Its crazy that music like this is being put out, yet there are a lot of folks in our society who think music today sucks. Its sad that so many people dont know all the great music thats out there.
It's because they still expect their favourite music to be played on the radio and TV like it was in the analogue age. Where technology evolves so do the channels of promotion.
I'm 33, not old, but a lot of my contemporaries are already turning into old men that think this way, they're not willing to do...ehem...."the work" to find amazing new music such as this.
I was jamming to Mastadon and went to the bathroom and came back to this playing and My god how did I miss this band :O This is phenomenal. Has such a Neurosis and doom metal vibe. I am sold.
Same here, bud! Amazing structure and composition. Sounds like it could've also been on WOKMN. Love how they ended the song by bringing that beautiful chorus round again.
Totally different from WOKMN, but good all on its own. I'm kind of surprised by the "uninspired" comments, I feel this has some of their most interesting writing yet, and there's not a bad song in the whole album. It's dark, it's depressing, it's got hopelessness with a twinge of hope, and I'd go so far as to say they've continued to put out the most refreshing, unique prog that the genre really needed. I have a feeling that once the initial "It's not like the other one!" wears off, this album is going to age very well.
I agree, I absolutely fell in love with WOKMN and listening to this might be jarring to some but I absolutely enjoy it and I still I got the goose nipples on a lot of songs. I don't follow or expect a band to sound the same. Some might not enjoy the creative direction they went in but I love the BAND. They are innovating and no one should tell them do it any different than what their heart tells them. Thus is art. Repulsive to some, beauty to the others and this album feels like THEIR art like WOKMN was in vain of being a creative art piece. It's super refreshing and feels like a new orchstrated piece.
I don't understand how people call this uninspired. It's different, experimental and very diverse. If they recycled their previous work, they can call it that.
Exactly. WOKMN was an incredible album, and I might even still hold it as better on initial impact, this album still goes deep and strong. Its got a sense there's still plenty to unpack, and I've already got a good few song I keep wanting to hear again the moment its over. No regrets had, and it can even stand a chance to age as more of my favorite with time.
This album is definitely more progressive and the songs have so much going on in them, that nothing really stands out. At least to me. It feels like they tried a little too much to go deep down the progressive rabbit hole that the album just sounds all over the place with no connecting flow. I don't think it's a bad album, but I'm definitely disappointed and this is coming from a guy who really enjoys some prog. I just think they're better at being more techy and adding prog elements than being more prog. I personally think their best album is Monarchy.
4 listens in. This is one of the hardest albums to describe that I've ever listened to. There is so much variety in a way that is unique to almost anything I've ever heard before. It's not like they're just throwing different sounds together like say, BTBAM, but rather that they've created a new sound in the genre. It's heavy, it's alternative, it's industrial, it's atmospheric, it's doomy, it's spacey, it's depressing, it's uplifting. While it doesn't have the sheer amount of catchy riffs of past albums, this is by far their best piece of work and deserves multiple front-to-back listens to fully digest.
Well said. I've given it a good few listens now, and I keep coming back to Wait as one of the most stand out tracks for those exact reasons. So many elements that by all rights should clash just sound so great together.
This comment needs to get pinned. There is a lot going on in this album. So many pieces in this album that give it an otherworldly feel to it. They cover so many different sounds that really affect the tone in each song. I will also say that albums like this definitely feel like they need to be consumed as one piece not as individual songs.
One of the best comments. This album is a work of art, one of the few bands around doing real concept albums, front to back is definitely the only way to listen to their albums.
@@Metal4ever69 I'd probably say that another album kinda like what you've described, is Oh What the Future Holds by Fit For an Autopsy. Just one of those albums that you really have to listen to as a whole even though there's a bunch of singles that stand out on their own. For example, The Man That I Was Not, excellent track as a single, but quite different in a lot of ways than any other track on the album.
I feel like this is the hardest listen of all their albuns, but not in a bad way. The album is depressing and bitter, as RoN intended it to be. They perfectly captured the feeling they envisioned in a masterful way. Although heavy and depressive you can sense some kind of hope and acceptance too. That ending with the throwback to Terrestria I had me in tears, with the spring birds chirping, as a new cycle begins anew. Rivers of Nihil, thank you for this experience
I agree, after the second or third time, it just “made sense” as a Rivers fan. It doesn’t click right away, but it’s crafted and arranged in a way that does connect with all Rivers fans.
the owls will never know which album i like the most. its probably better 2 not compare them. they are all great. i could not stop to listen to owls back then, and i just enabled the loop for this one. a few days of coding while the subwoofer in my office blasts out 'The Work' will tell only something i know alrdy. i fkn love it. they are more than just these deathmetal guys using a sax. they create a unique atmosphere. the more i think about rivers of nihil, the more i like that the vocals are actually crisp and understandable. something i never placed very high on my agenda. another thing is the beauty of the bass. im in love with it br0000! this band will continue to grow in their own brand. love it. much love, cheers from germany
This gives me the same vibes that I get from alot of old school prog rock bands (Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis) and it really shows that they went full on experimental mode. Fucking love it. 10/10.
