Love Fear & Time Machine - Inspirational Book for Self-Discovery & Personal Growth | Perfect for Meditation, Journaling & Gift Giving

Riverside is anything but predictable. Other than the fact that excellence flows in abundance from their river of musical and artistic expression, their music is always engaging on an emotional level. Much like Porcupine Tree, they are not content to repeat themselves, nor are they afraid to confront difficult subjects or at least ideas that many artists don't frequent. This time around it's the "fear of change" or more precisely the fear of getting outside the "box" that defines one's current circumstances and comfort zone. There is this ongoing tug-of-war between moving on and living in the past ("Time Travelers"). Lyrically the last few albums from this band have been brilliant, cutting and insightful. This one is no exception in that regard. Just listen to the wit and wisdom in the words to "#Addicted" and "Saturate Me" - songs that directly point to contemporary culture's obsession with social media and the propensity to flood our minds with a false reality instead of accepting what's really right there in front of us good or bad. This culminates in "Discard Your Fear" of course with lyrics like "Discard your fear of the unknown/be here and now/just find yourself in peace/try to free your mind/wake up/get unstuck/let it go/send your shame to nevermore." And not surprisingly for those familiar with Duda (either from this band or his side project Lunatic Soul), he delivers this stuff with his usual emotive smoothness - a lighter yet equally moving modern day Jim Morrison.Musically this album represents a progression for the band. Really, they have never repeated themselves, although they did come close with Second Life Syndrome (2005) and Rapid Eye Movement (2007) - both excellent albums in their own right - which share similar themes and musical styles. The high prog gloss of Anno Domini High Definition (2009) - which was a fantastic indulgence musically - was even surpassed by Shrine of New Generation Slaves (2013) which saw the band moving in a more sensible rock direction. Some have compared this to the debut Out of Myself (2003). Honestly, the Memories In My Head EP (2011) has more in common with the debut than this new material. Don't expect a repeat of Shrines, but the heaviness is there, the organ and keys take a lead role and there is less of a jazz or blues rock influence here which may be the way it differs the most from some of the previous works. I think it is fair to say that as you listen to this Duda's voice comes to the forefront of the musical landscape. And while this isn't as acrobatic as Anno Domini from an instrumental standpoint, the drums, keys and guitars are essential in driving the music and keeping it interesting. Despite this, some fans may not like that these songs are not as musically heavy or abrasive as the past few releases. That is partly true, although there are some pretty aggressive moments here ("...when darkness comes"). Nevertheless, the sound quality is phenomenal and on par with works by Steven Wilson and company.There are 2 versions of this release - the digipak version here and the 2 CD hardback mediabook import version. Both contain the incredible artwork of Travis Smith - the mediabook has additional artwork not in the regular version. Also, the hardback mediabook contains the second CD called "Day Sessions" which is the 27 minute ambient keyboard/guitar companion to "Night Sessions," which was the second CD in the mediabook version of Shrines.In the end I think fans of both Lunatic Soul and Riverside will find much here to love - these guys are crafting music way beyond the masses. Still, fans of Riverside's more aggressive side may feel there is a bit less here in that regard. For me, I'm content. This is wonderful music and art. Riverside remains one of the most innovative, insightful and emotive progressive rock acts on this planet. Just can't get enough of this.