On March 16th, Rivers of Nihil will release their third full-length, Where Owls Know My Name, via Metal Blade Records. Whereas The Conscious Seed of Light (2013) and Monarchy (2015) were thematically centered around spring and summer, respectively, Where Owls Know My Name represents the fall. And although that season is usually associated with death, for Rivers of Nihil, the autumn serves as a rebirth.
For a first preview of Where Owls Know My Name, the album track 'The Silent Life' can be heard below:
The record can also be pre-ordered at metalblade.com/riversofnihil in the following formats:
–CD
–Swamp green vinyl + download card (limited to 400 copies – USA exclusive)
–Olive green w/ black splatter vinyl + download card (limited to 300 copies – USA exclusive)
–Doublemint inside swamp green vinyl + download card (limited to 300 copies – USA exclusive)
* exclusive bundles with a shirt, plus digital options are also available!
Where Owls Know My Name reunites Rivers of Nihil with Monarchy producer Carson Slovak (August Burns Red, The Last Ten Seconds of Life) and Dan Seagrave, the storied artist behind such celebrated album covers as Entombed‘s Left Hand Path and Suffocation‘s Effigy of the Forgotten. The result is the Reading, PA quintet’s most visceral, accomplished, and satisfying offering to-date.
Guitarist Brody Uttley comments:
“This record is Rivers of Nihil being exactly who we want to be. Many bands get stuck in a comfortable routine of releasing the same album over and over again. Constantly relying on the same familiar formula may work for some bands, but it does not work for us. Music is art, and art is ever-changing. Without change, there is no progress. Without progress, the very fire that powers art and expression will die. This record is the sound of where we come from, where we are, and where we are going.”
Adds bassist/vocalist Adam Biggs:
“This time around, the lyrics feel a little more personal than on previous albums. The story picks up several millennia after the events of ‘Monarchy‘, where one person still remains alive, chosen by the planet to be the sole intelligent witness of its ultimate fate. But ‘Where Owls Know My Name‘ is less about overarching narrative than our previous albums. The scenario is just a backdrop for the more emotional material we tried to put forth this time around. Ultimately, this is an album about loss, getting older, and reaching a point where death becomes a much more present part of your life.”
Where Owls Know My Name track-listing:
01. Cancer / Moonspeak
02. The Silent Life
03. A Home
04. Old Nothing
05. Subtle Change (Including the Forest of Transition and Dissatisfaction Dance)
06. Terrestria III: Wither
07. Hollow
08. Death Is Real
09. Where Owls Know My Name
10. Capricorn / Agoratopia
To kick-off the album’s release, Rivers of Nihil will embark on a North American tour this March/April with Dying Fetus, Thy Art Is Murder, Enterprise Earth, and Sanction. See below for all dates!
Rivers of Nihil tour dates
w/ Dying Fetus, Thy Art Is Murder, Enterprise Earth, Sanction
Mar. 15 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
Mar. 16 – Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall
Mar. 17 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora
Mar. 18 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Mar. 20 – Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot
Mar. 21 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
Mar. 22 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway
Mar. 23 – Merriam, KS @ Aftershock
Mar. 24 – Denver, CO @ Summit
Mar. 27 – Portland, OR @ Bossanova
Mar. 28 – Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
Mar. 30 – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
Mar. 31 – Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse
Apr. 1 – Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red
Apr. 3 – Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
Apr. 4 – Springfield, MO @ The Riff
Apr. 6 – Knoxville, TN @ International
Apr. 7 – Miami, FL @ The Ground
Apr. 8 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum
Apr. 9 – Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
Apr. 10 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Apr. 11 – Jacksonville, FL @ 1904
Apr. 13 – Houston, TX @ Come and Take It Live
Apr. 14 – Austin, TX @ Texas Independence Fest
Apr. 15 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
Apr. 17 – St. Louis, MO @ Ready Room
Apr. 18 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s Music Diner
Apr. 19 – Allentown, PA @ One Centre Square
Apr. 20 – Worcester, MA @ New England Metal & Hardcore Fest
Apr. 21 – Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independence
Apr. 22 – Amityville, NY @ Revolution
ONLINE
LINEUP
Jake Dieffenbach – Vocals
Brody Uttley – Guitar
Jon Topore – Guitar
Adam Biggs – Bass/Vocals
Jared Klein – Drums
BIOGRAPHY
Rivers of Nihil began their musical journey in 2009, and recorded their first EP, “Hierarchy“, with Carson Slovak. Six years and multiple tours later, the band returned to Slovak and Atrium Audio in Pennsylvania, after having recorded their previous effort “The Conscious Seed of Light” in 2012 with Erik Rutan at Mana Studios in Florida. Since the release of that album and signing with Metal Blade Records, Rivers of Nihil found themselves quickly climbing the global metal ranks on the strength of overwhelmingly positive reviews and tours with Death (DTA Tours), Obituary, Whitechapel, Dying Fetus, Black Crown Initiate, plus an appearance at the storied New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. During the album campaign, the band was joined by new drummer Alan Balamut and guitarist Jon Topore. Balamut and Topore join guitarist Brody Uttley, bassist Adam Biggs, and vocalist Jake Dieffenbach to form the up-and-coming force of modern death metal that is Rivers of Nihil.
