Mariusz Duda has officially announced his departure from Riverside after 25 years with the Polish progressive metal band. In a personal statement, the vocalist and bassist cited a creative dead end and a toxic internal dynamic as his reasons for walking away.
“I am proud of everything this band has achieved over the years,” Duda wrote. “But most of all, I am proud of the incredible and extraordinarily loyal fans we have gathered around us. Thank you for everything.”
The core of his frustration was the inability to create: “The current situation within the band no longer allows me to pursue my main passion there, the passion to create new music. And that has always been my primary life goal and priority. On top of that, I am tired of pretending and forcing a smiling band image which, in recent years, has had nothing to do with reality.”
Duda then revealed that his latest Lunatic Soul record, The World Under Unsun, was less about that project’s mythology and more about his deteriorating situation inside Riverside. “In truth, it is not about the end of the story of Lunatic Soul. And the act of leaving a toxic relationship does not concern ‘romantic relationships.’ The main inspiration was the situation within the band, and the track ‘The New End’ was written primarily as a farewell to Riverside fans. The emotions in that song, which were difficult to control, speak for themselves.”
“I am glad that I can finally say this out loud,” he added.
While he says he remains on good terms with most of the band’s members, Duda is clear-eyed about Riverside‘s future. “I do not see any possibility of the band continuing in its current line-up. And restarting it with a different one would be extremely complicated.”
Going forward, Lunatic Soul becomes his primary focus — both in the studio and on the live front. “I am shifting my creative energy to Lunatic Soul, which will soon enter a new phase and become my main studio and live project.”
He closed with a broader reflection: “I see nothing wrong with, at a certain point in life, simply starting to put your own needs first and no longer allowing yourself to be taken advantage of. In a world where everyone pretends to be someone else, it is worth finally being yourself and surrounding yourself with people who truly care about you.”
Read his full statement here.
