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While not quite as heavy or direct as they would become, Polish prog superstars Riverside made a giant leap in their career with their third record, the dark, twisting Rapid Eye Movement. Leaving the meandering, psychedelic soundscapes of their first two albums behind, the foursome ventured on, creating a hard, cracked shell of an album that took all their best elements and kicked it up the ass with a metal foot. Much heavier and more reliant on the guitar/bass arrangements, songs like "Beyond The Eyelids" and "Rainbow Box" gave the band an outlet to really let rip, pulling off some jagged, intimidating riff patterns and storming percussion that just prove how flexible the band really are.

The hooks are catchier too, with frontman Mariusz Duda supplying yet again an amazing vocal performance worthy of the masters. Songs like the brooding "02 Panic Room" and "Cybernetic Pillow" just open up a trapdoor beneath you and swallow you whole. Their atmosphere is sublimely rich, ornate, and haunting. Progressive Rock and Metal go hand in hand here, but the aggression level is enough to keep the listener headbanging. Sadly, this was the last album they made in this style, as their fourth excursion is even more direct than this. Perhaps it is not as enveloping as their debut, but Rapid Eye Movement is still a monument the immensity of Riverside's appeal, one you have to hear to understand. Give it time and you'll see why it is so revered.