Rivers of Nihil
Rivers of Nihil


2.3
average

Review

by Robert Garland STAFF
June 2nd, 2025 | 99 replies


Release Date: 05/30/2025 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Rivers of Nihil get into rhythm and then stop.

Four years ago, I openly criticised Rivers Of Nihil’s The Work for being over-indulgent, unpolished and crippled by a lack of song-writing finesse. It didn’t help that The Work was hampered by a mixing that didn’t stand up to the ambitious and often bombastic ideas that unfortunately didn’t meet the expectations set in the debut. Still, there was some merit to what the guys from Rivers of Nihil were trying to do, they just needed to flesh out those ideas properly. Rivers Of Nihil may have set the world on fire with their attention-getting debut (putting aside the two underwhelming records before it), Where the Owls Know My Name but they’ve been fighting upstream to capitalise on that lightning in a bottle formula.

Rivers Of Nihil are still ambitious—but by welcoming Black Crown Initiate’s Andy Thomas to the fold (who of which lends his vocals and guitar chops), River Of Nihil’s self-titled album finally starts to make headway, finally achieving the momentum to which Where Owls Know My Name indicated. “The Sub-Orbital Blues” isn’t sub-optimal. Not completely, but its build up is completely predictable, quickly running parallel with the vocal melodies—but the chug of the riffs is completely uninspiring, lacking the initial progressive flair of the records before it. The Work may have been an album full of missteps, but at least it tried. “The Sub-Orbital Blues” could quite possibly be the laziest opener this band will ever produce. That said, it’s among the new record’s better compositions.

“Dustman” and “Criminals” continue to tread a trajectory between “this is some interesting shit and why the fuck am I so bored?” There are riffs, but they sing in a singular direction, capitulating while death metal growls race over the top. Rivers Of Nihil definitely maintain a sense of heaviness but at the cost of their more progressive tropes. Climes ebb and fade under the same mediocrity, lacking the foundational experimentation to transcend, grow or build on what came before. Rivers Of Nihil have become more traditional in their song-writing structures, heaping upon a sense of genericism while hiding behind Andy Thomas’ more positive attributions to the music at hand. Rivers Of Nihil finally have a hero they can stand behind and frankly, that icon of progressive metal saves a lot of the ideas here.

It’s not all bad news; Rivers Of Nihil does possess a few cool moments. Fleeting transitions a la “Despair Church” and the crooning build of “Water and Time” contrast and draw a listener in. The music becomes instantly more convincing when Rivers Of Nihill are willing to trade ideas back and forth, lean into the dichotomy and allow that [god-forbid] saxophone a light to shine under (“House Of Light”). In fact, the contrasting sections in “Water and Time” are the album’s clearest strongest moments. Add a guitar solo, some Black Crown Initiate-lite melodies and Rivers Of Nihil has a new path to grow, maybe even excel. It’s a shame the rest of the record doesn’t at all keep pace.

“Evidence” quickly falls into the blase routine mentioned above, but the main detriment here is “American Death”. Bland chugged rhythms dominate here to ill effect. It’s as if Rivers Of Nihil was never meant to even hint at progressive or interesting music and as such, the whole benefit could do without this track ever seeing the light of day. “American Death” signals the end of an album showing any promise. Both “The Logical End” (probably illogical if we’re being honest) and the self-titled track are meandering nothings—fleshing out the album’s overall runtime without adding anything of value. It’s unfortunate that Rivers of Nihil haven’t really added to their catalogue in a meaningful way. Sure, there are some ideas here—but if we are to look past the inclusions of Andy Thomas this new record wouldn’t be worth a second or third look. Perhaps, one day, Rivers of Nihil will actually define themselves as a constant fixture within the progressive metal scene, rather than riding on the curtails that they don’t particularly deserve. I do hope I can eventually leave this pessimistic, negative mindset behind—that Rivers Of Nihil do release an album truly worthy of the hype and quality they only hint at. Until then, I’ll still hold onto hope.



