RIVERSIDE (PL)

Mariusz Duda

Poland's most popular progressive rock band both across the country and beyond with their enthusiastically responded music & totally sold out venues. Born in 2001, Riverside has already released 4 big records, toured Europe and USA and shared stages with such legends as Dream Theatre or Pain of Salvation.

Riverside is a way of expressing reflections, dreams and fantasies through music. It is an idea for exposing emotions, for an escape from the grey or unnaturally overcoloured reality. It is music inspired by a time, a place, a thought and a word, a figment of their own and other people's imagination. It is joy and sadness, a whisper and a scream.

After completing their Reality Dream trilogy with the latest Rapid Eye Movement album, Riverside is seen as one of the leading bands of the progressive rock/metal scene. Their music, full of emotions and chilling atmosphere has gathered a massive group of fans all over Europe, especially after each of the amazing concerts...

Riverside is currently celebrating the release of their latest opus - Anno Domini High Definition, the most energetic and rocking record in band's history. After the triumphant tour across their homeland, Riverside collects new hosts of souls during the Old World tour.

ANNO DOMINI HIGH DEFINITION is band's third album recorded using customized Mayones guitars and basses. The bass made for Mariusz is a Prestige 4 with an elegant Macassar Ebony top, a fretboard adorned with the musician’s initials and electronics consisting of GraphTech piezo system, Bartolini pickups and an Aguilar preamp. "I needed an instrument capable of handling lighter playing as well as harder stuff. A bass that will work great played with a pick as well as fingerstyle, depending on a given song’s character - says Mariusz and announces with satisfaction – “Success! My new Prestige suits all of this perfectly. On top of that it looks beautiful and is so freaking comfortable!”

"Basia", as Mariusz affectionately calls the bass, has already had a chance to show what it can do during the recording sessions for the new album "We are already through the first days of recording the new album. I have to admit that the bass’ “studio baptism of fire” went great. The Bartolini pu’s, the Aguilar pre give the bass astonishing power and a wide array of tones, magnified even more by the piezo system. Works perfectly with my Ampeg amp. The sound is incredibly warm, defined and spacious." – says Mariusz about his experiences with the bass and adds: "This is my first collaboration with Mayo and I know now that it is just the beginning."

And indeed it was as until now Mariusz owns three tasty Mayones basses: fretted Elegance with Ebony Macassar top, Comodous with Wenge-Padouk neck and fretless Slogan Classic.

Mariusz is also know for his solo project Lunatic Soul , recorded with help and assistance of his numerous friends. Here's what he says about his own opus:

The Lunatic Soul is a studio project realized in the cooperation with my friends and colleagues from the music branch who agreed to take part in it, to my great surprise and utmost joy.

I touched upon a vital subject on this record, namely... death. What came out of this was a conceptual journey to the world beyond full of reflections on transience and all we may want to leave after we pass (if we want to leave anything). As I see it, it will be an oriental-trans-psychodelic-verbal-musical journey through the pitch darkness available only to those who have... a lunatic soul.