Rivers of Nihil - The Work (2021) Hi-Res

Like many modern extreme metal bands, Pennsylvanian ensemble Rivers of Nihil have been steadily integrating more progressive elements and clean singing into their habitually vicious formula. 2018’s Where Owls Know My Name was an excellent example of that, and unsurprisingly, follow-up The Work goes even further in terms of balancing heavy and light elements amidst its laudable conceptual scope and emphasis on reprised motifs. Thus, it’s easily the group’s most cinematic, tantalizing, and striving sequence to date, as well as one of 2021’s best metal albums so far.