Riverside – Memories in My Head (The Laser’s Edge)

Progressive metal veterans Riverside celebrate their tenth anniversary with this three song EP. Don’t let the apparent brevity fool you. Though compact by Riverside’s standards, these three songs find the Polish quartet returning to the expansive, cinematic arrangements of 2003’s Out of Myself and 2005’s Second Life Syndrome. The set clocks in at 33 minutes, which unfold as Mariusz Duda’s lyrical themes examine the passage of longer spans of time. “When something ends, something else begins,” Duda sings during the breathtaking “Goodbye Sweet Innocence.” The song could be about any number of transitional forces weathered by a couple, from physical storms to the passage from this earthbound life. The guttural pulse of Duda’s bass introduces the cautionary tale of crumbling hubris in “Forgotten Land,” before settling into a flowing, melodic counterpoint to Piotr Grudziński’s stratospheric guitar solos. “Living in the Past” is a nostalgic, twelve-minute opus in which Duda sings about better days gone by. Duda’s howling vocal crescendo is underscored by the thundering, mathematical complexity of Piotr Kozieradzki‘s drumming. The song’s extended musical excursions are reminiscent of Pink Floyd and 90’s-era Rush, as well as forward-moving prog-rockers like Porcupine Tree and Marillion. Michał Łapaj’s Hammond organ echoes classic 70’s prog heroes such as Keith Emerson, tying Riverside’s sound to the past even while it pushes into uncharted territory. With musical touchstones both to its own origins and its continuing evolution, Memories in My Head provides a tasty morsel for fans awaiting the band’s next full-length, and a good starting point for the newly curious.