Anteater

Damn you all, now I need to post this...

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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

Trollheart

OK guys just a reminder: time to start putting your thoughts together on that Riverside album. I hope to have mine up tomorrow or Wednesday.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Anteater

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

I was thinking "Oh boy oh boy oh boy, Riverside time!!!". Mariusz Duda's voice comes roaring in like a revelation...

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

Positively killer. The title track has a staggered, almost bluesy feel to it up until the explosive second half, 'The Depth Of Self-Delusion' has a killer, rolicking bassline and 'Celebrity Touch' is a catchy, interesting take on Jethro Tull's sound circa 1977 or so as interpreted through Riverside's postmodern approach to alt-progginess. So far I'm livin' large!

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

Stands up on near-equal ground to the first half. 'Feel Like Falling' is probably the poppiest number the band has done since '02 Panic Room' back on Rapid Eye Movement, but its quite tasty. And then you get that excellent sax outro to 'Deprived...' and the full on progassault, thematic closing stormer 'Escalator Shrine'...not a weak moment among 'em.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

Singer/songwriter Mariusz Duda is Riverside's most distinctive element sonically if you ask me: he has a very unique tone and sense of vocal delivery that's hard to mix up with anyone else. Hell, he's one of the reasons I keep up with this band in the first place.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

I'd been looking forward to this record for quite some time: it sounded pretty much what I expected it to sound like: technical, lots of soft/loud dynamics and some emotionally charged songwriting to propel the whole thing forward: Pink Floyd meets Peter Gabriel with the vitality of a good alternative rock band.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Better and better, with my admiration of the record's cohesiveness only getting stronger with subsequent listens.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

Straightforward/solid. Mariusz and the rest have never been much for elaborate metaphors or cleverness for the sake of it, which could be considered a point of criticism or praise in equal measure depending on your point of view. They've got a knack for damn good choruses in any case!

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

Damn straight I did: the guitar and bass-work in particular is sublime.

9. What did you think of the production?

Very balanced and atmospheric: it's not overly showy or layered, and perhaps a tad soft on the high end. Again, a point of praise or criticism depending on what you expected out of this album going in.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

Very familiar: 2007's Rapid Eye Movement in particular is one of my all-time favorite modern progressive rock records.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

This is one of those records that's probably fit for the "post-prog" or "nu-prog" tag: it blends elements of modern/alternative rock with 70's-aestheticized progressive rock...and does so in an interesting way.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

Quite a bit more!

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

'Escalator Shrine' for its great jammy feel (love the Hammond organ!) and 'Feel Like Falling' for how durned catchy it is.

14. And the one you liked least?

'We Got Used To Us'. It's not a bad song, but an obligatory ballad just doesn't stand out very much on an album with so many other great songs.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

Not really an applicable question: it's their fifth overall album, but that doesn't really factor in to how good or bad it is at all.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

You bet.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

S.O.N.G.S. is an album about people in my generation: we're educated, graduated, whatever, but many people struggle just to find a decent job or figure out what it is that gives their lives meaning: slaves to the grind as Skid Row once snarled, lol. Shining some light into that darkness of uncertainty is probably what Mariusz had in mind when the band came up with this album in the first place.

18. Did the album end well?

Very much so: 'Coda' is...a good coda, lol.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

I wanted more sax besides that little outro on 'Deprived', damn it! (Although I have both Night Session tracks too) xD

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

Some of the other more prominent members on this forum, like Lee, dismiss S.O.N.G.S. because they were expecting some kind of huge overhaul or hardening up of Riverside's overall sonic makeup...but my opinion remains that this is probably the most cohesive and passionate record I've heard from the band in their whole decade-plus career.

I wouldn't mind a change in direction at this point, but S.O.N.G.S. is a damn fine album on its own merits. Thank you Poland!

Overall Album Rating: 8.5 out of 10

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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

Trollheart

First, great review Ant, though I hated the opener (shock!); I'm sort of warming to it slowly now. Didn't realise the acronym: that's really clever, and something that got past me! D'oh!

