Rivers of Nihil

Rivers of Nihil announce new album & tour with Dying Fetus (stream a track)

Pennsylvania tech-death rippers Rivers of Nihil are following 2015’s Monarchy with a new album, Where Owls Know My Name, which drops on March 16 via Metal Blade. It was produced by Carson Slovak (who also did Monarchy), and the artwork was made by Dan Seagrave (who’s also designed cover art for Entombed and Suffocation). Talking about the new album, bassist/vocalist Adam Biggs said:

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.

The first single is the six-and-a-half minute “The Silent Life,” which pairs Rivers of Nihil’s pummeling death metal with a more atmospheric side, including — wait for it — a saxophone solo. It’s an unexpected turn, but it works out pretty well. Listen for yourself, below.

Rivers of Nihil are also going on tour, opening for Dying Fetus, along with Thy Art Is Murder, Enterprise Earth and Sanction. The tour includes stops at Poughkeepsie’s The Chance on March 15 (tickets), Asbury Park’s House of Independents on April 21 (tickets), and Long Island’s Revolution on April 22 (tickets).

All dates, including New England Metal & Hardcore Fest, are listed below.

Tracklist
1. Cancer / Moonspeak
2. The Silent Life
3. A Home
4. Old Nothing
5. Subtle Change (Including the Forest of Transition
6. Terrestria III: Wither
7. Hollow
8. Death Is Real
9. Where Owls Know My Name
10. Capricorn / Agoratopia

Dying Fetus, Thy Art Is Murder, Rivers of Nihil, Enterprise Earth, Sanction — 2018 Tour Dates
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