KILL SCREEN 065: For Adam Biggs of RIVERS OF NIHIL, the Fantasy is Something However Last

Honestly, this interview nearly didn’t occur. Our dialog with Adam Biggs, bassist and now vocalist for progressive pummelers Rivers of Nihil, has been within the works for months. After bandmate and former participant character Brody Uttley directed the frontman in direction of the Kill Display screen arcade’s neon glow firstly of 2025, plans had been made to hyperlink up at a U.Okay. cease throughout their European tour in March. Because of notoriously dodgy venue wi-fi, nevertheless, the one spot within the constructing that provided any form of service ended up being—of all locations—the mens’ room. Sparing our visitor the indignity, our chat was placed on pause till the group returned house. Scheduling conflicts continued to come up and with mere days left earlier than heading out on a headliner throughout the U.S., the co-nerds lastly caught up with Biggs—calling in from the again of a van parked in a shopping mall parking zone. Fortunately, a minimum of, the wi-fi was higher.

It’s removed from an unusual expertise shared in earlier installments of this column, however Biggs is an extremely busy man. Because the profile of the band grows following the discharge of their current self-titled LP, balancing music with household life could make FromSoft seem like Cookie Clicker. Regardless of this, gaming continues to be not simply current, however an important a part of the equation each creatively and emotionally. Together with his Nintendo Swap in hand, the lengthy stretches of time touring from stage to stage, metropolis to metropolis, nation to nation presents our topic the possibility to show off the skin world and tune into the expansive pixelated lands which have held quick to his creativeness for years. His digital days are completely different, not over, and we admire him taking what little time he has to share his digitized notion.

In search of a bit of additional DLC from this dialogue? Remember to decide up the most recent problem of Decibel (dB250/August 2025) to study what position storytelling performs within the bassist’s appreciation of recent day video games.

What was your first gaming expertise?
I’ve been taking part in video video games technically since earlier than I can keep in mind as a result of my older sister had an NES in the home. She obtained it I feel earlier than I used to be born or after I was a little bit child. There was at all times a recreation of Tremendous Mario occurring in the home and it was one thing that I obtained instantly drawn to. It was a household factor—we might simply move the controller round and see what number of goombas we might stomp out.

Was it a standard household prevalence for you or was this simply if you had been actually little youngsters after which she form of grew out of it?
There have been some instances, however as soon as we obtained into the Sega Genesis period, my dad and mom positively didn’t contact it. My sister would play some Sonic [the Hedgehog] once in a while, however that was largely my factor. As soon as we stepped right into a second technology of video video games, my dad and mom simply misplaced curiosity totally. [Laughs] It was good instances, hitting the video retailer, renting something I might discover on Genesis. That was a great variety of years. However yeah, video video games grew to become completely my factor for probably the most half in the home round that point.

Was there a specific first title that was like, “That is my recreation”?
It’s onerous to say as a result of after I obtained a Genesis, I may need been 8 years previous, 9 years previous possibly. I used to be in on all of the hype. I used to be like, “Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario however sooner, blast processing? Let’s go!” A variety of that instantly didn’t attraction to my dad and mom. They had been like, “This hedgehog has method an excessive amount of perspective. I’m far more comfy with plumbers leaping on mushrooms and stuff.” [Laughs] Which, for some cause, it is sensible.

What have you ever been taking part in these days and what are the video games that you just sometimes choose to play?
Recently these days, I’ve not been taking part in a lot in any respect as a result of I reserve most of my gaming time for once we’re on tour. At house, I’m working, I’m with my youngsters, squeezing in follow time late at evening after everyone goes to mattress. There’s not a lot time for video games occurring till we get on the highway and every little thing’s settled, after which I can veg out and play Swap for hours. On that final European run we did, I obtained actually sick at one level which was horrible, however I used to be simply in my bunk taking part in Swap always. I performed via total runs of some video games. I feel I performed Batman: Arkham Metropolis and Arkham Knight on the Swap. [Sarcastically] That Arkham Knight port is gorgeous on the Swap. [Laughs] It’s possibly one of many worst operating video games I’ve ever performed in my life, but it surely’s nonetheless enjoyable someway. I similar to Batman lots and I like that recreation.

