Rivers of Nihil
Artist: Rivers of Nihil
Genre: Progressive Metal
Record Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 30 May 2025
Rivers of Nihil release new self-titled album “Rivers of Nihil” on the 30th of May under “Metal Blade Records”
Rivers of Nihil are well known in the progressive death metal scene for their previous offerings and stunning live performances.
Sixteen years and five albums into the band’s career, with changes and rearranges in their lineup, they’re releasing a new self-titled album which boasts ten uniquely executed songs. Each song is completely different from the rest, and all will leave you in awe and wondering what’s next. There are elements of surprise, experimental energy and extreme hardcore throughout.
“I feel like these songs are the perfect blend of all our albums, with all the fat cut away,” says founding member/guitarist Brody Uttley. “There are more technical songs that call back to The Conscious Seed of Light and Monarchy sound, but with a more mature understanding of how to pace a song. There’s a fair bit of the Owls and The Work-type experimental stuff, but with a more refreshed perspective on those styles for the current era of the band.”
We got to listen to the album before its release. Here are our thoughts;
The album starts off with the previously released song “American Death” and has ominous narrations and intense drumming delivered in double time. It’s infused with sounds of alarm bells and crashing guitars. While the rhythm is executed to perfection, the biggest “bleughs” begin. The song is heavy in nature and heavier in delivery. Gravelly guttural vocals are combined with operatic velvet bellowing; the sounds combined command our listening. The cleverly placed catchy but heavy choruses are authentic to the band’s newly established sound. The bridge is the heaviest part yet and combines all instruments and vocals. An impressively high-pitched guitar solo sounds out elusively leading us into the final chorus, which sounds even more belted than before. “I can’t believe anything you say, since the last revolution that you tried to fake” are some of the clever lyrics delivered. The drumming’s timing throughout is impressive with maximized use of the kick snare delivered throughout.
Track two, “Criminals,” starts off sinister-sounding and has lots of different instruments playing opposingly towards each other with synthesised and spooky sounds added. It’s not long before the screaming and double-timed drums start. Guitars highlight lyrics perfectly, which are delivered heavily and strategically with vocals that flaunt an impressive range throughout. More integral and powerful choruses are heard. “You’re a criminal, just look at what you’ve done, now they’re coming to find you, now you’ll never see the sun” are some of the lyrics ignited alongside whispered vocals with haunting background noises, which are unique and intriguing. Guitars are strung intently and sharply. Banjo sounds are faded, and the plucked chords lead us spiralling into silence towards the end; a nice outro delivered to lead us into the next song.
“Despair Church” starts off instantly heavy with emphasised chords strummed low and vibrato, they’re deep and reach the listener’s soul. They become more rhythmic and start to shape the sound of the song after the intro. Lyrics delivered opposingly to chords and off beat keep us on our feet, not knowing what’s coming next and when. Downwards sliding scales turn to whisper singing, which leads into full throttle guitars and drums with beautifully melodic choruses. All vocal styles are delivered equally well. Flute and chanting sounds surprise us midway through the track. High-pitched singing now gives the track an eerie feel. Layered vocals and instrumentals become even more opposing, but are executed greatly, and the sounds scratch our brains in all the right places. The drums are intensely played throughout. There are classical instrumental surprises towards the end that we can’t wait for the world to hear. They nail the fluctuations between heavy, soulful, brutal and classical with this song. An emotionally evoking masterpiece.
This new album also showcases additional musicians, including Patrick Corona on alto saxophone, Stephan Lopez on banjo, McFarland on cello, and a slate of other guest vocalists.
“Dustman” begins with instrumentals that are seemingly muffled, gradually becoming clearer. Low vocal growls are fast-paced and rhythmic. Warped vocals and layers of instruments keep us engaged throughout. Powerful choruses and lyrical emphasis are given in all the right places. There’s a lot going on all at once, and it really works for this powerful mash-up up which is progressively becoming more chaotic and heavier throughout. The growling vocals become more high-pitched in frequency towards the end, with soulful singing igniting the bridge in the song. Furtively sounding guitars carry the finishing sounds.
