Rivers of Nihil – Rivers of Nihil (Review)

This is the fifth album from US death metal band Rivers of Nihil.

Ah, the eponymously titled album, so far into a band’s career always gives me pause. Does it mark a career-best record, a reinvention, or a lack of identity? The album even carries a song called Rivers of Nihil. What’s going on here then? Which way will the band go with this?

Rivers of Nihil have a new lineup, (with their bassist taking over lead vocals, and a new guitarist and backing vocalist, (Black Crown Initiate)), and with this change comes a refining of the band’s style. They have trimmed back some of the more experimental aspects of The Work, updated the progressive worldbuilding of Where Owls Know My name, and brought back some of the technical ferocity of Monarchy. Of course, Rivers of Nihil are still a progressive death metal band, so this record boasts the band’s familiar songwriting presence, only now it’s been further honed. Adding extra details across the songs come a range of guests too, who deliver saxophone, banjo, cello, and vocals.

I’m pleasantly surprised by Rivers of Nihil. After The Work I honestly expected the band’s next album to go down an increasingly progressive metal route, and abandon the death metal side. Thankfully that hasn’t happened, and instead Rivers of Nihil have found a happy balance between death metal aggression and progressive accessibility. This is not only down to the songwriting choices overall, but the vocals – both lead and backing vocals, both growls and layered cleans, sound amazing. This is the best Rivers of Nihil have ever sounded.

It’s impressive, striking stuff. The songs are well-crafted, and offer intricacy, nuance, and atmosphere, right alongside massive hooks and potent heaviness. This blend of extremity and catchiness, of ferocity and depth, is enthralling. It’s a progressive death metal album that really feels like it’s bringing both parent styles to the table. Some songs dive deeper into one side of the equation than others, and the album has a good deal of diversity on offer over its 52-minute running time, (Water & Time is very progressive metal, for example. On the other hand, Evidence is a ball of raging hostility, tempered by moments of beauty).

Each track has a lot going on, but without losing the overall shape and impact of the song. The music benefits from a firm song-focused approach, yet fills this out with a lot of content. Rivers of Nihil is an album full of creativity and ideas – some big, some small – yet you can also simply jump around to it like a maniac and sing along with the epic choruses. Yep, it’s a record that lets you have your cake and eat it.

Rivers of Nihil is a very strong and accomplished album. As to the question posed at the start of this review, the answer is closer to career-best and reinvention than anything else. It’s definitely better than The Work and Monarchy. I’m not yet sure if it’s better than When Owls Know My Name in totality; I suspect it is, but I need more time to sit with it. I can already say I prefer the vocals and production values though. Either way, Rivers of Nihil have produced a record that’s stunningly good.

Essential listening.