But if you want more sax, grab (or ask me for) the extended CD which has two extra tracks, both entitled "Night sessions", the second of which is about 10 minutes of mostly sax work. I dont like it, but if sax is yer thing then you should be in prog heaven with this!

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Trollheart

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

I really didn't think I was going to like this album, to be honest. The way the first track starts off just didn't speak to me at all and I was ready for a disappointment. That changed once track two got going though.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

The title track which opens the album is sung in a sort of old blues method, almost a lament with the vocals and guitar taking turns, which I didn't like. It gets going a few minutes in, and it's okay but as an opener it's one of the worst I've heard in a long time and definitely the weakest track for me. "The depth of self-delusion" was a hundred percent improvement and really it just got better from there on.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

I've nothing bad to say about any of the other tracks. I loved "Depth" and the following ""Celebrity touch" is even better. The ballad "We got used to us" is just lovely and heartbreakingly sad, and even the big epic shines on every front.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

I've heard but little of Riverside but I must say I do like Mariusz Duda, I think he has a strong yet gentle voice and fronts the band really well.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

Yes, one thing Riverside have going for them --- one of the many things --- is that they're all excellent musicians. Wasn't mad about the horns though.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Much better once I got through the first track, as related above.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

Quite obscure in many ways, though they all seem to deal with the idea of isolation and loneliness, and a kind of bewilderment, being left behind as the world of technology dashes on. Definitely a plea for a return to simpler times, I feel. I particularly like the lines "Google boys and Wiki girls" in one of the songs, very appropriate and really conjures up the right images.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

Yes, the musicianship is excellent and through there weren't any actual instrumental songs the instrumental parts of the songs were all top-notch.

9. What did you think of the production?

I'm going to ignore this in future. Like I say, unless the production is really bad I can't distinguish the production on one album from that on another. This however was fine.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

Riverside are a band I have all the albums of but have never really listened to one all the way through, before now. I was anxious though to see what their new one was like, and it has not in any way disappointed. I must thank Jackhammer for the original rec.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Progressive Rock, pure and simple. Unless you want to invent a new sub-genre, Pol-gressive Rock?

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

Much more. I've listened to it about six or seven times now and each time I appreciate it more. For an album I thought I would be writing a bad review of it's certainly surprised me.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

"Celebrity touch", followed by "We got used to us"

14. And the one you liked least?

Title track, no question. I've warmed to it a little more now over the multiple listens, but it's still my least favourite on an album where everything else is so much better.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

Again, this question should be ignored if the album is NOT a debut, only. This isn't, so I'm passing over it.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

Yes. Now that I've heard and enjoyed this I'm putting the rest of their catalogue on my "to-listen" list. Mind you, that list gets longer every week...

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

A basic look at our technological world and how people can be swamped by and even swallowed up by it. The dangers of the likes of Facebook and ITunes taking over your life, and generally a warning not to trust things that you can't see and touch. The idea too of relationships disintegrating under the incessant pressures of the modern world.

18. Did the album end well?

The choice of the tiny ballad "Coda", which revisits "Feel like falling" is a great idea, and a wonderful and low-key end to a powerful album. It also sounds a last note of hope. So yes.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

I would perhaps have preferred the title track maybe halfway through, as for me it made a bad impression from the start. Other than that, no, nothing really.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

Yeah, I think the basic idea ran through most of the songs and although not a concept it was very cohesive, with most of the songs referring to each other in one way or another.

Ratiing: 8.5 out of 10

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Big Ears

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

My initial reaction was that the album was compelling on the first listen, but from that point on it would be harder work than Pain of Salvation. I began to think that this might be my bete noir.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

New Generation Slave has a distorted vocal with a blues feel and half of Sabbath's Paranoid riff. Mariusz Duda's delivery is as though he were performing in musical theatre. I keep promising myself that, one of these days, I will write a review which does not keep making comparisons with the past, but I swear this also has a Baker Gurvitz Army instrumental passage.

