Rivers of Nihil’s self-titled album is a clear number 2 on my best albums of 2025 list. It was a huge positive surprise, and I’ll dive into why in this mini-review/raving about why it’s so good.
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Rivers of Nihil in 2025?
So, I’ll admit that I was skeptical about this album. I was a big Jake fan, and he felt like an irreplaceable part of Rivers of Nihil to me. Luckily, the band managed to reinvent themselves in a perfect way. The identity is still there, but it’s clearly a new era.
I was perplexed by the fact that they didn’t replace Jake with a standalone vocalist, as many of my favourite Rivers songs have intense vocal passages. Well, I was clearly proven wrong, and gladly so. The band have tightened up their sound and increased the clean vocal presence. It’s a less progressive album in terms of scope, but it has been replaced by stronger hooks.
A successful vocalist and sound switch
Bass player Adam Biggs smashes it on main vocals, and I confirm he performs equally good live, which is baffling considering how wild the songs are. Same goes for guitarist Andy Thomas’s clean singing. I was really wondering how they would pull that part off, but it’s obviously working great. Rivers of Nihil has also kept the saxophone presence to the joy of the fanbase. Sounds fitting in the new sound as well.
Keeping the running time at a reasonable level around 50 minutes is also a great choice, really letting the songs hit hard without too much meandering and allowing for zero filler material. “House of Light”, “Dustman” and “The Sub-Orbital Blues” are my three favorites, but the songs are generally pretty even in quality.
Most importantly, the compact songwriting and catchiness does not take away from the band’s usual qualities: this is chunky and technical without losing its visceral edge. In a time where I’m less and less inclined to listen to extreme metal, Rivers of Nihil stands as one of the exceptions.
The themes tell tales of a divided, conflicted world that are not far off from what’s on my mind in 2025. As I tried to explain in my death metal lyrics article, I think something like this is a near-necessity for me to truly appreciate a band these days.
Conclusion: Rivers of Nihil nailed it!
Well, what can I say? They’ve pulled of a great sound transition here, adapting to the new lineup and finding a new compelling sound. Nothing to say but positives, and if it wasn’t for Hangman’s Chair, this would’ve been my favorite album of 2025. Also, catch the band live if you have the opportunity – they killed it when I saw them at Rockstadt 2025.
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