And I performed Last Fantasy VII begin to end within the bunk as nicely. It was good to revisit that. It’s at all times good to revisit video games like that from my previous. I first performed it after I was in, like, sixth or seventh grade. It was an ongoing venture for a number of years. And now, I’m like, What’s the gameplay perform of this? after which simply rip it aside and go actual quick via it. The thriller of every little thing is a little bit shaved down, but it surely’s enjoyable. It was positively quite a lot of enjoyable doing that.

You’re speaking about some completely different eras of video games as nicely. Do you consciously make a option to play some older stuff and a few current stuff to combine it up?
I’ve been taking part in video games my complete life. I really feel lucky. I wasn’t born on the roots of gaming, however NES is a reasonably good place to begin I really feel so far as the tradition of gaming at massive is worried. I’ve that perspective of, That is the roots of actually business house gaming. I’ve gone via each period and picked out my spots of what I discover enjoyable. I really feel like because it occurs with quite a lot of issues if you begin to get a little bit older, trendy video games have drifted from me a little bit bit. There have been a complete bunch of various eras and I actually admire basic stuff from nearly any period which you could describe. The PS1 period is nice, issues like Tomb Raider and Last Fantasy and a complete bunch of stuff from that period. That’s large stuff. A bit of bit later, we began stepping into retro revival gaming. They began making new 8-bit video games and new 16-bit video games and that I believed was actually enjoyable when it stopped all being about how good every little thing appears to be like. They made new Mega Man video games. That basically drew me again in for some time. After I speak about gaming as a contemporary factor, possibly with any person a little bit youthful, I hear them speaking about Overwatch or Marvel Rivals, stuff like that, actually intense on-line expertise form of video games and I’m similar to, “That’s not me.” [Laughs] I’m a single-player man. It’s wonderful to see what number of completely different genres of gamer have developed through the years. Everyone performed Tremendous Mario and Tetris after I was a child, and now in the event you’re a gamer, that may imply so many alternative issues.

Past nostalgia, what’s it concerning the PS1 period that you just really feel these video games obtained proper that trendy gaming has form of misplaced alongside the way in which?
I feel Sony and people builders on the time had been pushing onerous to be like, “This has to be the long run.” Bringing video games right into a 3D house is only a complete different rung of the ladder. I feel it took quite a lot of braveness and quite a lot of thought to make gaming work in that 3D house. It’s not only a cartridge and a little bit man operating throughout the display screen anymore. There’s that push to make issues extra cinematic and extra grownup. It combines on this method that possibly on its face it’s clunky and awkward, however I feel the video games that do get it proper, you possibly can inform the builders had been like, “What makes a recreation enjoyable to play?” they usually nonetheless protect that form of factor.

It’s form of onerous to level at examples within the PS1 period which you could utterly wipe nostalgia from it and be like, “Yeah, this can be a good recreation.” [Laughs] Even in the event you love Resident Evil, you play Resident Evil 1 and 2 and also you’re going to be like, “I really like this recreation! These controls are…” [Laughs] I really like the environment, I even love the story and every little thing, however the controls will gradual you down. It’s that quite a lot of instances. However you possibly can see how by the tip of the PS1 period, you’re taking part in one thing that’s tremendous clunky like Resident Evil, however then you definitely decide up Spyro the Dragon and that feels prefer it has the bones of actually trendy platforming, they figured it out. Being alongside for that have was a extremely cool factor, I feel.

I feel that’s form of a luxurious that everyone on this name has. We obtained to be there to see that transition, the place quite a lot of youthful folks now haven’t solely existed in a world that at all times had video games, however at all times had these hyper-polished, tremendous tight [experiences].
Actually something is feasible! Like a Grand Theft Auto V, you possibly can actually journey via a complete state in a online game. That’s why I obtained so into Last Fantasy video games after I was a child—as a result of I preferred the explorative aspect. After I was youthful and nonetheless on NES and Tremendous Nintendo, I used to be obsessive about [The Legend of] Zelda due to the little discoverable components. The unbridled pleasure of discovery is after they construct that world in there. It was that there’s little breadcrumbs. You go from a Zelda factor and then you definitely go to a Last Fantasy factor—it’s a little bit bit larger and a little bit bit larger. After which hastily you’re at Grand Theft Auto and all these open world video games the place the map is large and it’s full of cool stuff, hopefully.