If you've lived long enough to feel your soul ripped away from you this album will hit the way it's meant to. If you aren't getting it, be happy, you've lived a good life.
This album is everything! It's crazy when a highly anticipated album literally gave me everything I wanted and surpassed my overhyped expectations. After Where Owls Know My Name, I was hoping this band would continue to push the progressive elements with more experimentation, more atmosphere, more cleans, more sax, more synth, and an overall more adventurous soundscape. This band delivered it all and I couldn't be happier. They even gave me the death growls I was clamoring for. This is not only one of the best albums of the year...it's Rivers Of Nihil's best album to date.
@@stevemarston2936 I agree, but I understand that they also don't want be known for just that. They use it really effectively on this album, but I'm really loving the industrial elements on this album more than anything. I could use some more of that in the future.
@@thefilmeffect6089 That's true, but I don't think casual listeners will know the difference between a member and session player. Their video for The Void from Which No Sound Escapes does credit him separately so I suppose they're trying to make that more clear.
I appreciate that you mention the atmosphere of this album because that's the main draw for me. This is different than some songs just for the fact that it creates this atmosphere that draws in the listener. I personally like to get stoned and transported to another place. The Work is indeed a welcome addition to the previous albums.
Listen to the album while reading the lyrics. TRUST ME. I didn't do this the first couple of times but the third time I did and i swear it changed everything. * EDIT * DO THE F'N WORK!!!!
Already listened from start to finish twice. Great songwriting, the layering is exquisite and the tones are superb. Couldn't ask for more, really. I'll be coming back to this one a lot.
Several months after release this is still in my regular rotation. One of my worse musical character traits is that I'm often pessimistic about future releases from artists I love. Naturally, after an absolute masterpiece of a record like Where Owls Know My Name I was worried their next record would fall short of pushing their sound forward in a pleasant way. What a fantastic time to be wrong, as they absolutely killed it everywhere on this album.
I saw Rivers of Nihil live in Atlanta on September 28th. Before then, I had only heard their album, Where Owls Know My Name. Since I saw them live, I've been obsessed with Monarchy and The Work. I literally can't stop listening to these boys. Keep jamming fellas!
Like it or not, RoN threw caution to the wind to express themselves with this album. What a huge sonic palette, I'm privileged to have listened to them.
this album is a grower. initially none of the songs struck me as "hits", and they're not really, at least individually. but i kept coming back and have listened to the album several times from start to finish and it works so well as an entire piece
Oh man I can't believe I was doubting this CD at first. I forgot how good these guys are! They've surprised me with how good this switch is. This is around the 50th time I've heard it since the show I saw 3 day's before releasing. I can't stop playing it.
When he says I hope it fucking kills you in MORE? The goosebumps fly out of my skin. If you've been through any kind of rough time or are in one this album will put you through a roller coaster of emotion.
This is absolutely wonderful. My only "gripe" is that it's absolutely headphone music, best experienced by far in a quiet room. I.e. in my car I don't get the same experience at all and miss a lot. But this album's (and really this band's) biggest strengths are clearly intended for active listening on good headphones. Fortunately for home I have Sony MDR-7506 studio monitor headphones that I use; they're like my 4th pair. I'll get over it :)
I drew so many comparisons to Pinks Floyd’s The Wall. I feel like there is a storyline that runs through this. I haven’t pinned it down yet. Random notes: I think that “noise” in clockwork is the train on the front cover derailing and freezing. Opening lyrics are about waiting for that train to come. It came, derailed, and froze and now they are trapped somewhere. (As i said, i don’t have the whole story figured yet) there they are forced to build a tower by a master type figure The place they are trapped is a tower that as it grows produces more prosperity for the master. They are forced to build. They try to find virtue in the work as they build, however feel resentment as well. The video of Focus is a dude in Tar in a bathtub….the next song is clean. “We will never be clean again!” Tar is hard to get off, presumably the “focus” has made the filth, which is the tar, the song clean is about realization of the filth. I believe this is the master focusing on the tower being built. Clean is about the master feeling out his moral decay. Birds to finish the album….winter is over..spring is here… they finish the “season theme” of the previous 4 records. I am thoroughly enthralled with this album. It hits all my personal likes…proggy, interpretive, non-literal, and skillful. I’d give it an 9.5 on my meter. What’s more, when i listened to Owls directly after it…it makes owls seem…simplistic in nature….which is an INSANE thing to say about one of my favorite albums of all time.
