Over 15 years and half a dozen albums into their careers, Pennsylvania’s Rivers of Nihil – Steel Injection‘s Artist Of The Month – are removed from carried out with their progy tech demise sorcery on their long-awaited self-titled file.
An amalgam of the modifications which have introduced the band to current day, Rivers of Nihil – obtainable Might 30 by Steel Blade – is difficult, 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 data.
The Acutely aware Seed Of Gentle
Yeah, I believe that file, the primary file, The Acutely aware Seed of Gentle, I believe that was form of simply us attempting to determine what sort of band we wished to be. Quite a lot of the songs that ended up being on that file had components on it that have 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 Prefer it was stuff that was written in 2007 in our outdated bands and stuff.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 pieces that we had ever written as a band collectively to give you these 10 songs which can be on that file. We had solely actually carried out 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 loads of the stuff that is on that file, 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 file which can be a lot stronger than others, for my part. Like, I believe “Rain Eater” is a robust one. That is one of many higher songs on the file, for my part. Identical factor with “Soil and Seed”. I imply, “Soil and Seed” is like the one tune from that file that we are going to nonetheless sometimes play reside. So I believe that the primary file was actually simply an train in us determining what we wished to sound like. Did we wish to be like a hyper-tech band? Did we wish 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 file that it is somewhat 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 pieces was new, ? We simply signed with a label. We had by no means made a file, and we’re making a file with Erik Rutan. We used to observe the Cannibal Corpse DVDs and be like, man, that might be cool to love file an album with Erik in the future, and right here we’re doing it. It was all so new, so we actually did not know what we have been doing throughout that point. We have been simply attempting to determine it out. So I believe that that first file was actually simply us attempting to determine what we have been going to do, actually.
Monarchy
Yeah, I believe that Monarchy is like the primary file of ours that I form of think about the actual begin of the present model of Rivers of Nihil. Our authentic guitarist, Joh, founding member, , 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 suppose 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 quite a bit, and I wrote quite a bit. He wrote perhaps like 4 songs on the primary file or one thing like that, and I wrote the remainder. He wrote an honest quantity and dropping him, I used to be very nervous, like shit, can we nonetheless do that? And I used to be actually stepping into recording, like residence recording on the time and studying quite a bit about audio and stuff. That form of coincided at an ideal time with us having to jot down a brand new file, minus a guitar participant actually.
So Monarchy is the file 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 file that I recorded guitar and bass for. I simply recorded the bass. Biggs performed the bass clearly, however did it at my residence studio after which combined it with Carson and Grant at Atrium Audio, however that was like the primary file 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 manner. I file 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 file the place that massive atmospheric sound that I believe is form of synonymous with Rivers of Nihil, the large atmospheric progressive factor, actually form of like took form on that file.
That is the file that I think about to be our truest type, like a tech demise album, ? It was very intentional. That was an album the place I used to be personally listening to loads of tech demise and loads of identical to actually heavy demise steel. And all the pieces that I used to be listening to was inspiring me. And yeah, that file is a proggy tech demise file actually, it is acquired a few of like probably the most insanely technical stuff that we have ever carried out. 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 think about Monarchy like the primary actual full from starting to finish album that was like a whole thought, ? Trigger we wrote all of that materials in a 12 months’s time, whereas like on the primary file, that file was written over like 5 or 6 years. So Monarchy was like principally one full thought, and the primary time that we had ever carried out one thing like that. So I form of think about that the true begin of issues for us as a band, a minimum of so far as issues being related to the fashionable period of the band.
The place Owls Know My Identify
Yeah, properly, 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 acquired actually, actually into Steven Wilson‘s album Hand. Can’t. Erase and that album like blew my fucking thoughts. Like I keep in mind that album got here out shortly after we completed recording Monarchy, I believe and like after 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 file that I want I had recognized about once we have been writing Monarchy, as a result of we hadn’t even launched Monarchy at that time but, and that file for some motive simply blew my thoughts so arduous.
I do not know, it simply form of broke my mind open, and it like switched me from largely being like a demise steel man. I imply, I listened to prog my entire life, however not in an enormous, big manner. 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 motive, that one Steven Wilson file was like, whoa, so we might do no matter we wished on a file. 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 particularly, I keep in mind after 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 entire 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 attempting to jot down 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 attempting to do one thing like that, and I believed there is no manner that Rivers would ever use this. That is manner 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 arduous, they’re gonna suppose that we suck and and it ended up being like the largest tune we have ever launched.
