Riverside

Who is behind the filter? Who's behind the mask? How much of yourself is left in you? Or maybe you're a collection Of everything I want And you've been customised for my desires? ("Friend of Foe?") Who are you in these strange times? Are you still yourself or have you started playing the role of someone else? Or maybe you're living a double life and HERE you are someone completely different than THERE? Certainly, the concept of "Identity" is multifaceted and it would be impossible to fit all of its aspects in a 53-minute-long story. On their new album "ID.Entity", Riverside are trying to answer some of these questions beginning with the one about... their own identity. "Before we started working on the new album, I asked myself a few questions," says Mariusz Duda, the leader of the band. "Some personal ones, some about the current times, but most of all, questions about the band, for instance, 'What is our strongest suit?' There were two answers: 'Melodies and... live performances!' 'What is the most comfortable setting for Riverside?' Again, the answer was pretty obvious: 'the stage'. Ironically, we haven't really spoilt our fans with live releases, so I thought perhaps it was time to record a studio album which would musically reflect the character and dynamic of our live shows. Especially that we really wanted to say goodbye to the decade of sadness and melancholy, which dominated our recent releases." Indeed, "Wasteland" released in 2018, although heavier than "Shrine of New Generation Slaves" (2013) or "Love, Fear and The Time Machine" (2015), still continued in the melancholic tradition of its predecessors. The new album "ID.Entity", the eighth studio release by progressive Poles from Warsaw, is a comeback to the sound of the first decade of their career, the comeback heralded by the single called "Story of My Dream" released in 2021 to promote the compilation marking the 20th anniversary of the band. But even with stylistic references to "Second Life Syndrome" or "Anno Domini High Definition", the new album is definitely the beginning of a new music path for Riverside. The band have obviously completely recovered from the loss of their friend (the guitarist, Piotr Grudziu0144ski, died in 2016), they have finished grieving and started a new chapter in their career. The Riverside-characteristic rock-metal mishmash we have got used to is still there, but in a revamped and more dynamic formula. On "ID.Entity", Riverside sound more confident than ever before, which is also due to the concept and the lyrics of the album. "We live in times of huge lack of trust, social divisions, uncertainty, lies, propaganda and invigilation," says Mariusz Duda. "We live in times of anger and helplessness. In times dominated by Big Techs, populists, conspiracy theories, hatred, greedy corporations causing the planet and the human nature to die at an accelerated speed. We live in times when one country can attack another out of the blue just because they think they are more deserving of something. These days it's simply hard to sing only about love, friendship and escapes into imaginary worlds. On "Anno Domini High Definition" I started opening up to social problems. On "ID.Entity" I crossed another frontier and I think I have written the best and strongest lyrics in my career. And the powerful words must be illustrated with powerful music." "ID.Entity" is the new beginning for a few more reasons. It's the first album recorded in the new line-up with guitarist Maciej Meller, who has been an official member of the band since 2020. Meller fits perfectly into the established style of the band, playing both the "Riverside way" and bringing his own characteristic style to the table. It's also the first album in the band's career with graphic design created by a Polish artist, Jarek Kubicki, who perfectly represented the concept of the album while continuing in the style from the band's previous releases. The material was recorded and mixed in two studios, The Boogie Town Studio in Otwock (with Paweu0142 Marciniak) and in Serakos studio in Warsaw (with Magda and Robert Srzedniccy). The album was mastered by Robert Szydu0142o (who has worked with the band during live recordings) and produced by Duda himself. "The previous 3 or even 4 albums were created mainly in the studio," says Mariusz. "This time I wanted us all to go back to the rehearsal room and compose the majority of the material there. I wanted to capture the energy which comes from playing together. I wanted Piotr Kozieradzki to play in the way he likes to play most, I wanted Michau0142 u0141apaj to be...the Michau0142 we know from live shows. And on top of that, I wanted the compositions to be dominated by symbiotic interlacing of instruments, which has always been an important part of our style. I think because of that we have recorded a really good Riverside album filled with the most characteristic elements of our 'identity'." In this day and age, can you still be yourself and not be interested in what's happening in the world? Can you live among people and not be interested in social transformations happening at an increasing pace? On their new album, Riverside tell us that it's impossible and stress that in order to survive the difficult times we need self-awareness, empathy, community, and support, as well as the wisdom to distance ourselves from those who bring venom to our lives, those who divide and antagonise. I'm sick and tired Of our fighting On a minefield Of the social distance warnings The future is in our hands But first Let's Unsubscribe the ones who make us hostile I want to feel you close to me Cause I still believe I will find the answer But I already know I need your for The feeling of Being complete for the first time ("Self-Aware") Many of the issues the album talks about make "ID.Entity" a strong musical and lyrical start of the third decade in Riverside's career, as well as one of their most important releases. ---------------------- ID - any official card or document with your name and photograph or other information on it that you use to prove who you are. Id - in psychoanalysis, the deepest part of the unconscious mind that represents the most basic natural human needs and emotions such as hunger, anger, and the wish for pleasure. Entity - something that exists apart from other things, having its own independent existence. Identity - a person's name and other facts about who they are. Riverside - Polish band playing progressive rock, considered "too heavy for art-rock and too delicate for progressive metal", creating the space in-between as the main characteristic of their style and identity.