Over 15 years and half a dozen albums into their careers, Pennsylvania’s Rivers of Nihil – Metal Injection‘s Artist Of The Month – are removed from finished with their progy tech demise sorcery on their long-awaited self-titled report.
An amalgam of the modifications which have introduced the band to current day, Rivers of Nihil – available May 30 through Metal Blade – is tough, heavy and overwhelmingly epic in its scale and scope, a testomony to the maturation of founding members Brody Uttley and Adam Biggs, drummer Jared Klein and rhythm guitarist Andy Thomas.
Uttley sat down with Steel Injection for a deep dive into the band’s discography, breaking down main ideas, themes and insights into every of the 5 Rivers of Nihil information.
The Acutely aware Seed Of Gentle
Yeah, I believe that report, the primary report, The Acutely aware Seed of Gentle, I believe that was form of simply us making an attempt to determine what sort of band we needed to be. A number of the songs that ended up being on that report had elements on it that had been written earlier than Rivers of Nihil even existed. Prefer it was stuff that was written in 2007 in our outdated bands and stuff. And form of identical to piled all the things that we had ever written as a band collectively to provide you with these 10 songs which are on that report. We had solely actually finished eps up till that time, so it was like what, 10 songs, that is insane. It appeared like an insane chore to us on the time, so lots of the stuff that is on that report, a few of it was written fairly near the time that it was recorded and that different stuff was written 5 or 6 years beforehand.
So there are songs on that report which are a lot stronger than others, in my view. Like, I believe “Rain Eater” is a robust one. That is one of many higher songs on the report, in my view. Identical factor with “Soil and Seed”. I imply, “Soil and Seed” is like the one tune from that report that we are going to nonetheless often play stay. So I believe that the primary report was actually simply an train in us determining what we needed to sound like. Did we need to be like a hyper-tech band? Did we need to be like a extra atmospheric form of post-mealty form of demise steel band? Did we wanna be like extra like Morbid Angel form of vein form of band? We did not know. There are such a lot of completely different influences on that report that it is a little bit A.D.D at occasions, I believe.
I have never listened to it in a very long time, however to me, now, I simply form of see it as the actual experimentation section for the band. All the things was new, you understand? We simply signed with a label. We had by no means made a report, and we’re making a report with Erik Rutan. We used to look at the Cannibal Corpse DVDs and be like, man, that may be cool to love report an album with Erik sooner or later, and right here we’re doing it. It was all so new, so we actually did not know what we had been doing throughout that point. We had been simply making an attempt to determine it out. So I believe that that first report was actually simply us making an attempt to determine what we had been going to do, actually.
Monarchy
Yeah, I believe that Monarchy is like the primary report of ours that I form of take into account the actual begin of the present model of Rivers of Nihil. Our unique guitarist, Joh, founding member, you understand, me, Jon, Jake, Ron and Adam all began the band. Jon ended up leaving the band shortly earlier than we completed writing Monarchy, or I assume really in direction of the start of writing Monarchy, he ended up leaving the band and beginning Outer Heaven.
Monarchy was an actual proving stage for me as a songwriter as a result of we misplaced Jon. He wrote rather a lot, and I wrote rather a lot. He wrote possibly like 4 songs on the primary report or one thing like that, and I wrote the remaining. He wrote a good quantity and dropping him, I used to be very nervous, like shit, can we nonetheless do that? And I used to be actually moving into recording, like house recording on the time and studying rather a lot about audio and stuff. That form of coincided at an ideal time with us having to put in writing a brand new report, minus a guitar participant actually.
So Monarchy is the report the place I believe I actually form of began to seek out this sound that Rivers nonetheless carries with it into the fashionable age of the band. That was the primary report that I recorded guitar and bass for. I simply recorded the bass. Biggs performed the bass clearly, however did it at my house studio after which blended it with Carson and Grant at Atrium Audio, however that was like the primary report that we did that was form of like the fashionable model of what we do now, as a result of we nonetheless do it that means. I report guitar and bass right here.
Then we go to Atrium Audio and do mixing, drums, and vocals with Carson and Grant. And we have been doing that ever since Monarchy. However yeah, Monarchy was the primary report the place that massive atmospheric sound that I believe is form of synonymous with Rivers of Nihil, the massive atmospheric progressive factor, actually form of like took form on that report.
That is the report that I take into account to be our truest kind, like a tech demise album, you understand? It was very intentional. That was an album the place I used to be personally listening to lots of tech demise and lots of identical to actually heavy demise steel. And all the things that I used to be listening to was inspiring me. And yeah, that report is a proggy tech demise report actually, it is received a few of like probably the most insanely technical stuff that we have ever finished. However that form of atmospheric, melodic progressive factor that we developed even additional on Owls actually form of first took form on Monarchy.
So yeah, I take into account Monarchy like the primary actual full from starting to finish album that was like an entire thought, you understand? Trigger we wrote all of that materials in a 12 months’s time, whereas like on the primary report, that report was written over like 5 or 6 years. So Monarchy was like principally one full thought, and the primary time that we had ever finished one thing like that. So I form of take into account that the true begin of issues for us as a band, at the very least so far as issues being linked to the fashionable period of the band.
