LIVE REVIEW: Rivers Of Nihil @ Rebellion, Manchester

The temperature may be plummeting, the nights may be getting colder and the impending recession may be casting a shadow across the nation but if there is light to be found in the darkness let it be this, the first November for two years where we’ve been blessed with bands (both homegrown talent and from overseas) touring across the land. Originally intended for last November, the Faces Of Death Tour (boasting a ludicrous buffet of tech-death treats in the form of RIVERS OF NIHIL, FALLUJAH, ALLEGAEON, INFERI and HARBINGER) arrives at Manchester and despite the temptation of a clash between England and Wales at the winter World Cup in Qatar, Rebellion is sold out for the occasion.

With a healthy number of punters already through the doors, early openers HARBINGER have plenty of eyes gazing towards them as they begin their bludgeoning assault and they succeed in getting the crowd warmed up throughout their short stint on stage. Whilst their craft is left technical than the rest of the bands on the billing, the firepower at HARBINGER posses ensures that the momentum surges as a twin-led assault from guitarists Ben Sutherland and Charlie Griffiths keep the riffs coming and coming whilst new vocalist Dilan Alves shows endless enthusiasm as he prowls the stage and dispatches his range of growls and shrieks with aplomb. A fine outing indeed.

Rating: 8/10

American tech-death wizards INFERI feel right at home on this billing and as they unveil set opener No Gods But Our Flesh it becomes immediately clear that the skill within the band’s ranks is off the charts. Guitarists Malcolm Pugh and Mike Low continuously impress and leave jaws hanging as their complex rhythms intertwine as they twiddle and bend riff after riff, solo after solo as the likes of Maelstrom Prison and Eldritch Evolution are dispatched with the utmost proficiency. Whilst INFERI more than demonstrated that they are technically tight and the level of skill is mightily impressive, there is slight fatigue that permeates at times throughout the set. Fortunately, it’s not enough to derail the band’s impact and although some punters drift away for a refill or smoke break, those front and centre lap up the technical-driven death metal and the appetite is more than whet for what is to follow.

Rating: 7/10

After making their long-awaited debut on European and UK shores before the pandemic, Colorado natives ALLEGAEON have treated our side of the Atlantic like a second home. In a post-pandemic era, their long-awaited return is treated like a homecoming as a now jam-packed Rebellion roars them onto the stage as they unleash set opener; the expansive and elaborative Grey Matter Mechanics – Apassionate Ex Machinea. From there, ALLEGAEON blow the lid of their short time on stage and display a masterclass of melodic-leaning tech death.

Greg Burgess and Michael Stancel‘s dual riffing chugs which continuously prompts waves of heads banging and the technicality of the soloing is world class, especially in set closer Behold (God I Am), a twin barrage of Vermin and Into Embers (taken from this year’s stellar DAMNUM) sound colossal in the live arena and Ezra Haynes looks like he is having the time of his life as he commands the crowd and dispatches his vocals with aplomb. Filling in temporarily for this run following the departure of Riley McShane earlier this year, the original vocalist feels comfortably at home and it’s heart-warming to experience his joy on his maiden tour across our side of the Atlantic. With little to no drop in momentum, ALLEGAEON more than showcased their craft and now, after three successful European outings, a headlining tour must surely be on the cards.

Rating: 10/10

Having released on the year’s strongest records in Empyrean, there is great anticipation surrounding FALLUJAH. Those familiar with the Bay Area natives know that their blend of atmospherics and tech-death is a match made in heaven, but for the fresh-faced, their minds are truly blown as the band leave jaws rooted firmly on the floor as they explode into life with The Void Alone. In the time since last album, 2019’s Undying Light, the band have undergone a shift in personnel, but any signs of teething problems is completely void as the Manchester crowd are treated to a breathtaking performance.

Naturally, the bulk of the material on offer is from the aforementioned Empyrean and the way in which it holds up to decorated past material like the crushing Carved From Stone or the speedy Amber Gaze demonstrates that this iteration of FALLUJAH is still keeping strides with the band of days gone by. A triple whammy of Radiant Ascension, Embrace Oblivion and Into The Eventide is the icing on the cake as the band unshackle the chains and really let loose, with Into The Eventide showcases guitar maestro Scott Carstairs at his technical best. Lineup changes can make or break a band, but on evidence of their outing in Manchester, Fallujah are still alive and kicking.

Rating: 9/10

Lineup changes seems to be in the drinking water of this tour’s billing as HARBINGER, ALLEGAEON and FALLUJAH all testify. Headliners RIVERS OF NIHIL didn’t dodge this either, with the sudden departure of long-standing vocalist Jake Dieffenbach coming prior to the tour kicking off. As such, bassist Adam Biggs has stepped up to the role of frontman and largely, he successfully navigates the challenge. Granted, the absence of Dieffenbach is noticeable as Biggs remains rooted to his position on stage in order to dispatch both bass and vocals, rather than prowl and command the stage as his former bandmate did oh so well, but Biggs‘ effectively leads the line and his range of screams and growls sound just fine: especially in a thundering rendition of The Silent Life.

In previous outings to Manchester, RIVERS OF NIHIL have delivered performances that linger long in the memory, with a full album performance of Where Owls Know My Name in 2019 being the first that springs to mind. This time round, the band fall just ever so short of their lofty standards, but it still proves to be a strong performance. Material from last year’s The Work still sounds absolutely massive live, with Focus and MORE? And The Void From Which No Sound Escapes all showcasing the band’s potency for top tier technical death metal, and A Home is an early highlight as the densely packed crowd erupts with sheer euphoria throughout. RIVERS OF NIHIL haven’t had the easiest of times in recent months, but with an adoring fanbase behind them, and enough expertise within their ranks, they have the chops to embrace this next phase of their life.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Manchester from Jess Robinson here: 

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