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user ratings (142)
3.4
great


Comments:Add a Comment 
Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


18452 Comments

Album Rating: 2.3 | Sound Off

We, like to party. We. We, like to party!

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


107527 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

DAMN!!! Lol I do love this album. Nice review brother!!

Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


18452 Comments

Album Rating: 2.3 | Sound Off

I'd love to see a write up showing the other side of the coin, but for me man. This ain't it.

NexCeleris
Emeritus
June 2nd 2025


2291 Comments

Album Rating: 2.6

Love Andy Thomas, but I'd take a new BCI record over this any day of the week. Where's the riffs?

Dunno if it's some kind of in-joke, but Owls wasn't this band's debut.

Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


18452 Comments

Album Rating: 2.3 | Sound Off

It's absolutely an in-joke. It's the only album here that ever launched them onto that polarised stage. Probably a bit of a wtf for readers off this site - but I want to chuckle dammit.

Willie
Moderator
June 2nd 2025


20559 Comments

Album Rating: 3.4

For some reason I listen to them and then never return, despite the fact I like everything I've heard from them. Caught a video from this album (don't remember which one), but I liked the song. Will check this too. Great review. Despite the rating, you actually convinced me to check it out. I'm good with semi-prog death chug.

someone
June 2nd 2025


7255 Comments


that said, Monarchy aint underwhelming, but it sure is simplistic. if you're not looking for a twisted metal odyssey you're in for a treat. then they accidentally succeeded making an odyssey on Owls and thought "hey we can do this again" and now we're here

Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


18452 Comments

Album Rating: 2.3 | Sound Off

@willie. To be fair I had this scored higher on a single listen, but as I kept hearing parts over and over, the fatigue became real.

Willie
Moderator
June 2nd 2025


20559 Comments

Album Rating: 3.4

Oh. Well, the same thing might happen to me... but for now I actually want to hear it. Especially since the guy from Black Crown Initiate is in the band (which I didn't know until just now), which is another band I like but never listen to.

Gnocchi
Staff Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


18452 Comments

Album Rating: 2.3 | Sound Off

I do recommend listening to this in small doses and listening to Black Crown Initiate in larger doses. Andy really saves a lot of this album.

Dedes
Contributing Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


11875 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Yeah this is kind of echoes my sentiment with the albums. Plenty of kind of nice bass flourishes or creative if slightly misguided short spurts that always lead back to a main foundation of lifeless chugs and cleans that juxtapose them in a way that neither adds or detracts anything.

Hawks
Contributing Reviewer
June 2nd 2025


107527 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

I'd love to see a write up showing the other side of the coin


Might give it a shot!

Darkwatch025
June 2nd 2025


462 Comments


This is the first Rivers of Nihil album that I was able to get into, mostly because there are more clean vocals mixed in. I think it's pretty awesome overall. Favorite songs are Water & Time, Despair Church, The Logical End, and House of Light.

chronoclast
June 2nd 2025


77 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

Still waiting for the Owls follow-up.



The Work was a mess, as stated. One great song “The Void from Which…”.



This one…nothing compelling other than “House of Light”.

Christbait
June 2nd 2025


1162 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

I had fun with this one but it's not particularly special. Pretty basic template across the board but I did appreciate the bass cutting through a lot and even the generic chugchugchug at least has bounce at times. I do think Owls was this band's ceiling. I don't foresee them getting to that level again.

s0nicx
June 2nd 2025


804 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

(Did I do the soundoff right?)

DDDeftoneDDD
June 2nd 2025


23262 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

American Death makes me think of Slipknot

FearThyEvil
June 2nd 2025


19256 Comments

Album Rating: 2.5

This band feels like I'm listening to a sprinkle of tech death mixed in with disney sing along tunes. Can't stand the overproduced and abundant use of the cleans

Ectier
June 2nd 2025


4163 Comments

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

Ive a feeling ill be on the low side with Fear and Gnocchi. Going to listen to this today as i travel

bloc
June 2nd 2025


70862 Comments


Only heard once so far, but I thought this album was sweet



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