For what I can understand (english is not my native language) it's about a broken relationship and "The Work" they try to do to solve their difference...
I've never listened to much of their work before and this started autoplaying after something random. This 100% feels like I'm listening to something really really musically important and I'm beyond impressed by this.
I am getting a ton of Dark Tranquility Projector vibes. That and Type O Negative with a dash of Opeth, Pink Floyd and Leporous. This is truly an album that defies genre. A masterpiece that will go down in metal history.
It took me a good while to get into river of nihil, but man this album and where owls know my name are absolute masterpieces. The Work perfectly encapsulates the struggle between despair and hope and trying to keep going when it feels like nothing you do matters. The lyrics are beautiful and heartbreaking.
I wasnt a fan after the 1st listen then after 2 more I was hooked I absolutely love the album and while I feel it can be a little too ambitious at times I simply love this album now. Definitely a grower of an album.
first listen, thought id listen to it to pump me up for an interview im having soon. There was no pump really but a definite soothing relaxation that calmed my nerves and helped me focus. There are more interviews to come later and i believe ill give this an entire listen to again before each one.
I had but heard of the band before this album, but listened to this and loved it. Gone and listened to the back catalog and even considering driving 330 miles to see them play a headline show soon.
I'm trying to find a video that one of my friends apparently stumbled upon, when he wanted to find it again it had already been deleted. It apparently happened to be on LiveLeak for a really brief time? It's about a guy shooting presumably acid up his dick before instantly regretting it because the inside of it melts to a "grilled cheese" like substance (his words). After a while the outer layer of the dick collapsed and the gross grilled cheese like substance got everywhere
I got hooked on this band while doing my lesson plans. Now listening to this while I grade. Somehow this music puts me in the zone. Thanks for the state of mind, guys!
I'm not a fan of the beginning of the album ( especially Dreaming Black Clockwork ) but damnit, the ending of Episode @ 43:20 will be in my playlist, maybe forever, such inspirational power.
I was hoping to see someone mention this part of Episode! Jesus there’s so much of this album I love but that entire last part of the song has to be one of if not my favorite part
Okay, it's finally happened. After over a year and maybe 15 listens, this is now my favorite RoN album. Musically, it's just so intricate and thematic, but the theme is still hard to pick up on completely (even though it's literally announced in the first song lol). Lyrically super brutal and a bit on the nose, but I mean that's the point. I'm ready to DO THE WORK Edit: About 10 of those listens have been this week alone btw
Saw them live with The Contortionist. Never looked into them before but after hearing them play the entirety of this album, I'm now a fan. They played fucking well live
RU-vid's algorithm fails to suggest this to me, despite me having previous albums saved on playlists. Goddamnit I could have enjoyed this for 62 days already!
I have nothing to say except thank you. you become the best in the metal scene. I give you my vote from the hinterland of Russia.Terrestria series must live on.
Just when you thought the world had forever ran out of Aum and Ladidadida, along comes this to save us all! Thank you oh mighty Rivers of Nihil for this lifesaving music!
@@billythakid_6664 Yes! I must admit, Owls knocked me sideways. I think I wasn't really expecting that from a metal album. The slide guitar in Maybe One Day is another thing that bring to mind the Floyd.
I see a lot of people saying that Dreaming Back Clockwork is their least favorite, but that's honestly one of my favorites? 😅 What an amazing album. So, so beautiful.
This album is heavy, incredibly so, and I feel it achieves this not in a tropey or generic way, it is genuinely a challenging listen that feels like a ten tonne truck is slowly being lowered onto me.
I'm on my 20th listen or so, and have found that dreaming black clockwork works really well if you listen to Wait right after. The tension at the end of DBC abruptly transitioning into the spaced out and mellow vibe of Wait feels like an escape.
I was listening to WONMN and I was blown away by it... and i didnt expect to like another album by them as much as that, but this might have to take 1st place. So damn good, every track just makes me feel things Ive been craving to feel I guess. Just less alone, and inspired to carry on, even when everything feels painful. It has everything i want musically and lyrically, thank you RON. You guys are real musicians.
New to this band, very interesting, seems that a certain mindset and mood is required to be able to fully grasp the context of the lyrics and the music. It's my opinion that this type of album is meant to put a mirror infront of the listener, inner reflection, pretty deep, depending on your perspective and life experiences. The album art is beautiful, I can certainly relate to living in a cabin, deep in a cosmic frozen wasteland, in my mind.
this album delivered far more than expected. so damn good. their mellow passages are so well together. great compositions. also love the call back to terrestria I at the end of iv
Un album tellement fort et aussi tellement difficile d'approche! il est aussi bon que "where owl knew my name" la facilité à ingurgiter lors de la première écoute en moins. Le cerveau turbine à plein tube et dieu que c'est bon! Bravo Rivers of Nihil!