The Depth of Self-Delusion is similar with acoustic guitar and glockenspiel. The swirling string-synth gives a Led Zepplein sound.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

Track three has guitars with a Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells-sound and this is a device which Riverside use on-and-off throughout the album.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

He has a slight Polish accent, but does not sing in an American accent (which is to his credit). He sometimes calls, 'Come on', or a plaintive, 'Oh', but the band never seem to cut loose.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

Bands like Spock's Beard tend to spread their influences, almost as if they are creating like a progressive rock compilation. This band tend to stack influences on top of each other, like the smooth jazz saxophone over a Tangerine Dream/Mike Oldfield style backing on the final bonus track. Escalator Shruine is one of the best tracks, but they pile on the Pink Floyd and The Doors to the point where it becomes messy. The musicianship is excellent throughout.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Mostly better, although the final bonus did not work for me.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

Confusing as with, 'Sheltered from the rain, holed up in my cage'. I took much of the lyrics to be concerned with the constraints of a repressive country as Poland has been, but I could be wrong. Whatever the lyrics are about, they work, as with, 'We never talk when we fall apart', which adds a poignant touch.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

Yes, although they can be overdone. The first bonus is a long Tangerine Dream/ Mike Oldfield instrumental and is one of the best tracks on the album, but the second with saxophone, is a failed experiment. Both of these tracks give the impression that they were constructed from sounds taken from the 'official' material.

9. What did you think of the production?

Very clean, with a lot of imaginative sounds. This band are masters in the studio and no mistake. Escalator Shrine either has a mellotron or a mellotron sounding synthesizer, or it could be from a guitar. Whatever the source, it is very effective. However, the arrangements lack punch, which may be down to recording with computers.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

I had heard of them, but never heard them. Members of progressive rock forums go mad for them, as with Anglagard and others. But then, these same people hate ELP and DT.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

I assume progressive metal, but sub-genres always mystify me.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

After the first listen, I had to work on persisting with this album. Once the hooks were in my head, it became easier. Overall, I do not hate SONG, but it leaves me a bit cold.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

Definitely Night Session Part One, even though it feels like a slightly contrived extra. Escalator Shrine for the Floydian keyboards, despite the mess, and Deprived has its heavy moments.

14. And the one you liked least?

There wasn't one. Everything has its merits.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

I understand they have made about five albums over ten years, so they are experienced and it shows in the polish.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

Having heard them once, I would be interested, but I would not go out of my way.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

As I said, I took much of the lyrics (references to freedom) to be concerned with the constraints of a repressive country as Poland has been. I am probably wrong.

18. Did the album end well?

Coda is adequate, but Night Session Part One is much better. The final bonus Night Session Part Two is weak, because the saxophone does not fit.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

Yes, I would like to hear this with less refinement and more 'bite'.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

It is fully cohesive or, at least, consistent.

Rating: 7 out of 10

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Unknown Soldier

Should have mine up tomorrow.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Electrophonic Tonic

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

I was actually fairly interested. The music was fairly heavy, but it was quiet and backed by an active organ. It was an interesting approach and I wanted to hear more.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

I thought I had the wrong song when that Duane Eddy guitar came out on the second track. After that, Riverside settled into something that reminded me of a prog metal version of Styx, espicially on Celebrity Touch. There were some interesting musical moments throughout but I felt the songwriting was lacking in the first few tracks.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

We Got Used to Us was clearly meant to have some crossover appeal and reminded me of this band called Manana. Manana is essentially a Coldplay knockoff, and We Got Used to Us is feels like that Europop style fed through a filter of soft prog. This reminded me of Opeth's Damnation, sans the awesome mellotron.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

Voice wise, he reminds me a lot of Mikael Åkerfeldt's clean vocals from Opeth. The lyrics were all over the place in terms of quality. That reminded me a lot of Rush, where I can be totally thrown off by some incredibly awkward lyrics. The first track where he mentions a stomach ache was an example.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

This was all over the place stylistically for me, so the appeal was equally scattered for me.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

It was so scattered all over the place, my opinion was changing several times within each song.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

Rush-esque. There were a few awkward lyrics and words that killed the vibe of the songs every now and then.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

I preferred the stand alone and solo efforts to the band efforts on this album. I really enjoyed little guitar interlude at 5:15ish on Feel Like Falling. And, as much as I wanted to hate it, I genuinely enjoyed the soprano sax solo on the same track as well. Reminded me of the sax on VDGG's Man-Erg.