That entire album is such an odd factor to me as a result of as soon as we put it out it simply form of occurred and rapidly folks cared concerning the band and rapidly we have 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 file that we did not actually give a shit what anybody thought, which I suppose 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 would like. And we did. And it labored for some motive. And ever since then, yeah, that was form of the file that like tipped most individuals off to who we have 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 limitless time to work on this file, which I am assuming a part of the rationale 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 once we noticed how Owls went, I used to be saying how once we wrote Owls we form of simply ignored folks’s expectations fully and simply did it for ourselves, completely. We checked out that and we have been like, properly, let’s try this once more and take it even additional in a unique course, ?
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 file, and we wished to discover these sounds somewhat extra. The Work, to me a minimum of, it isn’t an industrial album, industrial steel album, however it simply has this sort of general industrial sheen to it, and I believe loads of that was due to, like I mentioned, wanting 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 wished 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 suggest taking acid and listening to it in a darkish room, however in case you wished to, you would. It is like a headphone file. It is an album to take heed to in headphones in a darkish room and simply journey out. It is a gorgeous 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 feel, and like i mentioned in hindsight like i feel there’s some songs on that file that they are too lengthy there’s some sections that there is simply an excessive amount of occurring you possibly can’t even inform what is going on on at sure factors and like there’s moments which can be like what? This is sort of a Weapons N’ Roses tune or a giant nine-minute acoustic ballad. There’s a lot like what?! On that file, which, to be truthful, I believe scared lots of people off when it first got here out.
I believe lots of people have been form of anticipating like an Owls 2.0. We have been very conscious of that. We knew that is what folks wished, and we did not wish to give it to them. We simply wished to go in as far of an odd course 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 seems like a continuation of the Owls sound, however I imply, there are different songs in that file. The opener, “The Tower (Theme from ‘The Work’)”, it is like nearly 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 an odd mix of influences, The Work, however I imply, for that motive, although, that’s an album that I’ll all the time look again on as simply such an unbelievable artistic 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 subject 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, what I imply? Simply actually fucking round with sound is a dumb solution to say it, however that is actually what was occurring.
So yeah, it is an album that I believe shocked loads of our followers, scared a few of them off, however since we have put that album out, lots of people who initially have been form of shocked 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 quite a bit. Sort of like, if you’re speaking about Pink Floyd, more often than not individuals are speaking about like, Darkish Aspect of the Moon versus The Wall, and it is like the same form of duality.
I believe for a very long time, I believed that they have been albums that have been actually not related 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 house to have form of considered these first 4 data and form of examined how they work together with each other. I believe that that had quite a bit to do with, like I used to be discussing beforehand, how this new data turned out, simply form of these first 4 data and seeing how they interacted with one another and what the excessive factors have 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 carried out to this point.
This file is form of like an amalgamation of all the pieces that we have carried out up to now, plus one thing further, I suppose. On this file, a minimum of instrumentally, which is form of like my division, now that we’ve got 4 albums behind us, I discovered myself form of reflecting on the final 10 years or 12 years or no matter it has been. Taking a look at stuff on all of our data that I really feel has actually labored, what hasn’t labored, what songs actually click on reside each with us as like a reside band taking part in collectively and in addition to the viewers and form of like actually checked out our previous discography as a giant affect on this new file, greater than something, I might say.
I am all the time listening to music. In order that stuff all the time works its manner into no matter it’s that I am engaged on. However I actually really feel like inspecting what we have carried out and what I believe we’re the most effective 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 attempting to take what we’re already good at and push it even additional. That was actually form of like my purpose on this file, as a result of I believe that on the final file, The Work, it was actually an album that’s extra of like a movie rating than something. It is simply this big, big file, 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 already know we’re big Pink Floyd followers. Simply the large like theatrical form of album factor has all the time been one thing that we have all the time wished to do, so doing that on The Work, it was vital that we made that file as a result of I believe we needed to show to ourselves that we might do one thing like that.
However on this file, it’s extremely like cliche to say, however we actually wished to form of get again to fundamentals in loads 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 further stuff after the very fact; the saxophones and the synthesizers and any form of further orchestration that we wished to place in there after we had these songs that have been already actually heavy hitting simply with the form of core components of the reside band.
Yeah, it was actually an album of reflection, I suppose, and like I mentioned, having Andy alongside for the writing of these items and with the ability to bounce concepts off him and have him contribute concepts that might perhaps encourage me and vice versa was actually superior. After which having Adam take over on lead vocals. Since Adam‘s all the time written all the lyrics, it was cool to see him form of be capable to carry out the stuff that he was writing in a manner that he had by no means actually been capable of carry out them earlier than, as a result of earlier than he was like writing stuff, however form of by the lens of realizing that any person else was going to be performing it. So it simply has a unique really feel, however now he is writing what he’ll 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 jot down as a result of it was such a giant shift, however I believe finally we had a blast making it, and I believe it is a few of our strongest materials so far. And it is considerably of a retrospective on what we have carried out, however not in a tragic manner. 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.