I was listening to the single and instantly said fuck that I'm not missing out on the bad ass other songs time to put some headphones on and trip out on the tapestry I got from the Up from the Sewers tour. I'm really hoping they play Las Vegas Again. I feel so cheated only hearing 5 songs. Even though they were all Amazing I wanted more.
This thing is just a stone cold prog-metal masterpiece. Took me about 3 full listens for it to click, but once it did....whooooo boy. Congrats on an amazing release!
This album has a lot of singing on it, and I actually really appreciate that. I love both clean and harsh vocals but usually lean towards harsh a little more, this album that's not the case. These guys are trying something new, and it sounds great. My favorite song off the album right now is maybe one day. They killed it, pulled it off really well. I really respect this album, love the experimentation and creativity. Really good stuff here guys. I'm not loving it as much as the last two, but nevertheless I still love this album. Nice change of pace!
Rivers Of Nihil seems to be transitioning a similar way Between The Buried And Me did over the years. This album is fantastic. We've been spoiled these past few months.
If that's the case I hope this is like their Coma Ecliptic and they recover on the next album, don't get me wrong I like it but not as much as I was hoping for.
When a band is able to achieve channeling deep and dark emotions into their music with great composition it becomes far heavier than rest.... sterling album
Am I the only one weirdo that after some listens (really hard album to eject ) I go to the conclusion that work is the scenes from a memory of death metal??? 🤔
Its uncanny the danny elfman and pink floyd feel this album has at moments. This is instantly legendary!! Immediately classic like the Audioslave debut in the early 2000s. This album has timelessness!! Beautiful!
man idk if I just been listening to a lot of blackgaze or something but this hits the same musical beats for me that bands like lantlos and deafheaven do, especially 'Wait' for example, gives me big 'You Without End' vibes. I love it! also its hilarious to me to detail a car at work while having "DOO THE WORK!" screamed in my ear
Blackgaze? Do you like atmo-black and blackgaze bands like Alcest, Ammanoseurs, Harakiri in the sky, Wolves in The Throne Room, Agalloch, Negura Bunget, SAOR, Grima, Put( Pathway)...?
@@mariozd971 i listen to the majority of those bands but this album strikes me most as similar to Deafheaven, Lantlos and Alcest, I quite enjoy both of them, I'm noticing a trend of Metal incorporating slowed down and subtle moments but in a more dynamic way. I know its been happening and that alot of bands always did this even further back, but i'm seeing it in extreme metal more and its really something great
@@happymonkeyfish I like it too but i like old school black metal too, old and the new ones- Gorgoroth, Dissection, Burzum, Immortal, Behemoth, Beherit, Marduk, Satyricon, Enslaved, Dark Funeral, Summoning, Nokturnal Mortum, Graveland, Horna, Goatmoon, Naglfar, Moonsorrow, Angantyr, Mork Gryning, Clandestine Blaze, Deathspell Omega, Sacramentum, Ancient, Darkthrone, Bathory, Djevel, Nordjevel, Blodskut, Craft, Windir, Ofermod, Ov Shadows, Pagan Hellfire, Batushka, Legion, Jarun, Deveneror, Ondskapt, Aegrus, Azazel, Belphegor, Arctos, Beltez, Vreid, Curse Eternal, Dawn, Deitus, Deletere, Cirith Gorgor, Dodskold, Downcross, Gehenna, Hmar, Human Serpent and really many many more. Do you like The Ruins of Beverast and Harakiri in the Sky? Taake too, rhey all have really great albums
PAIN, is THEE commanding essence of life. It can hold is back if we let it, or it can Drive us.Good works here from this extremely talented group. HAIL Thee Eternal Heavy 🔥
Wow. Halfway through the album and I’m not going to list all of the reasons why it’s so good but I will say that the influence of many other bands and genres come through loud and clear and the production “feel” is just crushing it! Great listen and thanks RoN and Metal Blade!🏴☠️
These guys Re on a higher level . I'm a musician guitarist and my hat goes off to them. Brilliant artists. I found this band totally accidentally or was it?
Just listened to this while watching an animal/planet show and it was an experience. The functions of the animals in their harsh environment trying to survive against all odds while simultaneously turning cogs in this great machine only so they get another chance to do it again, the work
This album is supreme, it is on the same level as what Napalm Death did last year with their jewel *Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism*, for me both are the best Extreme Metal release in their respective years. Well, Rivers Of Nihil has proven to be the most ambitious band of the last 15 years.
