Let the chips fall where they may. Rivers Of Nihil flows to the fall season with their third album, Where Owls Know My Name. Their first two albums centered on spring and summer and while the fall is known to be associated with death, Where Owls Know My Name is a rebirth. Their technical death metal dominates the music, however a few curveballs are thrown in with the use of saxophones (!), keyboards, and acoustic sections. This isn’t just another tech death record; Where Owls Know My Name has a flair of class to it and the Owl takes its spot at #13 on our countdown.

Where Owls Know My Name reunites Rivers Of Nihil with Monarchy producer Carson Slovak (August Burns Red, The Last Ten Seconds of Life) and Dan Seagrave, the storied artist behind such celebrated album covers as Entombed's Left Hand Path and Suffocation's Effigy of the Forgotten. The result is the Reading, PA quintet's most visceral, accomplished, and satisfying offering to-date.

Guitarist Brody Uttley comments: 

"This record is Rivers Of Nihil being exactly who we want to be. Many bands get stuck in a comfortable routine of releasing the same album over and over again. Constantly relying on the same familiar formula may work for some bands, but it does not work for us. Music is art, and art is ever-changing. Without change, there is no progress. Without progress, the very fire that powers art and expression will die. This record is the sound of where we come from, where we are, and where we are going." 

Adds bassist/vocalist Adam Biggs: 

"This time around, the lyrics feel a little more personal than on previous albums. The story picks up several millennia after the events of 'Monarchy', where one person still remains alive, chosen by the planet to be the sole intelligent witness of its ultimate fate. But 'Where Owls Know My Name' is less about overarching narrative than our previous albums. The scenario is just a backdrop for the more emotional material we tried to put forth this time around. Ultimately, this is an album about loss, getting older, and reaching a point where death becomes a much more present part of your life."