Sixteen years, and five albums later, progressive tech metal veterans out of Reading, PA Rivers of Nihil are gearing up to release a new self-titled album. The first single “ House of Light” dropped in February and has sadder, emotional undertone preparing listeners for “American Death” which flips the script to a very relatable anger. The band has never been afraid to project how they feel through music and this new album is poised to be the perfect example.
The band shares to fans, “‘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.”
This ear-melting single follows the release of 3 previous singles “The Sub-Orbital Blues”,
“House Of Light’, and “Criminals” with the full album dropping on May 30th, 2025. These new tracks feature founding bassist Adam Biggs and additional guitarist Andy Thomas as lead and backing vocals respectively. Lead guitarist and keyboardist Brody Uttley recorded much of the album on piano and the band added their touch. The album also features guest artists Patrick Corona on saxophone, Steven Lopez on banjo, McFarland on cello, and several other vocalists. Those instruments are not often found in metal so it’s especially impressive the band was able to able to write and album that still fits in perfectly with the rest of their discography.
Revolver comments on a preview of the album. “ ..their forthcoming self-titled album… specializes in 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).”
Where Are they headed?
