RIVERDEN formed in the summer of 2004, when Greg, Ross, Jamie, Evan, and Naushad created a band engineered to deliver a crunchy assault of mind-melting metal and diverse influences that smash the bones of false posers into powered milk. Hints of every style of metal have been explored in their style, from death to doom to thrash to alternative to black to hardcore to traditional. Influences are as diverse as progressive rock, skate punk, and country/western.
Since the Fall of 2004, the band has been building a fanbase, playing in and around the Philadelphia area. In February 2005, the band recorded their infamous Moon Demo, and a dollar of each sold has gone towards a band pool to donate to charity. Right now the demos are aiding victims of Hurricane Katrina. A soft spot in their hearts does not betray the sinister coldness of their music. The ominous outline of a silver crescent only hints at the destruction inside...
In January of 2006, Evan decided to part ways with the band, and in stepped Dave. 2006 also brought with it the brand-new Centennial Sea EP, a 7-track album amalgam of all of RIVERDEN’s musical influences fused into a shellshock-inducing sound, complete with acoustic tracks and live covers.
By the start of summer 2007, RIVERDEN had already debuted at the Third Rail Studios venue in Brooklyn, NY, and saw yet another massive lineup change. Dave began touring heavily with his bar band The Loop, and so longtime rhythm guitarist Greg switched to his own 5-string bass guitar to fill the bass spot, and another David, Dave S., was added as the new rhythm/lead player for RIVERDEN. His impressive chops and intensive theory background poised RIVERDEN to dominate. With a summer kickoff show at Allentown’s Sterling Hotel and recording dates set for mid-June, the band prepared to mark its three-year anniversary with a hunger and drive not seen since its inception. A new album, tentatively titled Plains of Existence, is on its way. The album will be a landmark release, fusing thrash with doom metal and progressive rock, as well as many of RIVERDEN’s other diverse influences.
2008 is truly a new year. A whole new year of destruction and sophistication. More information on the band and the new album are available at www.riverden.com.
Listener, be warned. We’re in RIVERDEN now.
Now that the band has evolved, the lineup changed, the experiences and stories multiplied, we figured it was time for a new collage. We believe in the power of this band and music’s ability to unite and create a brotherhood between people of different backgrounds, lifestyles, tastes, opinions, and desires. We hope that we can look back on our time in this band years from now and remember the things we did and the people we met and the growing up along the way. Collages are good with that.
And yes, we’re all almost always smiling. Depression is for first-time mothers. The "emo" look is for boys that are having their nuts squeezed flat in girls’ pants. We’re pretty chill. If you can’t sit back and smile through life, what’s the point?
Here are some live clips from our shows at the Crocodile Rock and the Sterling Hotel, courtesy of Dave’s family and YouTube.
Home of the Centennial Sea EP. Jeff and Matt are cool guys, and if your band is looking for the most conveniently located recording spot in Philly, click the link to find the place.
This is where we recorded what unfortuntely became our second album-length rehearsal demo. Joshua S. Zaring might live out in the boonies of Middleburg, PA -- but he’s also fun as hell, and the veteran producer of many of PA’s best underground rock and metal bands. And, he charges by the song, not by the hour.
Check him out at:
www.zaringproductions.com
Vote for us on BuzzPlay. Just do it. It’s this thing called the Best Unsigned Band Search. The least the whole ordeal could do is get us some free promotion and help spread the word about our music. Go to our BuzzPlay site and follow the directions to submit your vote for Riverden!
We want our album cover to look like this right here. A perfect blend of mystique, sophistication, and that natural imagery we all love. Your life, your music. Preferably by our band.
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A big thanks to Skip and Bizrentertainment for being consistently awesome and hooking us up with some of the best metal shows on the East Coast at the Sterling Hotel in Allentown, Pa.
Huntwood Entertainment are a rising booking/promotions/productions company with dedicated and hardworking staff. Support them and their shows!
Cancer is a threat to humanity. Let’s fight it together, shall we? There should be a benefit concert in the works right now.
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Go here if you want to hear the Moon Demo in its entirety.