Like Baldur’s Gate 3, a recreation the place you’ll by no means have the identical expertise twice.
I heard that was actually good, and I performed the primary two on PC after I was a child. I didn’t have quite a lot of PC video games, however Baldur’s Gate was considered one of them. That recreation again within the day blew my thoughts, simply having to open this large booklet stuffed with CDs. Should you go right into a city, you need to put in this disc and stuff. I used to be horrible at it as a result of I didn’t perceive hardcore RPG mechanics, but it surely was a little bit too grownup for me on the time. I’ve thought of testing Baldur’s Gate 3, but it surely’s not on the Swap most likely. [Laughs] I’d deal with myself to a Swap 2 when that comes out. Perhaps they’ll port a few of these extra trendy issues over.

[At the time of this interview,] you’re gearing as much as hit the highway with Holy Fawn, Inter Arma, and Glacial Tomb. Do you typically run into any players? We all know of a minimum of one nerd that you just’re going to be sharing the highway with.
Oh yeah. There’s positively dudes on the market with their Steam Decks able to go. Persons are far more hardcore about their gaming on the highway than me. [Vocalist] Sean Zatorsky from Dååth was on the final tour and he’s obtained all of the devices. He had the Steam Deck, he had every little thing able to go, ported onto any TV and he had all these things hacked. He’s like, “I can play any recreation on this planet!” I’m like, “Dude, that’s superior.” [Laughs] That’s a little bit hardcore for me. On the finish of the day, I’m nonetheless that NES child. I wish to plug in a recreation after which have it run. I’m form of a grumpy previous man in terms of, “I’ve to to obtain a patch?!” That doesn’t make sense in my head.

Do you might have any video games that you’ve got lined up for this tour that you just’re excited to dive into?
I used to be truly going over my library of video games final evening and didn’t actually see a complete lot new to understand onto. I’m going to should determine that out. I’d play some extra Last Fantasy simply to maintain that practice rolling. I haven’t performed Last Fantasy VIII in a really, very very long time, and I do know that they’d an up to date model that they launched. I’d decide that up and play 75 p.c of it and understand that the sport’s not good like I do each time after I play that recreation. [Laughs]

Ooo, these are preventing phrases!
Yeah, nicely, come at me, as a result of that recreation’s not that good. [Laughs]

As an actual query although, is {that a} normal modus operandi earlier than you exit on tour? You undergo the library otherwise you examine current releases and form of queue up three, 4, 5 video games for a tour?
Typically I’ll get the itch and I’ll be like, I ought to look into what’s on the market that I could be focused on catching up on. I’ll possibly queue some issues up if I’m within the temper. It won’t be three or 4 video games, it could be only one. I keep in mind a 12 months or two in the past when [The Legend of Zelda:] Tears of the Kingdom got here out, I used to be like, Yeah, I suppose I’ll try this. I’m certain that can occupy loads of my gaming head house. And it did. [Laughs] I purchased that earlier than we went to Australia and it positively helped me get via a few 14-hour flights and an all-day restoration session in a lodge room, in order that was good.

So, if there’s an enormous, high-attention title popping out, do you decide that up and say, This might be excellent for 2 weeks later once we’re on a airplane?
I want I stored up with stuff a little bit higher. I simply don’t have that a lot religion that newer video games are going to at all times curiosity me. I’m at all times looking out for re-releases of older video games that I like. I’ve seen folks simply be like, “What’s with all these re-releases? It’s simply corporations benefiting from folks!” And it’s like, I’m folks. [Laughs] I’ll re-buy the video games I like time and again simply to play them in a brand new context. I’ve been dying for [SquareEnix] to place out a port of Dragon Quest VIII on Swap and I’ve performed that recreation a ton of instances on PS2 and Nintendo DS. I’m similar to, Why can’t I play this on Swap? However new new video games, I feel there’s a pair issues that I’m trying ahead to. It’s uncommon that issues grasp me, however I’ll at all times take note of a brand new [FromSoftware] title popping out or one thing like that.

