Photo by Mike Truehart

Sixteen years and five albums into the Pennsylvania band’s career, RIVERS OF NIHIL is upping the ante with Rivers Of Nihil. Traditionally, a self-titled record can signal a return to basics and/or a fresh beginning, and in ten powerful songs, it’s clear that both those factors are in play. Founding bassist Adam Biggs became the band’s new lead vocalist/bassist in 2023; the same year marked the appearance of additional guitarist Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate), whose vocals also play prominently on Rivers Of Nihil. Producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland at Atrium Audio captured the new dynamics across more than fifty minutes of music.

“I feel like these songs are the perfect blend of all our albums, with all the fat cut away,” says founding 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 Where Owls Know My Name and The Work-type experimental stuff, but with a more refreshed perspective on those styles for the current era of the band.”

On June 15th, 2023, the band released a new single, “The Sub-Orbital Blues,” the first track with Biggs handling lead vocals following the 2022 departure of singer Jake Dieffenbach. It was also the first track to feature Thomas. A second single, “Hellbirds,” dropped on October 19th of that year. On April 29th, 2024, the band released the cut “Criminals” and an accompanying music video. Both “Criminals” and “The Sub-Orbital Blues” appear on Rivers Of Nihil.

The new album’s first single of 2025, “House Of Light,” is a track that “encapsulates the nature of what it is that we do perfectly while offering a different perspective on the sound with the new lineup,” explains 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 real classic example of what we do as a band in 2025.”

Rivers Of Nihil also showcases additional musicians, including Patrick Corona on alto saxophone, Stephan Lopez on banjo, McFarland on cello, and a slate of other guest vocalists. Despite the fresh approach on Rivers Of Nihil however, the album fits neatly into the band’s discography. With Where Owls Know My Name (2018), RIVERS OF NIHIL transcended all labels applied to them, and with its 2021 follow-up, The Work, they forged further into new territory with Metal Injection calling the latter album “the group’s most cohesive, ambitious, meditative, and varied effort, with greater uses of philosophical significance and transcendental respites.”

Rivers Of Nihil will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:

Bleach + Ammonia (Light Blue Smoke – US)

Adenochrome (Tiger’s Eye – US)

Water + Time (Blue / Green Smoke – US)

Stomach Acid (Blue / Yellow Smoke – US)

House Of Light (Yellow / Green Marbled – US Tour Exclusive)

180g Black (EU)

Radiant Light (Neon Yellow Marbled – EU)

Dark Teal w/ Orange + Yellow Splatter (EU – Ltd. 500)

Gold w/ Black Dust (EU Impericon Exclusive – Ltd. 200)

Find preorders at metalblade.com/riversofnihil.

Rivers Of Nihil Track Listing:

1. The Sub-Orbital Blues

2. Dustman

3. Criminals

4. Despair Church

5. Water & Time

6. House Of Light

7. Evidence

8. American Death

9. The Logical End

10. Rivers Of Nihil

Later this month, RIVERS OF NIHIL will kick off their Aggressive Progressive EU/UK headlining tour with support from Cynic, Beyond Creation and labelmates, Dååth. In May, the band will return to North American stages for another month-long headliner with support provided by Holy Fawn, Inter Arma, and Glacial Tomb. Tickets and VIP packages are available now at https://ron.soundrink.com. See all confirmed dates below.

RIVERS OF NIHIL w/ Cynic, Beyond Creation, Dååth:

2/28/2025 Essigfabrik – Köln, DE

3/01/2025 Zappa – Antwerp, BE

3/02/2025 La Machine – Paris, FR

3/04/2025 Slay – Glasgow, GB

3/05/2025 Academy – Dublin, IE

3/06/2025 The Fleece-  Bristol, GB

3/07/2025 Engine Rooms – Southampton, GB

3/08/2025 Club Academy – Manchester, GB

3/09/2025 Electric Ballroom – London, GB

3/10/2025 XOYO – Birmingham, GB

3/12/2025 Patronaat – Haarlem, NL

3/13/2025 Gruenspan – Hamburg, DE

3/14/2025 Fryshuset Klubben – Stockholm, SE

3/16/2025 Tavastia – Helsinki, FI

3/18/2025 John Dee – Oslo, NO

3/19/2025 Pumpehuset – Copenhagen, DK

3/21/2025 Proxima – Warsaw, PL

3/22/2025 Columbia Theater – Berlin, DE

3/23/2025 Z-Bau – Nürnberg, DE

3/24/2025 Flex – Wien, AT

3/25/2025 Dürer Kert – Budapest, HU

3/26/2025 Backstage – München, DE

3/27/2025 Slaughter Club – Milan, IT

3/28/2025 Kiff – Aarau, CH

3/29/2025 Substage – Karlsruhe, DE

w/ Holy Fawn, Inter Arma, Glacial Tomb:

5/22/2025 Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA

5/23/2025 The Palladium (Upstairs) – Worcester, MA

5/24/2025 Rec Room – Buffalo, NY

5/25/2025 The King Of Clubs – Columbus, OH

5/27/2025 Pike Room @ Crofoot – Pontiac, MI

5/28/2025 Reggies – Chicago, IL

5/29/2025 The Cabooze – Minneapolis, MN

5/30/2025 Bourbon Theater – Lincoln, NE

5/31/2025 Bluebird Theater – Denver, CO

6/01/2025 Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT

6/03/2025 Rickshaw Theatre – Vancouver, BC

6/04/2025 El Corazon – Seattle, WA

6/05/2025 Dante’s – Portland, OR

6/06/2025 Goldfield Trading Post – Roseville, CA

6/07/2025 Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA

6/08/2025 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA

6/10/2025 Nile – Mesa, AZ

6/11/2025 Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM

6/12/2025 Jake’s – Lubbock, TX

6/13/2025 The Rail – Ft. Worth, TX

6/14/2025 Come And Take It Live – Austin, TX

6/15/2025 Scout Bar – Houston, TX

6/17/2025 Basement East – Nashville, TN

6/18/2025 Eulogy – Asheville, NC

6/19/2025 The Canal Club – Richmond, VA

6/20/2025 The Meadows – Brooklyn, NY

6/21/2025 Fairmount Theatre – Montreal, QC

6/22/2025 Lees Palace – Toronto, ON

RIVERS OF NIHIL:

Adam Biggs – bass guitar, vocals

Andy Thomas – guitar, vocals

Brody Uttley – guitar, piano, keys, programming

Jared Klein – drums, vocals

For RIVERS OF NIHIL coverage contact liz@earsplitcompound.com.

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