Riverside - Love, Fear and the Time Machine (2015)
You know when you listen to a band and you tell yourself that you absolutely have to check out their entire discography at some point, but then you never do because for some reason or another, the band just falls through the cracks of your skull and you forget about them? Well, that's happened with me and Riverside a lot in the past, and not for a very good reason. I'm a very forgetful person so don't blame me. Or blame me, I don't care.
Anyway, 2015 was probably the best year in music that we've had in a long time, and I mean better than 2012, which was also a great year. We saw releases from multiple, multiple people and bands that just blew anything else out of the water, and Riverside's "Love, Fear and The Time Machine" is absolutely no exception. If you've not heard Riverside before and you're curious as to how they sound, well I would suggest checking their EP first then move up, because as any other bands do, this band has also evolved into a sound that fits them and they do it better than most bands out there right now. But one album I would strongly suggest listening to to get a different feel from them is "Shrine of New Generation Slaves", which to me is a complete polar opposite to this album, which is a really neat thing to notice. Anyway, back to the album. This album is by far one of the smoothest and most chillingly relaxing progressive rock albums that has come out in the last year or so, and I love Riverside for going this route as opposed to going a heavier route. Don't get me wrong, I love the heavy side of Riverside a lot, but when they can sort of step back and dish out a more relaxed feel to their music, I feel that's really when they shine. Some of the best tracks on the album are "Addicted" and "Under The Pillow" but that's mostly because i'm a fan of catchy smooth progressive rock. The album as a whole is fantastic though and if you have a chance, you should just listen to the whole thing and form your opinion around it. You'll hear a big influence of Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree throughout the album as well, and although some people consider that a bad thing, I certainly don't. Porcupine Tree is another band that has crafted the perfect line between being smooth and still being technical, so for Riverside to follow in their steps in one way or another is actually complimenting to both bands.
If you missed this release back when it was released, well here's your chance now to give it a listen because it's fantastic and deserve as much praise as it can get. I don't think there's really a bad track on the entire album. Mostly because when you listen to it, you'll fall into a deep state of consciousness that you've never felt before. The vocals are hauntingly good, the instrumentals behind the vocals are all on point. Every single member of the band has put their best foot forward and they all work like a well oiled machine. If this is a sound that is to come in the future, I can get behind this 100%. This is the type of stuff I love to hear from a band like this. Fantastic job, guys.