Are you going to be selecting up [Elden Ring:] Nightreign?
I doubt it. I didn’t play Elden Ring in any respect. I simply by no means had time to take a seat down at a console reliably to play one thing that huge. I’ll get round to it will definitely. I’ve seen lots of people hating on it, however I feel that Duskbloods recreation appears to be like fairly attention-grabbing. Bloodborne is considered one of my all-time favourite video games and that appears reminiscent. I’ll be taking part in that and attempting to make tedious lore connections to each different FromSoft recreation similar to anyone else I’m certain.

Taking place the YouTube rabbit gap, seeing all of the conspiracy theories.
See you quickly, VaatiVidya. [Laughs]

[Rivers of Nihil guitarist] Brody [Uttley] had talked about that there was a tour the place all of you bought hooked on Vampire Survivors. Have you ever since kicked the dependancy?
Oh yeah, I can’t even have a look at the app anymore. There was simply a lot downtime on that individual tour. We’d be sitting in inexperienced rooms and everyone’s head is down their telephones. I’d simply stroll within the inexperienced room, I’d have a look at everyone and I’m like, “What’s up?” And everyone would simply go, [looking down] “…Surviving.” [Laughs] And that grew to become the factor: “Yo dude, you surviving?” And everyone could be like, “Yeah man, I’m surviving.” There was quite a lot of disgrace hooked up to it, it’s simply unhappy. It was enjoyable, but it surely obtained to a degree the place I’m similar to, Why am I doing this? I don’t know. I gained’t do it once more, however yeah, it was an attention-grabbing time for this band. We’ve by no means been so united in any form of online game factor earlier than.

Don’t get me unsuitable, I [Michael] assume it’s a superb recreation. However fortunately early on—I feel I put possibly 8 hours or one thing into it—I used to be in a position to discern [that] that is actually a recreation about watching numbers go up. That’s all it’s.
Yeah. As soon as you determine your little sample of the upgrades and the weapons and you’ll simply recreation it to be able to simply stroll round in a display screen stuffed with enemies that simply dies. It’s enjoyable and type of satisfying in that old-school Dynasty Warriors form of method, in your telephone the place you’re simply smacking down hordes of enemies however then after some time it did develop into thoughts numbing. I’m like, Perhaps as a substitute of taking part in this recreation I ought to do one thing higher with my time.

You’ve not too long ago taken over vocal duties for the band, you’re about to launch a brand new album, you’re a father of two and also you’re a husband. You’ve gotten quite a lot of shit occurring in your life. Why is it necessary so that you can preserve video video games as a part of that life?
It’s a factor that I’ve at all times had round. There have been instances in my life the place I’ve bordered on doing it an excessive amount of and it’s distracting from extra urgent issues. However I’ve realized that it type of has develop into a part of my course of as a musician to a level. I really feel like I owe quite a lot of my musical talent to that chill vibe. I’m hanging out, I’ll play some video games after which I get tired of that, [so] I decide up my bass and I follow some stuff. A variety of the creative course of occurs in that state of taking part in—no matter you’re doing that’s pleasing to you. To trip between these two issues, once more, possibly I’ll hit a wall with the video games after which I’m going over and follow after which possibly that’ll catch on for a very long time, or possibly I’ll hit a wall after which I’m going again and I’ll play no matter I used to be taking part in there.

Relating to a degree the place you already know you’re gonna should be within the studio quickly, each second I’m spending taking part in video video games at the moment, up to now I’ve guilted myself and been like, I ought to simply be practising. However now, I do know I want this to decompress or else I’m gonna be bleeding a stone so far as the music stuff goes. It’s helped me to form of regulate that focus span factor and sit back, principally.

Would you then say that not directly gaming turns into a part of that artistic course of if just for the truth that it offers you that outlet to return again to taking part in a track with contemporary ears?
Yeah. The larger the music factor will get, the extra stress will get added to it and the extra enjoyable will get subtracted. I really feel like interspersing taking part in a recreation after which practising, it takes a little bit of that stress off and it takes me again to the fundamentals of, I’m right here, I’m taking part in, I’m having enjoyable. That’s if you get the very best creative output. There’s something to be mentioned about actually placing quite a lot of stress on your self and squeezing it out, which can occur additionally. However within the informal instances main up, I discover it extra necessary to not simply stress myself out for days at a time.

