...
For this one, Arjen does the Music but does not sing.. the whole parts (both woman and man) is sung by Anneke Van Giersbergen. The songs are basically put on two versions, a gentle one, more acoustic and a Storm one, more full metal band. Both CD are together.
 The songs are classic Lucassen albeit not very heavily riff oriented.
 The songs does not really differ from one version to the other save for the shores of India and the heart of Amsterdam (damn jazzy) which are the songs that really stands out. Anneke does a really lovely work but when she sings about forlorn love, she is at her best. The moment is another of this highlight.

Live the songs really kick off. the metal version mostly takes the part and really soars giving depth and power.
 On the contrary the gentle version like the moment are stripped to the bone and are really gems that makes Anneke's voice shines.


The albums is a really nice concept album with great artwork and two cd that makes you choose which versions you like.
 It was some times said that Russel Allen could have sung the album. I guess a duet would have been better suited. Not that Anneke does not do good work on the male vocals but her feminine parts are so much more lively when she sings about love and lingering feeling towards the missing one....

But enough of what ifs, very nice release, maybe  not a big highlight in both performers discography but a solid one, far from the bottom.

Hand.Cannot.Erase. Afterthoughts (and live)

The new album from Steven Wilson is here.
For those who do not know... well it is hard to sum up the workload of this musician.
 He comes here with his 4th solo album. It is a (almost) concept album based on a true story of a girl found dead in London 2 years and an half after her actual death...And a young one with still family on top.
 As usual, Steven Wilson use the childhood and dark theme to weave a new CD  with a now constant line up (Govan, Minnemann, Begg et Holzman et Travis plus a female singer Ninet Tayeb on some songs.).
The music is still prog rock but as always reflecting most of Wilson's early career, like the very no-manesque Perfect life or the pop blackfieldish title  track.
 The highlight comes mid way with Routine (which is back up with a nice visual very ...depressing. Never gonna wash up the plates again...)
The rest is great songwriting with killers solos from Govan until the final song and it's coda with, as usual from Wilson, never goes out with a Bang but in a whimper.
A very good and tightly produced records that, to my taste is the best solo album produced by Steven.
Very cinematic record full of great songs and wonderful (though kinda depressing) mood.


Live , the show is also a success not only by the usual great talent of the musicians but by the visuals provided (mostly by Lasse Hoile). Most of the songs have short movies attached  to them enhancing greatly the mood conveyed.

Here's the set list from Paris :

1. First Regret
2. 3 Years Older
3. Hand Cannot Erase
4. Perfect Life
5. Routine
6. Index
7. Home Invasion
8. Regret #9 
9. Lazarus
   (Porcupine Tree song)
10. Harmony Korine

1. Second part
11. Ancestral
12. Happy Returns
13. Ascendant Here On...

1. Encore
14. The Watchmaker
15. Sleep Together
    (Porcupine Tree song)

1. Encore 2:
16. Sectarian (Lucky us, seldomly played on this tour..)
17. The Raven That Refused to Sing