Photo by Mike Truehart
RIVERS OF NIHIL has unleashed their latest single, “American Death,” with an accompanying video, as anticipation builds for their forthcoming self-titled fifth album. Set to release on May 30th via Metal Blade Records, this track embodies the band’s renowned ferocity and power, promising to deliver an electrifying live experience.
Founding guitarist Brody Uttley states, “‘American Death’ is a title that we’ve been throwing around and printing on our t-shirts since 2013. We figured it was finally time to write a song with that title, and given the subject matter of the lyrics, it would only make sense for this song to be a true ass beater. It’s definitely the most true form ‘heavy’ song of these singles, so we are very much looking forward to playing it live.”
Check out the “American Death” video today, along with RIVERS OF NIHIL’s previously released video for “House Of Light.”
Sixteen years into their career, the Pennsylvania-based band is setting their sights higher with Rivers Of Nihil. A self-titled album often heralds a return to basics or a new chapter, and this release, featuring ten compelling tracks, promises to encapsulate both these aspects. In 2023, Adam Biggs took on lead vocals while remaining the band’s bassist, and Andy Thomas (ex-Black Crown Initiate) joined, contributing prominently to vocals and guitar. Producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland of Atrium Audio skillfully captured these dynamic changes across over fifty minutes of intense music.
Following their single “The Sub-Orbital Blues” released on June 15th, 2023, featuring Biggs on lead vocals that’s first since Jake Dieffenbach’s departure in 2022, and Thomas’s debut in the band, Rivers Of Nihil continued to innovate with successive releases. “Hellbirds” dropped on October 19th, 2023, while “Criminals” came out with a music video on April 29th, 2024. Both tracks are featured on Rivers Of Nihil.
The album elaborate creation includes contributions from several guest musicians — Patrick Corona on alto saxophone, Stephan Lopez on banjo, McFarland on cello, among others. Despite new elements, it remains firmly rooted in the band’s distinctive style. Their breakthrough 2018 album, Where Owls Know My Name, shattered preconceived definitions, and the 2021 follow-up, The Work, pushed boundaries further. Metal Injection described this album as “the group’s most cohesive, ambitious, meditative, and varied effort, with greater uses of philosophical significance and transcendental respites.”
An early preview from Revolver praises the new album, highlighting its “metronome-exploding kick work, riffs brawnier than a full-grown Kodiak, and a vocal tandem of soaring highs (guitarist Andy Thomas) and demonic lows (bassist Adam Biggs).”
Rivers Of Nihil will be available in CD, digital, and vinyl formats, with numerous unique 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)
Preorder your copies now at metalblade.com/riversofnihil.
The band is currently dominating the scene on their Aggressive Progressive EU/UK tour, supported by Cynic, Beyond Creation, and Dååth. They’ll be back to rock North America in May with Holy Fawn, Inter Arma, and Glacial Tomb. Secure your tickets and VIP packages at https://ron.soundrink.com.
RIVERS OF NIHIL band members include:
– Adam Biggs: bass guitar, vocals
– Andy Thomas: guitar, vocals
– Brody Uttley: guitar, piano, keys, programming
– Jared Klein: drums, vocals
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 w/ Cynic, Beyond Creation, Dååth [remaining dates]:
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
RIVERS OF NIHIL:
Metal Blade Records:
Earsplit PR:
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