Within the course of of creating a file, I’ve discovered that I normally will hardcore dive right into a recreation. Typically it’s both a extremely lengthy one or a extremely tough recreation. I feel once we had been making The place Owls Know My Title, within the weeks main as much as studio time I used to be taking part in Zelda II: [The Adventure of Link] lots, an extremely tough recreation. However practising Owl songs after which taking part in Zelda II—I beat Zelda II with a little bit assist from some save states—now I form of assign that album with that recreation a little bit bit. I really feel like there’s at all times been that occurring.

Do you might have a recreation assigned to [Rivers of Nihil]?
It was a little bit completely different as a result of we recorded this album over a number of completely different periods and it took a extremely very long time, so I performed quite a lot of completely different stuff. Unusually sufficient, I suppose I performed Last Fantasy II throughout that point, which is everyone’s least favourite Last Fantasy recreation however the pixel remasters had simply come out on the Swap. I used to be like, what? I’m going to offer this an trustworthy shot. And I form of preferred it. I preferred that recreation greater than I believed I’d—greater than I remembered from after I was youthful and performed it on the PS1 Last Fantasy Origins assortment. I do know I’ve talked about Last Fantasy lots on this, however it’s form of an enormous sequence in my private canon. I performed that and Last Fantasy V from the pixel remaster, so the self-titled [album] I feel has that behind it a little bit bit.

Whenever you’re taking part in these video games, although that’s the downtime from practising or writing or engaged on a file, do you ever end up in the midst of an encounter or one thing, you press the pause button and be like, That is precisely what I wanted for that track, form of a unconscious factor? Or are these two totally completely different halves of the mind, so to talk?
It’s not even nearly a recreation, however it’s a good house [where] I can simply form of clear my thoughts whereas I’m taking part in a recreation. I’ll be singing the songs in my head on a regular basis. Even now, they’re always taking part in time and again in my head. I really feel like the quantity of familiarity with a bit of music, the higher you’re going to have the ability to carry out it or write it. So yeah, I’ll have these a ha! moments if I’m taking part in and I’m simply excited about a track. Perhaps I’ll think about one thing new or that factor that I wanted to do comes up in my head. However typically it doesn’t. Typically I’m similar to, Yep, I’m going via this complete dungeon now with only a utterly clean thoughts, not excited about music in any respect, and typically that’s what’s wanted.

Rivers’ music showcases quite a few influences past what folks would think about conventional steel. Brody had talked about that the PS1 period was notably necessary to him by way of musical growth. Are there any composers or soundtracks that you just really feel are musically necessary to you or has gaming at all times simply been extra concerning the down time?
I’m most likely not going to interrupt the mould with anyone too obscure, however Nobuo Uematsu is a large deal to me. The Last Fantasy VII soundtrack was an enormous musical second for me as a child. I don’t keep in mind a soundtrack to something. Perhaps a pair motion pictures—like, the Batman theme was a factor that caught in my head and the Jurassic Park theme from motion pictures after I was a child. However Last Fantasy VII was the primary online game exterior of Mario and Zelda the place I’m like, This can be a complete sweeping epic, the place motifs are returned to and reimagined and characters are being constructed with this music. It’s the best idea album ever, simply the way in which that the music tells the story of the sport higher than even quite a lot of the dialogue does more often than not. That positively [was] an enormous inspiration on what I admire in music. I like that to issues like Last Fantasy or Dragon Quest, the place it’s these actually sturdy musical experiences with this sprawling world to discover.

I heard it mentioned someplace: It’s not that I like knights and zombies and preventing monsters all that a lot—I imply, I do like that stuff—however I similar to video games with extra. There’s extra to it: you might have this complete world to discover, there’s one million various things occurring, there’s a narrative, there’s all this epic stuff. I’ve at all times considered that with music, too. Progressive music simply appeared like music with extra, and steel music collectively and all of that. That larger, sturdy expertise from video games, that I feel helped inform what we do musically on the finish of the day, too.

