‘Progressive’ today means much more than in the 70s."

RIVERSIDE will be headlining the special Prog Metal Sunday Night on 9 May at the Blue Box club! Bulgaria's hottest proggers PANTOMMIND are also on the bill!

RIVERSIDE are one of the most prominent and solid bands currently on the prog metal scene!

They already have four studio albums and Рµxperts have called them "a stylistic mix of Tool, Porcupine Tree and Dream Theater".

‘Anno Domini High Definition’ came out in August 2009 through the most important prog label in the World -  Inside Out Music. The album is precisely 44:44 minutes long and an intelligent stocktaking of reality.

The art design and direction was, once again, handled by famous American artist Travis Smith (Death, Katatonia, Nevermore, Opeth, Soilwork, King Diamond and Strapping Young Lad).

TimeВ catch RIVERSIDE leader Mr DudaВ (vocals & bass) on the phone!

and interview conducted by Nasso Ruskov

HEY MAN, HELLO, WHERE ARE YOU THEN?
We are now in Switzerland…

YOUR LATEST ALBUM WENT NUMBER ONE IN POLAND – IN THE MAIN CHARTS THERE. I WOULD SAY THAT’S QUITE  AN  ACHIEVEMENT FOR A PROGRESSIVE ROCK BAND, TO BE NUMBER ONE IN THE MAINSTREAM CHARTS – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT?
Well, I felt pretty excited when I found out, because for the first time a band who plays a different kind of music otherВ  than pop was in the charts. So that was some kind of achievement forВ  usВ  I think and I am very happy for this.

HAVE YOU HAD TIME TO NOW LISTEN BACK TO THE NEW ALBUM AND WAS IT WHAT YOU REALLY WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH?
We are playing the songs now during all these shows we are playing and to be honest we are very happy with the result. Because when we play this new album live – it sounds much more powerful.

I amВ  really looking forward to playing these songs in Sofia!

YOU GUYS ACTUALLY HAVE TOURED WITH DREAM THEATER WHO MANY PEOPLE HERE IN BULGARIA ABSOLUTELY ADORE. COULD YOU TELL US WHAT WERE THE BEST MOMENTS OUT OF TOURING WITH THATВ  BAND?
Well, first of all they are very nice guys. They are very normal and didn’t behave like rock stars and we felt like special guests not just like a support band. That was very amazing for us.

And I remember the show in Portugal – when we entered the stage and the crowd was very noisy, we thought that at first they took us for Dream Theater. But when they realized we were Riverside the noise got even louder.

IN GENERAL, I WOULD SAY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SO MUCH INTO PROGRESSIVEВ ROCK, THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT PROGRESSIVE ROCK FANS ARE CONSIDEREDВ  A BIT SNOBBISH. WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? AND DO YOU THINK THAT SOME PROGRESSIVEВ  MUSICIANS ARE A BIT SNOTTY?
No, I don’t think so. Now I think we are in very good times for open minded music. We are not in the 70s when progressive rock was Pink Floyd, King Crimson etc. All those bands were very characteristic.

Now, there is more contrast – everything is more open and it’s not like now people listen to progressive rock and listen to only those 4-5 bands.

Every music can be progressive! Progressive rock now means Radiohead, Muse, Porcupine Tree and even Dream Theater, but there are a lot more bands. I think ‘progressive’ today means much more than in the 70s.

RECENTLY, YOUR COUNTRY HAD QUITE A TRAGEDY WITH THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF YOUR PRESIDENT. AND THERE ARE RUMOURS NOW THAT THE RUSSIANS SORT OF MAY HAVE DONE IT AGAIN…
I think it’s some kind of a theory. No, I think it was a very tragic accident that unfortunately happened. I don’t think it has something to do with the Russian people. Because now, everyone found out about the Katyn massacre.

Before that, for years it was a kind of a mysterious case for people from other countries. And I am not sure the Russians had any interest to make the world know more about Katyn.

So no, I think it was just a tragic accident and we are very sorry for this fact. We all in our country suffered and united very much at the same time. It is a kind of a lesson for the future!

SO, WHAT YOU GONNA BE PLAYING AT YOUR GIG IN SOFIA NEXT WEEK APART FROM YOUR LATEST ALBUM? ANYTHING TO SURPRISEВ  US?
Yes, we have definitely prepared a different setlist from the last tour. I know that we’ve never played in Bulgaria before. This will be the first time and that’s why we are really looking forward to it.

Probably, a lot of people who just read on the Internet or in magazines, they know what we played, but this time we are going to do this in a different way.
And you would be able to hear tracks from the ‘Reality Dream Trilogy’ mixed with ‘Anno Domini...’. I think we chose the best peaks from  Riverside – the best pictures from our music.

AND HERE IS ONE LAST QUESTION – WHAT’S YOUR GUILTY MUSICAL PLEASURE? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU ENJOY SECRETLY LISTENING TO, BUT WOULD BE A BIT EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT…LIKE RIGHT SAID FRED FOR INSTANCE…
Aaaah, that kind of stuff, ha-ha-ha. To be honest, sometimes when  it’s very late in the hotel  and I am watching TV after the show…and I am abroad, I’m usually looking for some musical channel like MTV, Viva etc and... ha-ha.
I have to admit that I really enjoyed the last video of Lady Gaga. But I am talking only about the video , not the music… I found it very interesting.

rights Tangra Mega Rock