Rivers of Nihil "Where Owls Know My Name" Album Review

Sometimes you gotta dig deep to remember the good times. Rivers of Nihil released their magnum opus, "Where Owls Know My Name," back in 2018, and it was a good time for me. I was younger, and discovering new music was exciting like never before. At that time, I had never heard of Rivers of Nihil. After taking one look at the magnificent album cover and the band's logo, I realized I was stepping into a different, more abstract, and extreme territory.

I was totally right. I listened to "Owls" before I listened to anything else from the band, and I was blown away. It was heavy, emotional, technical, and overall a mesmerizing experience. After digging deep into their discography, I came to realize that "Owls" might be their most accessible and emotional record. While 2013's "The Conscious Seed of Light" and 2015's "Monarchy" reflect their indisputable musicianship, they've never crafted a monster of a record like "Owls." Creating an emotional journey like this takes time and courage, and you can clearly see how they grew after their misstep with "Monarchy."

Musically, "Owls" experiments with different sounds, creating an atmosphere the band had never been able to create before. While the instrumental performances shine, the core element of this record is their melodies, calling you from a place that God has forbidden. The order in their dissonance and how they managed to control their aggression is grasping. I have to admit, some of the riffs on this record fall behind all the other creative moments. It's like the riffs are not the load-bearing columns of the record like in so many other heavy records. However, while this is a clear downside, it didn't affect my journey through "Owls." Jared Klein was a new member at that time, and I think the ambition you hear on the drums is just because of this. While the compositions he chooses feel overwhelming and make the mixing sound more complicated than it is sometimes, it's undeniable that his performance is a prime example of tech-death drumming. "Old Nothing" is a clear example of this. While the song does not contain so many subtle changes, "Subtle Change" does! The mid-record composition attack "Subtle Change" might be one of the most confusing yet mesmerizing songs I've witnessed in a while. As I listened to the record over and over again to remember what to write about it, I saw it once again. It might be hard to focus on what's going on with back-to-back transitions from traditional heavy metal parts to tech-death madness and the unexpected Dream Theater section by the 6th minute mark. However, the feeling of embarking on a journey beats all the odds and makes the song one of the clear highlights.

"Where Owls Know My Name" is a clear highlight and a brilliant step forward for Rivers of Nihil. In my humble opinion, it was the first time in their career that they achieved creating a complete album. While some parts of the record feel a bit overwhelming due to the runtime of the songs and limited riffs compared to the rest of the performances and elements, "Owls" is a complete record. The vibe and progression they created with the short intro piece "Cancer / Moonspeak" carry throughout the record. Experimentations around different sounds and memorable moments with tasty saxophone additions create attention-grabbing moments, and those moments are sprinkled evenly throughout the record to create a complete feeling. While there are many highlights on "Owls," one piece has particularly stayed with me after six years. "Where Owls Know My Name" does its job as a title track very well and becomes a clear highlight among other strong pieces. The progression within it, the sax solo at the 2-minute mark, and the atmosphere it breathes life into... It's still easily the best song they've ever created.

Despite its dragging points and uneven individual moments, "Owls" is a perfect example of a progressive death metal record. It exceeded all expectations when it was released and still creates new ones every time the band announces something new.

Highlights:

• The Silent Life

• A Home

• Old Nothing

• Subtle Change (Including the Forest of Transition and Dissatisfaction Dance)

• Where Owls Know My Name

Rating: 8.5 / 10

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