This can be a little bit bit extra of a stretch, however Rivers’ lyrics tackle rather more of a philosophical, metaphysical method—not your normal gory demise steel material. You’re citing quite a lot of these very sprawling narratives, like Last Fantasy, like Zelda. Do you assume any of that fantastical aspect from video gaming has factored into that lyrical content material or is that simply coincidence?
Completely. Our first 4 information had been this complete interconnected story. There’s the 4 seasons aspect to it, however I’ve at all times form of handled that complete story as its personal world.Particularly early on, the primary couple information are actually this imagined world. I’d form of construct this world in my head that issues had been taking place in, after which I’d attempt to write about it in a musical method. I used to be like a bard or one thing from the olden days, writing concerning the occasions of this fictional world or attempting to file the occasions of it in an inventive method. Visiting a world of your individual creation or of any person else’s creation, such as you do in a online game or a film or no matter, that positively had a big effect on how I got here up with quite a lot of these themes. Afterward it will get a little bit extra private, a little bit extra grownup, and I feel that’s include age. My world is much less video video games, it’s much less fantasy and it’s extra grownup actuality stuff. Nevertheless it nonetheless has the kid’s coronary heart beating in there.

So even when it’s not like, “This album is immediately the story of Last Fantasy IV,” however extra that these worlds form of helped inform your method during which you then went to construct and create a world that your music exists in.
Proper. It’s my very own imagined factor after which I can write about it on this context that isn’t the identical factor. However it’s type of imagining that scene, the imagery of this fantastical world that now lives in my head. It’s impressed by all of those different large fantastical worlds from these video games.

Within the press launch, Brody discusses the closing monitor of the album, which can also be self-titled. He says, “The title ‘Rivers of Nihil’ implies this darkish nihilistic hopeless factor. However lyrically the track is definitely about letting time slip by you and never giving into the darkness.” It could be proximity bias, however all of us have far much less time and are much more stressed than we’ve ever been. What’s the recreation that you’d advocate to our readership as a recreation to let that point slip by and decompress?
Hmm. [Pauses] It’s powerful as a result of there’s so many choices, however I feel some of the full gaming experiences you possibly can have now are the 2 newer Zelda video games [Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom]. I feel there’s simply a lot. They’re trendy, however they’re not overly trendy. There’s a narrative, but it surely’s not beating you over the top with it. You’ve gotten that large world to discover and also you’ll have that pleasure of discovery in these sorts of video games. I discover myself recommending these to folks lots as a result of dwelling in that world, simply leaping in, operating round that big Hyrule map, it’s very soothing. Getting up within the sky, climbing this mountain and the altering surroundings, for some cause I discover that simply very, very satisfying.

Let’s say any person confirmed up they usually mentioned, “I’m an agent who represents video video games—all of them. We’d love you to possibly not essentially rating, however a minimum of inform a soundtrack to a brand new online game. It might be any franchise you need.” Is there something that instantly you’d be like, “Man, I’d like to do a Last Fantasy or a Zelda”?
I’d discover doing Last Fantasy mega intimidating as a result of I do know that I’ve judged everyone who’s labored on that franchise who isn’t Nobuo Uematsu very onerous. [Laughs]

Yeah, agree.
I feel the man who’s doing the Last Fantasy VII Remake stuff, although [Masashi Hamauzu]—hats off. That shit’s unimaginable. It was my Spotify primary factor for, like, two years, simply that soundtrack. But when I needed to decide any… [Pauses] Hmm. I must decide one thing that wants higher music, and all I’m considering of is video games with good music. Mega Man? Nice music. Zelda sequence? Nice music. Even the newer newer Zelda video games, their method to their music is is de facto awe inspiring. I don’t know. Man. I’m considering of Darkish Souls and Bloodborne, and it’s the use of music in these video games. It’s not the music itself that I feel is so good, but it surely’s when it is available in and when it’s not there’s so cool. Considering of the newer Doom sequence, the music is so so fucking good in these. What to enhance upon? I’m wondering.

What in the event you might decide a style that you’d be focused on engaged on? What type of recreation would you assume is most enjoyable to attain?
In all probability one thing open world, you already know? Some form of explorative kind of factor. If I had say within the music, it must be one thing that has quite a lot of completely different colours to it, quite a lot of completely different moods occurring as a result of that’s form of how I wish to function. Any good RPG soundtrack goes to do one thing like that—it’s going to take you thru all of the completely different feelings, but it surely’s going to convey you again to the roots of what it’s you’re doing. That’s a extremely onerous query, however a really cool one. I don’t know. There’s so many good video games with music that I actually admire. Far be it for me to say that I’d do a greater job at any of them.

Rivers of Nihil is out now by way of Steel Blade Information and may be bought right here.
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