The place Owls Know My Identify
Yeah, nicely, I can solely converse for myself, however so far as the music goes, I believe I had an actual form of paradigm shift in between Monarchy and Owls. I began listening to much more prog, like I received actually, actually into Steven Wilson‘s album Hand. Can not. Erase and that album like blew my fucking thoughts. Like I do not forget that album got here out shortly after we completed recording Monarchy, I believe and like once I heard that album, I listened to it again and again, and I used to be identical to, man. There’s a lot stuff on this report that I want I had recognized about after we had been writing Monarchy, as a result of we hadn’t even launched Monarchy at that time but, and that report for some cause simply blew my thoughts so exhausting.
I do not know, it simply form of broke my mind open, and it like switched me from principally being like a demise steel man. I imply, I listened to prog my complete life, however not in an enormous, enormous means. I like Pink Floyd and King Crimson and Rush and Sure, and stuff. However I by no means actually dove deep. And for no matter cause, that one Steven Wilson report was like, whoa, so we might do no matter we needed on a report. We might have a 260 beats per minute atmospheric demise steel tune subsequent to a like synth wave tune with a Miles Davis-esque trumpet solo subsequent to acoustic ballads. The entire prog mind-set, actually doing no matter you need. I do know it appears foolish to love not have thought like, oh, like I can simply do no matter I would like.
With the title monitor on Owls specifically, I keep in mind once I was writing that tune, I had like the entire intro of that tune up till when it will get heavy, the primary refrain, I had that complete intro and I believe I wrote, I used to be taking part in round with like a delay pedal or one thing. And I used to be making an attempt to put in writing like a post-rock tune, one thing that you’d hear Explosions within the Sky or This Will Destroy You or Caspian or some band like that. I used to be simply making an attempt to do one thing like that, and I assumed there is not any means that Rivers would ever use this. That is means too fairly after which as soon as as soon as I got here up with that refrain, I used to be like oh shit.
That was an actual massive second of realization for us as a band and for me as a songwriter as a result of that is one of many first songs that we ever wrote that like did not have any blast beats in it, I do know that sounds hilarious. The working title for that tune was “No Blast Beats” as a result of it was the primary tune that we ever wrote with no blast beats in it and we thought like man they’re gonna hate this, we’re simply gonna get shit on so exhausting, they’re gonna suppose that we suck and and it ended up being like the most important tune we have ever launched.
That complete album is such a wierd factor to me as a result of as soon as we put it out it simply form of occurred and rapidly individuals cared concerning the band and rapidly we had been promoting exhibits out and stuff. It is identical to we completely didn’t anticipate any of that as a result of we simply thought we’re making a report that we did not actually give a shit what anybody thought, which I assume is form of like factor to do. We completely simply did not take note of any expectations from ourselves or from anybody. And we’re identical to, let’s simply do regardless of the hell we wish. And we did. And it labored for some cause. And ever since then, yeah, that was form of the report that like tipped most individuals off to who we had been.
The Work
It is an album that would have solely been written when it was written. I imply, most of it was written throughout COVID, like throughout lockdowns and stuff. Had form of like infinite time to work on this report, which I am assuming a part of the explanation why it ended up being such an infinite and lengthy album was simply because we simply had a lot time to identical to tweak stuff and hold writing and all these things. However actually, I believe after we noticed how Owls went, I used to be saying how after we wrote Owls we form of simply ignored individuals’s expectations fully and simply did it for ourselves, completely. We checked out that and we had been like, nicely, let’s do this once more and take it even additional in a special path, you understand?
We form of checked out moments on Owls, the stranger moments on Owls, like say like “Terrestria III: Wither”, for instance, or just like the nearer “Capricorn/Agoratopia” on Owls. A number of the deeper cuts on the report, and we needed to discover these sounds a little bit extra. The Work, to me at the very least, it isn’t an industrial album, industrial steel album, nevertheless it simply has this sort of general industrial sheen to it, and I believe lots of that was due to, like I stated, trying on the stranger moments on Owls like “Terrestria III”, which is a synth-wavy darkish industrial form of tune, and wanting to love discover that sound extra. We needed to only make this a large prog album that was identical to bigger than life. I imply, a number of the songs on that album have like 90 tracks of like guitar and synth. At occasions like that album, it feels prefer it simply ventures too far at occasions.
It is actually an album … I do not know if I might advocate taking acid and listening to it in a darkish room, however when you needed to, you may. It is like a headphone report. It is an album to take heed to in headphones in a darkish room and simply journey out. It is a fantastic album at occasions and like a very fucked up freaky album at different occasions. It is identical to an actual true experimental album for us i believe, and like i stated you understand in hindsight like i believe there’s some songs on that report that they are too lengthy there’s some sections that there is simply an excessive amount of occurring you’ll be able to’t even inform what is going on on at sure factors and like there’s moments which are like what? This is sort of a Weapons N’ Roses tune or an enormous nine-minute acoustic ballad. There’s a lot like what?! On that report, which, to be truthful, I believe scared lots of people off when it first got here out.
