Originally set to feature a very different line-up, the Faces of Death Tour was forced to undergo an almost complete overhaul a few months ago when, for a variety of reasons, Archspire, Black Crown Initiate and To The Grave were all forced to withdraw. With their replacements announced in August, the show was back on with the three new supports eager to prove their worth.
It’s been three years since progressive, technical death metal act Rivers of Nihil released the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed Where Owls Know My Name (Metal Blade Records). Three long years which have seen a global pandemic almost bring the entertainment industry to its knees. However, having already set 2020 aside to concentrate on writing, the Coronavirus outbreak only made minor dents in the Pennsylvanians plans and conceptual album The Work (Metal Blade) is the exhilarating and wonderfully confounding result.
Ghost Cult caught up late last fall with drummer Jared Klein of Rivers of Nihil on their sold-out tour of Europe, supporting their stellar 2018 album Where Owls Know My Name (Metal Blade Records). Chatting with our own intrepid correspondent Gary Alcock, Jared discussed touring behind the full-album performance, the benefit of helpful tour mates, ascending to headliner status in a short span of time, their fondness for Conjurer UK, how the band appreciates the healing power of music, Jared on being a singing drummer, and the bands’ progress on new Rivers of Nihil music! Continue reading
With a lengthy and excitable queue having already formed well before the 7 pm opening time, you can already tell heading to Birmingham on a typically drizzly September evening is going to be well worth the effort. After disappearing for a few words with Rivers of Nihil drummer Jared Klein, I arrive back into the previously empty venue to find it heaving with activity. The bar area is already packed, beer flows freely and merchandise is being handed over at an impressive rate.Continue reading
A relationship between Heavy Metal and birds has existed for decades. Representing everything from freedom to patriotism, the mighty eagle has flown free, as high as the sun, and even cried, not to mention appearing in varying degrees of quality on the covers of every Primal Fear album ever. Crows, ravens, and vultures all stand proudly and fiercely Metal, and even the mention of blackbirds and albatrosses has been known to get moshpits moving. Continue reading