Rivers of Nihil

Kardashev – Liminal Rite Review

Kardashev – Liminal Rite Review

By Carcharodon on June 8, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Doom, Death Metal, Post-Metal, 175 comments

“In the year that was 2020—you know, that year—I stumbled across an EP by an unsigned band from Arizona. That EP was The Baring of Shadows by Kardashev, an absolutely devastating record about harrowing heartache and managing mourning. Combining elements of black and post-metal with progressive death, Kardashev’s self-styled deathgaze casually sauntered to #5 on my 2020 List despite only comprising four tracks, one of which (“Snow-Sleep”) also took my Song o’ the Year spot. It seems I wasn’t the only one Kardashev impressed. It was announced in January 2021 that the quartet had signed to Metal Blade. To say I was pumped for the sophomore full-length would be something of an understatement.” Fanboy summer.

Rivers of Nihil – The Work Review

Rivers of Nihil – The Work Review

By Kronos on September 20, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 45 comments

“Following Kronos’ law of increasing hippietude, Rivers of Nihil have slowly softened their deathcore- and djent- influenced progressive death metal in order to embrace their more sensitive side. Their last record, Where Owls Know My Name, saw this softening succeed, the band now not too far removed from prog metal standbys Between the Buried and Me, sans the hyperactivity. Owls twined the band’s inherited heft and emotional valence into a few very strong songs and a respectable album, proof that the hippiefication process is not all bad. The Work takes it one puff further, balancing every moment of death metal intensity with one or two of chill prog.” Hip and sprawl.

Burial in the Sky – The Consumed Self Review

Burial in the Sky – The Consumed Self Review

By Kronos on August 10, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 28 comments

“In my travels I have run across a handful of large nocturnal birds, and when I do so I am sure to ask them who their favorite Pennsylvania-based progressive death metal band is. As any fan of the genre would expect, they invariably give the same reply: Alustrium. Wise, indeed, but their distant, diurnal relatives have keyed me in to a different group who slake their hunger: Philadelphia’s Burial in the Sky.” Birds die in the sky.

The Lylat Continuum – Ephemeral Review

The Lylat Continuum – Ephemeral Review

By El Cuervo on February 15, 2021 in Reviews, Psychedelic Rock, Technical Death Metal, 11 comments

“This review is testament to the power of the pre-release single. I was immediately intrigued by the description “blending proggy death metal with psychedelic ambient breaks” and its atypical approach to death metal fulfilled this description. I specifically sought out the release in the promo swamp, dredging it up from between the smelly stoner doom and fetid black metal ordinarily infesting it. Denver’s The Lylat Continuum have brewed their potion for a number of years before releasing Ephemeral, their debut album, and it’s nothing if not inventive.” Hype and regret.

Black Crown Initiate – Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape Review

Black Crown Initiate – Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape Review

By Saunders on August 11, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, 49 comments

“Black Crown Initiate began their career with such promise and explosiveness with the one-two punch of their Song of the Crippled Bull EP and The Wreckage of Stars LP, that the more experimental and progressive 2016 album, Selves We Cannot Forgive, was a minor disappointment. Although a solid album with scattered high points, a lack of cohesion and mixed experimentation found the album falling short of expectations. Nevertheless, Black Crown Initiate remain a talented entity in the modern progressive death landscape. Following a four year period since their sophomore release, the band return with the anticipated Violent Portraits of Doomed Escape.” Progress and devolve.

Outer Heaven – Realms of Eternal Decay Review

Outer Heaven – Realms of Eternal Decay Review

By Mark Z. on October 15, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, 66 comments

“Outer Heaven is a Pennsylvania death metal quintet who sound like every loogie you’ve ever hocked up coming to life and bursting out of your toilet while you’re taking a shit. After being floored by their “Into Hellfire” single earlier this year, I’m pleased to admit their Realms of Eternal Decay debut more than lives up to the strange and wonderful world of Metal Gear – even if the connection is in name only.” Solid.

Burial in the Sky – Creatio et Hominus Review

Burial in the Sky – Creatio et Hominus Review

By Kronos on June 8, 2018 in 2018, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Releases, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 99 comments

“Of all places, Pennsylvania has seen a strange upwelling of prog-death bands in recent years. It started with the much-maligned Rivers of Nihil, gained momentum with Black Crown Initiate, and finally got going with Alustrium. Burial in the Sky jumped aboard with their 2016 LP Persistence of Thought, an album very much in the progressive vein of those groups, tying in bits of classic prog-death a la Atheist and Cynic with the tropes of core-polluted modern death metal.” Penn-death.

Colosso – Obnoxious Review

Colosso – Obnoxious Review

By Kronos on September 2, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, Portuguese Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, 34 comments

“Colosso occupy a strange perch in the metal world. While they’re obviously huge Meshuggah fans, their groovy, mid-paced metal is a far cry from the tech-prog peddled by djent bands. Yet the group’s history fits the bill quite well, beginning as a one-man band before gradually accruing members to flesh out their current sound.” More members do not a success make.