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David Davidson: Guitars / Vocals
Dan Gargiulo: Guitars / Vocals
Brett Bamberger: Bass / Vocals
Ash Pearson: Drums

Having delivered five killer albums boasting some of the most potent, technical and abrasive metal unleashed over the last decade, it would be easy for Revocation to sit back and rest upon their laurels. However, with their constant drive to push their sound ever forward and refusal to compromise their integrity, this could never be the case – and Great Is Our Sin is their most dynamic, boundary-pushing and weighty release to date. For vocalist/guitarist Dave Davidson, the goal has never been about trying to please others. “Thinking critically about my own style and being self-motivated has had a very strong impact on me as a musician and songwriter. We try not to think too much about extraneous forces when we’re writing so we can focus on creating music for ourselves first and foremost.“

Hitting the road with 2014′s Deathless, the band shared stages with the likes of Crowbarand the mighty Cannibal Corpse, drawing in legions of new fans. When it came time to follow it up, the quartet – rounded out by guitarist Dan Gargiulio, bassist Brett Bamberger, and recently recruited drummer Ash Pearson – had their work cut out for them, and their response to the challenge is a record that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. Never forcing anything, the songs that would comprise Great Is Our Sin came together organically, and while the members being spread all around North America would have been an impediment to some, Revocation drew strength from it. “Writing comes pretty naturally for us, but logistics are more of an issue since everyone lives in different places. Ash would fly in from Vancouver, and he and I would jam together at our practice space in Boston. We didn’t have the luxury of getting together to jam whenever we felt like it, but in a way I think it actually made us more focused, since we had to make the most of our time together and not procrastinate. Added to that, Ash is an incredible player and he has a really diverse style which we’ve utilized a lot on the album. He can really go off behind the kit, playing some very intense technical stuff, as well as bringing in some more diverse elements drawn from his influences outside the metal realm.” Reuniting with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Bleeding Through), who also helmed Deathless and 2012′s Teratogenesis EP, the record packs the requisite punch, yet retains the organic feel with which it was conceived. Known for their technical prowess, the band remained dedicated to upping the ante without ever losing sight of the importance of good songwriting. Opener “Arbiters Of The Apocalypse” makes this abundantly clear, blending together breakneck thrash, crunching death metal flavors, plenty of visceral fret abuse as well as compelling yet unforced melodies. While they rarely hold back the aggression, it is very much pushed to the fore on the likes of “Communion” and “Copernican Heresy”, which are as savage as the band have ever sounded. However, they also retain and build upon the proggier aspects of their sound, as well as embracing triumphant “fist-in-the-air” moments, most notably on the chorus of “Arbiters” and the blistering solo that slashes through “Crumbling Imperium”. “We’ve always had a bit of a prog element to our sound, I think we’ve all just gotten better as musicians so we feel more comfortable pushing the envelope even more than before,” Davidson states. “Likewise, I try to write melodies and solos that aesthetically fit the mood of the part, and for me both those sections needed something really epic sounding, especially on the ‘Arbiters’ chorus. I was initially planning on screaming for that part, but the riff felt very anthemic to me, so I came up with a melody that was more in line with the triumphant nature of it.” That legendary shredder Marty Friedman unleashes a solo on “The Exaltation” was a dream come true for Davidson, and certainly gives the track an extra kick in the pants. “Marty has always been a huge influence on me and is someone I really respect. His solo on ‘The Exaltation’ has all the elements that I love in his playing, especially the element of surprise.“

While the songs come together to make for a cohesive record that is engaging from front to back, they are further united by the lyrical concept penned by Davidson. The title itself appropriated from Charles Darwin’s quote: “If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin“, Davidson went about building a theme that was not only fittingly expansive, but also had real resonance with regard to contemporary society. “The concept revolves around the folly of man throughout the ages. Some themes come from historical references that are hundreds of years old, yet sadly these themes are still very relevant today due to mankind’s refusal to learn from the lessons history has taught us, time and time again.” To this end, the vocalist tackles issues such as political corruption and the buying and selling of lawmakers on “Only The Spineless Survive”, while on “Theatre Of Horror” he reflects on the place of public execution in Medieval times, and the manner in which it was supposed to shock and entertain the populace. Furthermore, he vents his anger and frustrations over the very real problems presented by climate change on epic closer “Cleaving The Ice Giants”, and the aptly titled “Monolithic Ignorance”.

