Albums That Will F*ck Your Face Off in 2013: Rivers of Nihil, TBA
Rivers of Nihil
TBA (Metal Blade)
Release date — Well, later this year, I hope.
I have horrible fucking luck with these things — to date, neither my 2011 or 2012 picks have fucked any faces off. Not because they suck or anything. Just because… they still have yet to be released (in one instance, I’m not even sure the thing has actually been recorded yet). So, while I’m 99.9999% sure that Rivers of Nihil’s Metal Blade debut is gonna come out this year, I would like to apologize to the band in advance in the event that the very act of me writing about their jinxes its release schedule. I swear, I’m not doing it on purpose!
ANYWAY.
If for some reason you did not check out Rivers of Nihil the last time I praised them, please allow me to give you a second chance now. Here’s a demo of “Rain Eater,” or, as I call it, “Five Minutes of Evidence That Rivers of Nihil are Going to Fuck Your Fucking Face Into Motherfucking Oblivion”:
Little wonder that Rivers of Nihil can now call Cannibal Corpse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Hate Eternal, Cattle Decapitation, and Job for a Cowboy “labelmates.” Rivers of Nihil’s songs are aural beat-you-to-death-downs that hit your ears like a H-bomb, leaving fallout in your brain long after the fire has died down. “Epic” and “catchy” may both be clichéd terms when praising a death metal band, but if ever they truly applied, they apply to Rivers of Nihil. Rivers of Nihil stand out in a sea of generic bands that haven’t mastered songcraft on any level. They’re the kind of band that makes you remember why you ever fell in love with death metal in the first place.
Oh, and speaking of Hate Eternal: Erik Rutan is producing this album. That’s never bad news. He’s known for being something of a taskmaster in the studio, but he also has a lot of repeat customers, and there’s a reason for that. He’s one of those producers who sticks the landing every goddamn time. And, clearly, he’s a perfect fit for (and big influence upon) Rivers of Nihil. I’ve already listened to that “Rain Eater” demo about thirty times. How is there any chance that it won’t rip my fucking throat out once it’s been filtered through Rutan?
