METALLIAN - Rivers Of Nihil

September 18th, Anno 21

The Conscious Seed Of Light - 2013 - Metal Blade
Monarchy - 2015 - Metal Blade
Where Owls Know My Name - 2018 - Metal Blade
The Work - 2021 - Metal Blade

Members

Vocals

Jake Dieffenbach - Dissian, Age Of Plague>>ADAM BIGGS

Guitar

Outer Heaven>>Jon Kunz>>Outer Heaven - Dissian>>BRODY UTTLEY - Anesthetized>>Jon Topore>>Anesthetized - Nightfire, Black Crown Initiate, Tombs, Antiqva>>ANDY THOMAS>>Black Crown Initiate, Antiqva

Bass

Dissian, Age Of Plague, WretchedPain>>ADAM BIGGS>>WretchedPain

Drum

Ron Nelson - Anesthetized>>Alan Balamut>>Anesthetized - Flub, Luck Wont Save You, Post Heaven, The Kennedy Veil, Deliria, Cyborg Octopus, The Undying, Psychosomatic, The User Lives, Enslave The Creation, Skull Fracture, Alterbeast, Grindfeld>>JARED KLEIN>>Flub, Luck Wont Save You, Post Heaven, The Undying, Enslave The Creation, Skull Fracture, Grindfeld

History & Biography

The Hierarchy demo of 2010 followed the band’s formation in 2009. The act was founded as a trio of Jake Dieffenbach (vocals), Jon Kunz (guitar) and Ron Nelson (drums) who had played in another band together before. The band played a gig as a trio. The 2011 demo for the techno-death metal band was called Temporality Unbound. Metal Blade picked the band up and the debut record was made available in 2013. It was called The Conscious Seed Of Light. 2014 touring had the band playing with cover band Death To All, as well as Obituary and Massacre. Hate Eternal, Misery Index, Beyond Creation and Rivers Of Nihil were touring in 2015. Hate Eternal’s Erik Rutan had produced the band’s debut album after trying to promote the band to labels.

Monarchy introduced drummer Alan Balamut and guitarist Jon Topore.Rivers Of Nihil would embark on another North American tour in support of its album, Monarchy, in 2016. The quintet first played a short run of headlining shows before joining Beyond Creation and The Zenith Passage for a tour that ran from July 8th through July 23rd. Where Owls Know My Name was drummed by Jared Klein - drummer Dylan Potts had come and gone - who was one of those strict part-timers. Orbit Culture and Black Crown Initiate became the openers for the Rivers Of Nihil European tour in 2019. Rivers Of Nihil (headliners), Fallujah, Alluvial and Warforged were touring the USA in 2022. Jake Dieffenbach left and Adam Biggs made the microphone a bigger part of his repertoire, alongside the bass. Jon Topore left in 2022. Andy Thomas of Black Crown Initiate joined on guitar in 2023. The man had been friends with the members for years. He would rejoin Black Crown Initiate in 2024. Ironically, upon departing Black Crown Initiate he had claimed too many line-up changes in BCI was the reason for departing. He was contributing to it now.

The band had a single, entitled Criminals, from its upcoming new full-length in 2024. The band was part of the 2024 edition of the Chaos & Carnage Tour featuring co-headliners Carnifex and Metal Blade label-mates Cattle Decapitation alongside The Zenith Passage, Humanity’s Last Breath, Vitriol and Face Yourself. Rivers Of Nihil had an instrumental edition of its 2018 album, Where Owls Know My Name, through Metal Blade Records in 2024. The band claimed people have been “begging” for the instrumental version. In the line-up of the band’s albums, Where Owls Know My Name represented the autumn. The band was booked for Metal Injection Fest in 2024. The band was managed by Ben Umanov of Metalsucks website, which also had Metal Injection as part of its Blast Beat advertising umbrella. The sites were part of a company called The Orchard. The band was also booked to play at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The band was booked to play there in 2018. The band was booked for Summer Breeze 2025.

Reviews

Interviews

Rivers Of Nihil