Rivers of Nihil Part Ways With Founding Member Jake Dieffenbach

Pennsylvania death metal group Rivers of Nihil have announced that they've parted ways with founding member Jake Dieffenbach, who's been the band's lead vocalist since its inception in 2009. The news came from a statement on their social media.

"We would like to inform our fans and colleagues alike that we've parted ways with Jake Dieffenbach. Jake was a founding member of Rivers of Nihil, and our friend and brother beyond the scope of the band. While this decision wasn't easy, it was necessary. We ask our friends and fans to allow Jake the space to handle his affairs with dignity and privacy," the post reads.

"The creative core of Rivers of Nihil is still intact. Brody [Uttley] and [Adam] Biggs will continue to be the main architects of the music and lyrics, as they have been from the start Jared [Klein] has been with us for five years and two albums already, and we've known Andy for so long it feels like he's been in the band forever," the statement continued.

As a result of the split, Biggs will take over as the band's lead vocalist for their upcoming Faces of Death European tour, their North American leg with Killswitch Engage and beyond. The post concluded that they have "some exciting releases planned for the near future," so stay tuned for what else is to come from them.

Dieffenbach sang on all four of River of Nihil's studio releases — The Conscious Seed of Light (2013), Monarchy (2015), Where Owls Know My Name (2018) and The Work (2021). The vocalist was born with a hearing disability, which affected his hearing in both ears throughout his entire life. During an interview with MetalSucks in 2021, he opened up about living with the disability, and how it's impacted his musicianship over the years.

"There’s definitely been a few periods in my life questioning [whether] I still want to continue playing music because I could lose my hearing [entirely]. I could completely lose it and what am I going to do then? Or I could continue this route and protect my hearing and believe in what I’m doing. and that’s kind of where I stand. Is it the smartest decision? I don’t know," he said.

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