I believe lots of people had been form of anticipating like an Owls 2.0. We had been very conscious of that. We knew that is what individuals needed, and we did not need to give it to them. We simply needed to go in as far of a wierd path away from that as we presumably might. And I believe there are some songs on The Work that sound like they may have been a part of a continuation of Owls. Like, I believe “The Void From Which No Sound Escapes” positively appears like a continuation of the Owls sound, however I imply, there are different songs in that report. The opener, “The Tower (Theme from ‘The Work’)”, it is like virtually like a 9 Inch Nails meets Muse form of tune. And “Dreaming Black Clockwork” is simply this fucked up like Strapping Younger Lad form of tune after which “Wait” is sort of a lo-fi Religion No Extra form of tune.
It is such a wierd mix of influences, The Work, however I imply, for that cause, although, that’s an album that I’ll at all times look again on as simply such an unimaginable inventive time as a result of it was throughout COVID. It was going out and simply experimenting with stuff that I by no means experimented with earlier than like area recordings and making drum loops out of sounds that I recorded in industrial warehouses and the kitchen door slamming, stuff that you’d hear on like a Björk or a Radiohead album, however in a demise steel context, you understand what I imply? Simply actually fucking round with sound is a dumb technique to say it, however that is actually what was occurring.
So yeah, it is an album that I believe shocked lots of our followers, scared a few of them off, however since we have put that album out, lots of people who initially had been form of stunned by how completely different it was from Owls have form of come round to it. And I see Owls and The Work form of mentioned collectively rather a lot. Form of like, whenever you’re speaking about Pink Floyd, more often than not individuals are speaking about like, Darkish Facet of the Moon versus The Wall, and it is like the same form of duality.
I believe for a very long time, I assumed that they had been albums that had been actually not linked in any respect. However now, the additional down the highway I get, the extra I understand that Owls was form of the decision, and The Work was the response.
Rivers Of Nihil
It is cool to have a while and area to have form of considered these first 4 information and form of examined how they work together with each other. I believe that that had rather a lot to do with, like I used to be discussing beforehand, how this new information turned out, simply form of taking a look at these first 4 information and seeing how they interacted with one another and what the excessive factors had been and what actually labored and what we actually did not after which form of taking that info and taking part in to the strengths of us as a band and what we have finished to date.
This report is form of like an amalgamation of all the things that we have finished to date, plus one thing additional, I assume. On this report, at the very least instrumentally, which is form of like my division, now that we’ve 4 albums behind us, I discovered myself form of reflecting on the final 10 years or 12 years or no matter it has been. stuff on all of our information that I really feel has actually labored, what hasn’t labored, what songs actually click on stay each with us as like a stay band taking part in collectively and in addition to the viewers and form of like actually checked out our previous discography as an enormous affect on this new report, greater than something, I might say.
I am at all times listening to music. In order that stuff at all times works its means into no matter it’s that I am engaged on. However I actually really feel like analyzing what we have finished and what I believe we’re the perfect at, what our strengths are and actually form of taking part in to them and bringing them into this new period of the band and form of making an attempt to take what we’re already good at and push it even additional. That was actually form of like my purpose on this report, as a result of I believe that on the final report, The Work, it was actually an album that’s extra of like a movie rating than something. It is simply this enormous, enormous report, an hour and 10 minutes lengthy.
It is like form of like our The Wall or one thing like that. That was very intentional. You understand we’re enormous Pink Floyd followers. Simply the massive like theatrical form of album factor has at all times been one thing that we have at all times needed to do, so doing that on The Work, it was necessary that we made that report as a result of I believe we needed to show to ourselves that we might do one thing like that.
However on this report, it’s totally like cliche to say, however we actually needed to form of get again to fundamentals in lots of methods and concentrate on the core components of the band like guitar, bass, drums, vocals, get all that stuff actually cooking after which form of add within the additional stuff after the actual fact; the saxophones and the synthesizers and any form of further orchestration that we needed to place in there after we had these songs that had been already actually heavy hitting simply with the form of core components of the stay band.
Yeah, it was actually an album of reflection, I assume, and like I stated, having Andy alongside for the writing of these things and having the ability to bounce concepts off him and have him contribute concepts that may possibly encourage me and vice versa was actually superior. After which having Adam take over on lead vocals. Since Adam‘s at all times written the entire lyrics, it was cool to see him form of have the ability to carry out the stuff that he was writing in a means that he had by no means actually been in a position to carry out them earlier than, as a result of earlier than he was like writing stuff, however form of by means of the lens of figuring out that anyone else was going to be performing it. So it simply has a special really feel, however now he is writing what he will be singing, and he positively introduced some strikes to the desk vocally that we did not have earlier than.
So yeah, it was a check of an album to put in writing as a result of it was such an enormous shift, however I believe finally we had a blast making it, and I believe it is a few of our strongest materials up to now. And it is considerably of a retrospective on what we have finished, however not in a tragic means. We’re simply going to do that once more. It is a refreshed form of perspective on stuff that we all know we’re actually good at as a band.
