The Work - Rivers of Nihil

I don't think metal is quite as popular as I think sometimes. I sit here turning this album on so I can play it again while I write a quick review (on Spotify)... and I notice that only three songs off this album cracked a million plays - which are the three with music videos. Crazy, because those three double if not triple the listen of the others. There are definitely hundreds of thousands of listens per track, but in my mind Rivers is one of the forerunners of metal right now... but maybe not? Lorna shore has tracks off their new record, literally just a week ago that have over 3 million, one at 1.2 million, and one at 7.7 million. Holy crap. The song "Sun//Eater" off of Pain Remains has 28.8 million plays.

Well enough of that. It's not that I don't like or respect Lorna Shore, but that's not what this is about. It's about the album The Work... which is a very bizarre album just in general. This isn't an album where I question if it's metal... it absolutely is, however it goes in all sorts of directions - acoustic tracks, the sax is back and more integrated into the music, and all the songs are far more experimental. I write this review after their self titled came out in 2025 - and even in comparison, the self titled is a much more straight forward album.

Alright, after a rant and a quick introduction, let's go into it.

Yes, it has music. Next section.

All jokes aside, there's a ton here. I could talk quite a bit about it. I am actually just going to nail short paragraphs here of all the instruments in a moment, but I want to appreciate here a moment the songwriting on the album. There are movements and periods on this album that made me feel very uncomfortable (in a good way), metal songs that made me tear up, and things that challenge everything that you are expecting it to be. There are a few straight forward songs such as MORE?, Clean, Dreaming Black Clockwork, but that's kind of where it ends. We have strange two minute interludes with bizarre guitar tones, we have songs with static noise and weird devolutions. The songs Wait and Maybe One Day are mostly acoustic, or rather light compared to a "technical death metal" band. Is it progressive? I don't know. All I know is when I hear songs like The Void..., Terrestria IV, Focus, and Episode, it's clear there was a lot of love and care... or depression that went into it.

Elephant in the room: the saxophone is back. What I appreciate about it here is that it doesn't just have a couple of solos; it is integrated well into the music when they put it in there. They give room for it to breath, which is really cool.

Guitars - for what some would describe as a "technical death metal" band (yes I keep using quotes on purpose), there's a very distinguished notice of not... fast, complex, and extremely difficult to digest playing. In fact, most of the album from the guitar standpoint is rather simple. It's catchy, memorable, and they're choosing chords and melodies that fit the song and everything in between. Yes there's a few solos, but they aren't giant shreddy displays of prowess; they are melodically driven. They tell a story. Also, pretty sure on Maybe One Day, that they're using a 12 string acoustic. I will also include bass here. It plays support VERY well. It pops out here and there for a good show, and then it goes back to support. This is one of the albums where it's an unsung hero - if the bass were to be removed from the album, the whole thing would fall apart. There would be no movement.

Now what is technical are the drums. I want to say the guy's name is Jared (not entirely sure, I could look it up, but I'll probably forget to write the rest of this review). There's something about his playing that is unique. I am sure those who listen give him a ton of love and it's well deserved. His playing is very heavy on the progressive side. I don't hear a ton of "typical" beats in the music; he's always adding flares, style, and trippy fills into the songs. He's also very selective on when he uses his double bass... and this is apparent on Owls and the self-titled as well. What I mean is when he goes into drill or blast mode, the whole song changes, and you FEEL it rather than hear it.

Alright, last thing before lyrics; vocals. We have multiple singers here. We have the main screamer, but also the backup screamer, who also does a heavy amount of clean singing, and most of the high vocals on the album are the drummer. Yes. The crazy drummer I just talked about. Much like the songwriting, the vocals are well tuned on the album. Kudos to the producer on this record. I don't think whoever mixed this record could've done a better job with the vocals. He not only placed them perfectly, but he got the harmonies spot on, and the volume of vocals in different spots actually makes this album even better.

Are absolutely NOT for the faint of heart. This album is good, but also exactly how I like my lyrics; insightful, confusing, and extremely relatable to the dark side of life. This whole album could be described lyrically on questioning what work we're doing, why, and what it costs us. Let me just drop a few lines here for you.

I let this season get to me
(And it's my fault)
I let them take it all away
There's no use in all this guilt surrounding us
Pick up your feet, let's go

All we do is dream of you
We just work to make it true

My body, my pride, once radiant insight
I figured all this focus, had just been given to me
So set in stone; intention, but this isn't my decision to make
I thought that all this purpose, was just mine to take

When the fires fade
And the river's dry
When you speak my name
Like a weighted sigh

Why don't you hear
The whisper in the void?
That we made real today

But I don't want this
I don't even know your name
You want more but it's all the same

I just see the turning of gears now
I can see the flaws in the machinery
I can make it work and I can show you how
I just needed someone to believe in me

... okay one more.

Hey, I think it's better if I go
There's only so much that we can grow
You said it's all in my mind
But I think I'll let it go this time

I love a good chunk of the lyrics on this album, but be warned here, if you can't tell by reading some of those selective pieces there, it's not an uplifting album. It's full of pain, misery, and hopelessness. It's about suffering in general. Many of the songs have the phrase "Do the work" in it, usually paired with some hopelessness. About relationship work, about working during pain, the fact they couldn't make things work, working for money and greedy folks.

I find it hyper relatable. I wouldn't consider this very poetic, but it's very direct. It asks a lot of questions and it puts the pain front and center. It spends half the album describing how our work is pointless, not for us, and breaking down in the midst of it. Despite the work, things end.

I made this far longer than I expected to be, but I had a lot to say. This album is a trip to depression lane... which is the beauty of it honestly. When I am feeling really down, sad, or miserable, I often turn this album on and feel like I am not alone in the world with the way I feel.

It raises so many questions about why we do what we do and the purpose of our work in general. It also showcases the struggles and pain we deal with as general humans traversing this world.

Along with all of that, you get this highly varied album, which I love. I know I mentioned Lorna Shore in the beginning, and while I haven't heard their new album, I've heard their previous, and I find that a lot of it has a similar vibe, similar setup, and it's most of the time extreme to the max. Which is really cool, but I like albums more like the The Work, where I might get a smooth section with some sax, an acoustic song, or a heavy tune I can headbang to.

Listen to it. At least give it one chance.