Regardless of the state of the world, nothing is going to slow Revocation down any time soon. Whilst the lineup has changed over the ten years the band has been in existence, Davidson’s passion has never waned, and they are arguably sounding better than ever as they look toward the future. “We can’t wait to bring these songs out on the road and perform them for different audiences all over the world. ‘Great Is Our Sin’ is a new chapter for the band, and collectively we feel that it is our defining record to date.”

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Jake Dieffenbach: Vocals
Brody Uttley: Guitar
Jon Topore- Guitar
Adam Biggs: Bass / Vocals
Jared Klein: Drums

Forget everything you think you know about Rivers of Nihil. The Reading, PA quintet announced themselves as one of the most promising and forward-thinking metal bands in the world today with their first two releases, The Conscious Seed of Light (2013) and Monarchy (2015). But on March 16th, 2018, they will shatter all expectations with their third full-length, Where Owls Know My Name.

Whereas Seed and Monarchy were thematically centered around spring and summer, respectively, Where Owls Know My Name represents the fall. And although that season is usually associated with death, for Rivers of Nihil, the autumn serves as a rebirth. Formed in 2009 by guitarist Brody Uttley, bassist/lyricist Adam Biggs, and vocalist Jake Dieffenbach, Rivers of Nihil quickly made a name for themselves in the death metal scene, attracting the attention of legendary DM titan Erik Rutan. Rutan, revered for his work as both a musician (Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel) and producer (Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore), insisted on recording The Conscious Seed of Light. The results were, unsurprisingly, spectacular, with Heavy Blog Is Heavy going so far as to assert that the debut “rivals even the most legendary work of some of [Rivers of Nihil’s] peers and influences.” They continued along this trajectory with Monarchy, which Metal Injection praised as an “incredibly striking” demonstration of how “Rivers of Nihil have evolved into a monster.“

The group further cemented their reputation as a young band to watch by annihilating audiences with their live show, which Metal Wani called “a mind numbing force of modern death metal with a vivid darkness in the sound.” To date, Rivers of Nihil have toured with such heavy hitters as Whitechapel, Obituary, Darkest Hour, Misery Index, and Cryptopsy.

But Where Owls Know My Name represents a massive evolutionary leap for Rivers of Nihil, as different from its predecessors as Homo sapiens are from amoeba. The band – now rounded out by guitarist Jon Topore and drummer Jared Klein – has delivered an album which is often just as punishing as its predecessors while assimilating ingredients from musical genres as varied as electronica, jazz, alternative, folk, and the golden age of Shrapnel Records. The resulting music is indescribably progressive, a multifaceted soundscape that goes beyond the wildest dreams of even the group’s most ardent admirers. All bets are off; listeners are simply not prepared for the magnum opus that is Where Owls Know My Name.

Says Brody Uttley of the offering:
“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 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.“

Where Owls Know My Name reunites Rivers of Nihil with Monarchy producer Carson Slovak, known for his work with a diverse array of bands, ranging from August Burns Red to The Last Ten Seconds of Life to Candlebox. It was recorded in 2017 at Pennsylvania’s Atrium Audio, the studio Slovak co-founded with Grant McFarland (Texas in July, Everclear) a decade ago.

Also reuniting with Rivers of Nihil once again is Dan Seagrave, the storied artist behind such celebrated album covers as Entombed‘s Left Hand Path and Suffocation‘s Effigy of the Forgotten. For Where Owls Know My Name, Seagrave has provided a characteristically stunning illustration. Painted entirely in rich earth tones, the cover anthropomorphizes our planet as a morose old man forever intertwined with a desolate landscape and imposing sky, the line between humanity and its home forever blurred. The existential angst of Seagrave’s piece once again serves as a perfect mirror for Rivers of Nihil‘s music.

Where Owls Know My Name is Rivers of Nihil‘s most visceral, accomplished, and satisfying offering to-date. Few metal bands will ever create anything with such scope and ambition. Circle the date on your calendar: on March 16, Where Owls Know My Namebecomes your new obsession.

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