Topping their full-length debut is no elementary task; Terrorizer Magazine declared that Rivers of Nihil “manage to do something unashamedly modern, and yet make death metal sound twisted and malevolent,” while HeavyBlogisHeavy.com simple noted that it was “Definitely one of the best debuts to come out this year.” Guitarist Brody Uttley cites recent personal hardships as a major factor in the creative process for “Monarchy“. Uttley divulges that “I lost a few close friends. The loss of these people had a profound influence on the creation of the music for this record. I was having strong feelings of rage, sadness, hope, and frustration as a result. The songs turned out heavier, darker, sadder, and more frightening than I had ever hoped that they would.” The mood of this album, and the song sequence, reflect these emotions. “Monarchy” begins with the most heavy and darkest tracks, and continues to develop more progressive leanings until the end when Uttley says “the emotional tension completely falls apart.“
Brody Uttley’s home studio and emerging editing skills were put to task to track all of the guitars and bass. This afforded them the time and comfort to track practically stress free. Adam Biggs noted that this approach gave them “all the control we could ask for, as well as the time we needed to create the very lush and layered sound for the guitars that Brody envisioned for the record.” Uttley shouldered the bulk of the song writing load for “Monarchy“. This allowed for Uttley to flex his musical muscles to a larger degree than on previous albums, and even experiment a bit further. Uttley explains: “This album was a big step for us as a band, but also for me personally. I have always wanted to create something from start to finish (more or less) that musically expresses every single emotion that I have experienced during the process of composing the music.” Brody continues: “I have always been a big fan of post rock music and I wanted to write a death metal record that combined the atmospheric elements of bands like Explosions in the Sky, This Will Destroy You, If These Trees Could Talk, and Sigur Ros (to name a few) with the heaviness of death metal.“
Once the songs were ready, the band entered Atrium Studios to record vocals, drums, and to re-amp guitars and bass. Biggs described their time in the studio as “smooth, relaxed and a lot of fun” due to having put in time at Atrium Audio previously. Additionally, both new members brought a renewed vigor. Drummer Alan Balamut recorded the entire album in a day and a half, a respectable pace for even the most studio-hardened of drummers. Guitarist Jon Topore co-wrote “Reign of Dreams” with Uttley, which is an indication of great things to come from the relatively new guitar duo. This is a very new and very hungry Rivers of Nihil on the recording of “Monarchy“.
And let’s not forget the bearded mouthpiece for Rivers of Nihil, Jake Dieffenbach. Throughout the tracking of “The Conscious Stream of Light“, Dieffenbach worked with producer Erik Rutan to refine the vocal approach in both pronunciation and consistency. Those lessons weren’t forgotten, and are a continued focus here. Dieffenbach says that “Everything musically on this album has moved beyond the barriers of what I’ve been a part of before, and gives this river its definable flow, unlike anything we have ever written before, and I am absolutely beyond stoked.“
The seasonal concept that began with spring on “The Conscious Seed of Light” continues, of course, with “Monarchy“, as it welcomes the oppressive heat of summer. The story takes place millions of years after the events in “The Conscious Seed of Light“. Adam Biggs, who also serves as the band’s primary lyricist, explains: “The Earth has been transformed into a vast desert wasteland, where after aeons of lifelessness, new beings begin to take shape and begin their journey as shepherds of the planet. But after a while, a class system forms from a sun-worshiping religious dictatorship, and these beings start to lose their way. Only the guidance of an ancient earthly force can help them save themselves as well the planet.”
DISCOGRAPHY
The Conscious Seed of Light - 2013
Monarchy - 2015
Where Owls Know My Name - 2018