9. What did you think of the production?

The most oblivious thing I noticed was the quietness of the music and the volume on the vocals. It wasn't overbearing or annoying, but the vocals clearly wanted to be emphasized on this album.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

I got nutin'.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Progressive metal in general, but there is a huge list of influences and cameos by all sorts of proggy and jazzy sub genres.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

I had a valley with with album. I liked it the first time. The second time I liked it a lot less and the third time I liked it again, but not as much as the first time I heard it.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

I didn't really have a single track that stands out on it's own, but if I averaged it all out, I would say Feel Like Falling and Deprived were my two general favorites.

14. And the one you liked least?

Again, I could find some kind of fault with just about every single track. But there was no crippling song on this album for me.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

Not knowing the contents of their previous 4-5 albums, I assume they are routinely this scattered brained, or just put all their previous efforts on one album.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... maybe.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

Lyrically I picked up nothing. Musically, this felt like a showcase.

18. Did the album end well?

I think you could have arranged these songs in just about any order. This feels like a collection of songs rather than an album.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

I don't want to call this album a sell out since I don't know what the rest of their discography is like, but I think these guys have the talent to make a damn good prog album if they let loose.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

It was consistent in it's inconsistency.

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Overall, I'm very neutral on this album. It's safe and neutered in a way that really glazes over the immense talent I think these guys have. This album needed a 'This is England' (which, I listen to on roughly a daily basis ever since I heard that album), where Riverside could just cut loose and prog their proggiest prog song of prog. I think that would be an incredible track. This LP totally matches the title... it appears mystical, deep and interesting. But upon close inspection, it's merely S.O.N.G.S.

6.5/10

Unknown Soldier

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

The band were extremely accessible due to the power of the vocalist. The songs resonated well with me.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

A sign of a good band is that you hear their influences but without ever really pinning them down. I heard slight touches of a huge amount of bands but what amazingly stuck out was how Mariusz Duda actually sounded like Morten Harkett of a-ha!

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

I thought the album was solid throughout and the level of consistently kept up throughout the album.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

Liked the singer's voice and as Trollheart said his voice is powerful and gentle at the same time. The slight foreign accent that he has is always an appeal to me in a singer and often adds real variety.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

Yes the music did appeal to me and surprised me as well. I quickly read up a bit about the band and they were regarded as a a kind of Polish Dream Theater meets Tool. On listening to the band, I think that description is unfair on them as they have their own sound.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Only listened to it once due to time restraints for this review, because my review was late.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

I always like the lyrics that a non-native English speaking band put out and quite often they come out with lyrics that are well quite foreign. Overall the lyrics were quite poignant sounding.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

Overall I enjoyed them and the band do seem accomplished in what they're doing.

9. What did you think of the production?

Wasn't overly impressed with the production and the vocals had been placed very high in the mix, sometimes this works and other times it doesn't. I felt that a better balance here would've been better for the album.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

Vaguely knew the name and had no idea that they were Polish.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Progressive metal by today's standards.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

Only listened to it once so can't say.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

If I had to pick then "Celebrity Touch" just.

14. And the one you liked least?

"We Got Used to Us" may well have been one slow song too many on the opening part of the album.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

As I didn't know the band I had no idea on what the quality of the earlier releases would be like.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

A solid yes and I was impressed by what I heard.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

Does there have to be one? If there was one I didn't notice it. I'm not really bright on these things and normally need to read about that sort of thing to realise it.

18. Did the album end well?

It's always hard for modern day albums to keep a quality level all the way through and the first part of the album was stronger overall than the second part.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

A better production mix could've made the album better.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

I'd have to say it was a consistent listen throughout and the stylistic changes were blended in so well.

Have to say this is a very modern prog metal album, in that I heard a lot of very modern and contemporary infleunces on the album and the band didn't rely like so many on trying to do a modern day Genesis Peter Gabriel era sound.

8/10

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Trollheart

Great reviews everyone. Interesting difference of opinion across the board. I think we've all got our thoughts in now, so is it ET up next? Interested to see what you have for us, guy...

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018