This leads us nicely into the opening of “Evidence”, which starts off sounding static with a high-pitched pitched elongated guitar noise. The vocals come in quickly, precisely and aggressively. The lyrics pose questions to the listeners. They’re answered musically by fast-paced rhythms and chanting. The instruments are divinely executed on this track. More soulful choruses are belted alongside quickly strummed guitar notes and rhythmically harsh drumming, which holds the whole piece together and is the only thing grounding our senses throughout. The guitar solos in this song go in all directions through sliding scales; plucked with determination. The chanting reaches our souls throughout this track. The song has high energy, which fades out with voices and instruments becoming softer and quieter. Bracing us for….
“House of Light” which begins with chainsaw-like noises that are muffled and turn into beautiful saxophone and keyboard melodies. It’s almost jazzy and mystically floating sounding, like wind chimes in the breeze; but more metal and becomes extremely heavy around forty-five seconds into the song. The pauses and whispers throughout create suspense and uncertainty. The choruses are meaningfully delivered while surrounded by verses of in-depth screaming. It’s a hugely moving song with guitar solos that are well thought out and match the mood perfectly. The bridge is sung so creatively and evokes an emotional response. Saxophone highlights the lyrics and gives additional sounds, which are produced to perfection.
The song “encapsulates the nature of what it is that we do perfectly while offering a different perspective on the sound with the new lineup,” says Uttley, who also plays piano and does the programming in the band. “Everything that our fans have come to love about our sound is demonstrated in this song with the new addition of Andy singing and Biggs on main vocals. It has the riffs, it has the big chorus, it has the prog, it has the solos, it has the sax. Just a classic example of what we do as a band in 2025.”
“Rivers of Nihil” is the self-titled song from the band and album. It seems to give a new sense of what they’re creating and have already achieved. The song starts off mellow with haunting and thought-provoking singing. It seems they’re not afraid to experiment on this album, and it’s paid off. “Even fallen creatures, touch the divine” are some of the lyrics delivered. It doesn’t get heavy until the end, which keeps us braced for more hardcore sounds throughout. This song has a way of drawing you in and making you wonder. The clock chimes like a countdown with blurred (what sounds like) organ playing…
“The name ‘Rivers of Nihil’ implies this dark nihilistic hopeless thing,” Uttley says. “But lyrically, the song is actually about letting time slip by you and not giving into the darkness.”
“The Logical End” is another example of how versatile the band really are. Synthesized chords go in all directions while soft drumming with hi-hat hitting is in all the right places. Screaming ensues after the lead-in of delicateness, which is muffled and warped at times, when menacing-sounding whisper screams are met with intense growling. “I watch my hero fade away, I struggle for the words to say” are lyrics which are delivered with intent and accompanied by screaming while instruments with deliberately intense sounding chords are played. The saxophone solo in this song is alluring and turns to warped guitar sounds efficiently until both instruments are combined. The fry screams are executed perfectly and lead to more guttural growling.
It’s clear that the musical and lyrical progression the band has made through this album is a very personalised offering from them.
“The Sub-Orbital Blues” starts with softly produced vocals which turn to more belting high high-pitched sounds. The fluctuations from singing to screaming are flawless. Their impressively huge vocal range is highlighted throughout this song. High-pitched frequencies are heard at lyrical intervals. The choruses sound digitized to match the lyrics and are delivered staccato and off-beat purposefully, which makes us listen intently. The song’s uniqueness is highlighted with the saxophone prominent towards the ends of lyrical sentences. It has so many layers and sounds to it, like numerous songs combined into one. It’s very clever and has an outro that leaves us questioning what we’ve just heard.
“Water & Time,” which Uttley says is Rivers’ “stab at writing a big chorus style synth-laden song”, starts off intriguing and rhythmically pleasing with instruments hanging over us while sounding daunting and almost non-existent. We listen intently to hear all the layers and meanings behind the subtle noises. Softened vocals emphasise the lyrics delivered through verses which turn into belted choruses accompanied by the saxophone and tinkling instrumentals. The song becomes heaviest halfway through with guttural screams and elongated, heavier notes played. There’s emphasis on all screams, whether delivered staccato or slowly. Guitar scales sliding upwards and plucked heavily alongside swirling sounding instruments leave us feeling gratified with sounds that will be long-lasting in our minds. Sounds of the tide and seashore lead us audibly out to sea and to the end of the track.
This album shows the distinct progression of River of Nihils’ unique sound. It seems that all they’ve learned musically over the years is delivered in this album. We can’t wait to hear how these songs sound live.