Pennsylvania death metal act Rivers of Nihil made quite a statement with their 2012 debut The Conscious Seed of Light, and it's taken them a few years and a couple of line-up changes to regroup and put together their Metal Blade Records follow-up, titled Monarchy. Constant touring seems to have also helped quite a bit, as Monarchy shows the band have tightened up their musical skills even further, with the emphasis on technical arrangements yet featuring plenty of groove and atmosphere. What's great about this band is they don't bash you over the head with their technical ability (widdly widdly shredding this ain't), but these songs are still just complex enough yet the arrangements breathe thanks to the heaping amounts of atmosphere thanks to some keyboards and lilting guitar textures. "Sand Baptism" and "Reign of Dreams" are perfect examples of this, bludgeoning songs that offer up relentless riffage and pummeling drums blasts yet dripping with ominous atmosphere. And let me tell you, these riffs here are mean as all hell, courtesy of Brody Uttley & Jon Topore, both of whom know how to deliver a non-stop barrage of massive crunch, technical interplay, as well as blazing leads. Jake Dieffenbach has a mighty roar, as he spews his hatred over the crushing "Dehydrate" and the more technical, yet groove laden title track. The real surprise here is the wonderful instrumental "Terrestria II: Thrive", a real progressive gem with all sorts of fascinating musical nuggets that shows the true depth of talent this band has. "Circles in the Sky" also allows the prog themes to come forward, as it features some tasty jazz passages from bassist Adam Biggs, silky guitar solos, ethereal keyboards, as well as intricate rhythms and massive riffs.
Monarchy is going to be a pure delight for any fan of progressive death metal, so make sure you go out and pick yourself up a copy, as well as check the band out on tour with Hate Eternal, Misery Index, and Beyond Creation.
Track Listing
- Heirless
- Perpetual Growth Machine
- Reign of Dreams
- Sand Baptism
- Ancestral, I
- Dehydrate
- Monarchy
- Terrestria II: Thrive
- Circles in the Sky
- Suntold
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