Rivers of Nihil – ‘Rivers of Nihil’ [Album Review]

Following what appears to have been a tumultuous 2022 which saw the departure of founding vocalist Jacob Dieffenbach and long-time second guitarist Jon Topore, progressive death metal titans-in-waiting Rivers of Nihil had some work to do to rebuild back to the strength that had produced genre-revered albums such as Where Owls Know My Name (2018) and more recently The Work (2021). The remaining members of fellow founders Adam Biggs (bass & backing vocals) and Brody Uttley (guitar, piano, keys, programming), plus Jared Klein (drums & clean vocals), moved swiftly.

Biggs stepped up to also bring lead vocals delivered with a ferocity one would more expect from a complete veteran of the scene; an aggression helped by live performances where his approach is to not only attack but completely dominate the microphone in front of him such that it must be left cowering at the end of each night on tour (1). This is all whilst laying down some of the meanest and most technical basslines in the genre too, with no compromise on speed or complexity from his pre-vocal days (2).

A guitarist-shaped hole remained, and in stepped long-term friend and collaborator with the band, Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate). Bringing not only his instrumental talents (an understatement if there ever was one), Thomas also possesses a truly unique and outstanding voice for additional cleans, matched not only in his ability to perform them but also in his aptitude for writing a chorus that is truly impossible to evict from your head.

Now, as a four-piece, a handful of exploratory singles were written, rounded off and recorded, from which the self-titled album was born. With the history lesson and character backgrounds over, we’re ready to dive into the record itself.

Rivers of Nihil, photo by Mike Truehart

To describe the album both as a whole and within more individual tracks as more linear than ‘The Work’ would come as no surprise; its predecessor occasionally pushed its boundaries so far as to lose some coherence or musical quality within tracks. Equally, to compare it further back to previous high-water mark Owls does both albums a disservice – this new incarnation of Rivers of Nihil takes the strengths from their entire back catalogue and distils them into 10 tracks from which one can gain equal enjoyment by either greedily devouring the album as a consistent yet varied whole, or by dipping in as the mood dictates.

The huge, arena-beckoning choruses of “Water & Time” and “House of Light” in particular are all-inviting without sacrificing the unique RoN sound and demand a full room singing along. “Despair Church” hits more of the ‘post’ elements more recently found in their work – think of “The Void From Which No Sound Escapes” married with unfathomable heaviness akin to “Death is Real” from Owls – making one of their finest ever tracks in my opinion. “Dustman” (and other album sections) hit the pseudo-industrial sound found on some of the singles off The Work; no faff, just straight headbanging riffs inviting you to detach your skull from your body by nodding strength alone.

There’s a risk to go into a track-by-track here that should be avoided, but other moments of note are worth calling out to entice a listen if you’re yet to be convinced. If you feel you’ve heard “The Sub-Orbital Blues” prior to the album via the single, the embellishment from Patrick Corona’s additional saxophone on the album version kicks the track a notch or two higher (with many excellent moments from him across the record, too). “The Logicial End” has a riff in its intro that hits so euphorically that you may think it cannot be improved upon, only for it to repeat in the chorus topped by Thomas’ cleans in such a way that’s indescribably perfect – a big word to use, but a feeling many other listeners will share when hearing it.

For a band to release a self-titled partway through their career, a musical statement needs to be made to back up such a bold step – and here we don’t have so much a statement as we have a war cry bellowed from the rooftops. This is the best Rivers of Nihil have ever sounded; the formula within the band taken from exceptional to perfection, and the songwriting matching up with the members’ prodigious talents. Expect to see Rivers of Nihil selling out much larger venues very soon, and on countless ‘Album of the Year’ lists come December.

Rivers of Nihil Track Listing:

1. The Sub-Orbital Blues – 4:27
2. Dustman – 4:42
3. Criminals – 4:41
4. Despair Church – 6:43
5. Water & Time – 5:35
6. House of Light – 6:01
7. Evidence – 4:31
8. American Death – 5:33
9. The Logical End – 6:19
10. Rivers of Nihil – 3:22

Run Time: 51:54
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Record Label: Metal Blade Records

(1) You can check out our recent gallery & review of one of their shows here
(2) Witnessed live, heard on record and confirmed by Uttley in an Instagram DM in a chat when Biggs first stepped up