This is a collection of my Instagram writeups on Brutal / Technical Death Metal band Nile. The albums are in chronological order. Annotations are added where needed.
Nile - Worship the Animal / Nile Demo
Genre: Thrash metal
Label: Independent / Goomba Music
Year: 1994
Nile has been, secretly, probably one of my favorite bands. An album later in this run just barely misses being in my Top 25 albums of all time and many of them are in the prized 7-9/10 range which I famously rarely hand out because, as a professional, I gotta have standards. The self-titled demo, later rereleased as 'Worship the Animal - 1994: The Lost Recordings' has very few, if any, of the things I love about Nile. However, it is interesting as it shows where Nile were at the time in their lives and it does put some of their newer recordings into a new light.
This demo, surprisingly, is not a Death Metal album. Instead, it focuses on what we would either call groovy Thrash or outright Groove Metal. The guitars aren´t tuned as low yet and the vocals seem to imitate James Hetfield more than anything. Sadly, it is a vocal style that grows grating after a short while. The music doesn´t fare much better. The grooves on this album tend to be odd, which can help to really nail down some syncopation for added groove, but they just refuse to ever get into a groove that I can get behind with. Track 3, 'Nepenthe', is likely the best track here. The whole Demo shows their Doom influence, which traditionally just doesn´t mix too well with thrash. Yet, I can see many of the mannerisms this album has in releases even much later. The band will figure out how to get the best of their sound, and rather quickly.
Rating: 4/10
Nile - Festival of Atonement
Genre: Death Metal
Label: Anubis Records
Year: 1995
While the self-titled demo was merely a downtempo thrash album, 'Festivals of Atonement' makes enough of a stylistic shift that it can be called Death Metal. Actually, I might be tempted to call it Death Doom, as Nile still mainly focus on the slow paced aspects of their sound. The length of the songs might push the EP into Full-Length category, as the 30 minute mark gets cracked. The issue isn´t really the length though, but the amount of ideas presented or lack thereof.
Nile stretch their Doomy Ideas out too much. Two of the songs approach 9 minutes and they feel like a huge drag. The absence of the speedy and technical elements make 'Festivals of Atonement' seem like a one trick pony. This makes festivals seem like a stepping stone to their first full-length, which it likely was. Still, I find it interesting as you can see Nile figure out their own sound on these early releases and their ascent to greatness will only become faster and faster till now.
Rating: 5/10.
Nile - Amongst the Catacombs of Nephran-Ka
Genre: Death Metal / Grindcore
Label: relapse Records
Year: 1998
Often times, I will look at Nile´s discography and forget there have been albums before this one. Sure, this is considered Nile´s first full-length album,but it isn´t really much longer than 'Festival of Atonement' at all. What makes this different is a conscious shift by Nile to be more brutal in a way, more aggressive. The band still hasn´t devolved the blistering technicality of their later material, but makes up for it with a raw speed and vitriol that would only be present on later releases in lesser amounts. The raw aggression and straightfrowardness of the metal cuts of this album at times can remind of Grindcore and the vocals are the least decipehrable they have ever been for nile. Still, even in this style, Nile manage to present some formidable cuts, namely the opener, 'Opening of the Mouth' and 'Howling of the Jinn'.
Where the album loses me a bit is the inclusion of the old-hollywood style egyptian interludes. On one hand, you can tell that Sanders has much less of a budget to produce these than on later albums. And while I find the cheese of 90s synths and samples endearing in a way, they have aged poorly and don´t really hold up on revisits. The other issue kis the length of these interludes - they might not be longer than the interludes on other Nile albums, but coupled with tracks that on average don´t break 3 minutes they really throw a wrench into the momentum of the album. The issue with 'Nephran-Ka' isn´t really the material, but that it actually does seem more like an EP that was brought up to album length by inserting semi-cinematic interludes into it. If this is the case, I obviously can´t say.
Rating: 6/10.
Nile - Black Seeds of Vengeance
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Label: Relapse Records
Year: 2000
The early Years of Nile showed them taking noticeable steps towards the style that they play today; with the development from almost painfully slow and uninteresting thrash on the debut demo to the fast and punishing Deathgrind of 'Amongst The Catacombs of Nephran-Ka'. The only element lacking from their debut record was the blistering technicality and frantic melodic runs that are such a trademark of the the band today. On 'Black Seeds of Vengeance', all typical elements of the Nile sound come together for the first time: The frantic nature and the frequent tempo and feeling changes make Black Seeds of Vengeance a powerhouse record even to this day.
Compared to their later material, 'Black Seeds of Vengeance' is still rooted relatively firmly in the grindcore of the preceding record. While the material is frantic and more melodic, there is still a feeling of carefully orchestrated chaos to it. This makes the album more interesting from moment to moment than it is as a whole and also makes the album lack in memorable moments compared to later masterpieces. It is for that reason that I revisit 'Black Seeds of Vengeance' less than I maybe should, as it is still a potent slab of unique techdeath with an intensity that few bands of the style can match.
Rating: 7/10.
Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Label: Relapse Records
Year: 2002
'In Their Darkened Shrines' presents another step up for Nile. While the blistering technicality and penchant for memorable melodies would be topped by the band later, 'Shrines' holds a special part among Nile´s discography as it is filled with unique ideas and ambitious ideas that Nile, as far as I know, didn´t really repeat. The centerpiece of the album must be the eleven minute epic 'Unas, Slayer of the Gods'. The song is built around a musical quote, as the main melodic motif from Candlemass` 'The Well of Souls' is the structuring idea of the song, here transposed to a traditional string instrument at first. The motif serves as a going-off point for a multitude of almost classical variations and becomes more expansive and expressive than even the original song. Among the long songs Nile have written, this is likely my favorite.
It doesn´t end there, however, as the album ends in a conceptual suite named like the album itself. While there isn´t as much cohesion as with 'Unas', it still shows them experimenting with new ideas. Nile manage to merge their cinematic aspects with the blistering technicality and aggression of their early work for something truly unique - once again proving that metal doesn´t need to sacirifice songwriting to have atmosphere.
Rating: 8/10
Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked
Genre: Brutal Technical Death Metal
Label: Relapse Records
Year: 2005
I have always considered 'Annihilation of the Wicked' to be Nile´s crowning achievement. Sitting comfortably between the more appropachable modern albums and the rougher, grind inspired earlier material, 'Annihilation of the Wicked' starts strong and never really lets up. After the short instrumental opener, First track proper 'Cast down the Heretic' always seemed like a thesis statement to me. Riffs that are as catchy as they are violent give way to the two guitarist trading escalating solos, all while the instrumental keeps evolving, always serving the style and mannerisms of the two soloists. Even after such a mindblowing opening, Nile don´t loose steam at all. The famously catchy 'Sacrifice Unto Sebek' is as memorable and important to Nile´s discography as the abrupt rhythms and strained leads of a 'Lashed to the Slave Stick'. The two long tracks that round out the album are among the best Nile has ever done and even the doom inspired 'Von Unausspechlichen Kulten' doesn´t ruin the pacing at all. Instead, it feels like the culmination of the album - the lowest chamber in the pyramid.
With albums like these, it can sometimes leave a bad taste in my mouth as I am fully aware that the band will likely never ever top it. However, there is still much to loom forward to in Nile´s discography and Nile would keep moving forward. This, in part, is what makes their discography so enjoyable.
Rating: 9/10.
Nile - Ithyphallic
Genre: Brutal / Technical Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2007
'Ithyphallic' is pretty typical for an album that comes out after a band has recorded their magnum opus. While I instinctually want to blame it on the band switching labels to Nuclear Blast (I famously hate the label with a passion), it is most likely due to the band having exhausted ideas and/or taken them to their logical extremes. A lot of the songs on 'Ithyphallic' have clear analogues to ones from 'Annihilation of the Wicked', but the band seems to shuffle the tracks around - perhaps in an effort to make the albums seem less similar. Opener 'What can be safely written' is spiritually close to "Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten", but placed at the front of the album, it doesn´t have the same impact as an epic resolution. It is tough to feel like a lot of these songs are lesser versions of their counterparts from 'Annihilation of the Wicked', but none of them reach the same level of memorability.
'Ithyphallic' is not a bad album, of course. Sanders and Wade show a similar level of instrumental prowess, even if the material is more groove focused and overall slower. The star of the show is likely the 11-string fretless guitar that is sometimes used on the album. The fretless guitar is rarely used for the amount of challenge it imposes on a guitarist, but the usage of it here provides some distinctly arabian flavor and the odd pitch bend or slide that provides some uniqueness. Less commendable are the atmospheric interludes which aren´t always integrated into the tracks proper. While they provide the desired atmosphere on a first listen, they do not hold up on repeats and make the album feel bloated. Nile would need to divorce themselves from their own tropes a little more and luckily, on their next album, they did.
Rating: 6/10
Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest
Genre: Brutal / Technical Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2009
I don´t know how much of this was a conscious effort, but after 'Ithyphallic' had maybe been a bit too close to 'Annihilation of the Wicked', 'Those Whom The Gods Detest' does more to differentiate itself from the bands own masterpiece. Many reviewers at the time highlighted that the band was broadening their lyrical themes, now also including themes from other middle-eastern mythologies and orthodoxies. That aspect has never mattered to me as much, as lyrical themes definetely play second fiddle to a good instrumental performance in an extreme metal album. However, the band also broadens their sound with said other middle-eastern influences and that is where it becomes interesting for me.
Album opener 'Kafir' includes a middle eastern vocal section that had not been heard since 'Amongst the Catacombs of Nephran-Ka'. But where the wailing was only a small cherry on top back then, it becomes the star of the show and an actual feature of the song that a whole section is build around. This new approach just makes the songwriting seem more purposeful than it had been on 'Ithyphallic' and also gives it a more human touch than a lot of the Sanders-isms that are usually present in their instrumental interludes. In general, the songwriting remains relentless with lots of fresh ideas. The cyclically appearing chorus in the title track is as memorable as the shrieking yet melodic leads of 'Permitting the Noble Dead to Descend to the Underworld'. At 56 minutes, the album would probably be too long, but there is just so much inventiveness and forward momentum that the album never ends up dragging. 'Those Whom the Gods Detest' ended up being one of Nile´s best albums, which is more than many bands can say beyond their glory years.
Rating: 8/10.
Nile - At the Gate of Sethu
Genre: Brutal/Technical Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2012
I remember 'At The Gate Of Sethu' as being a huge disappointment at the time. The band had just found their footing again the slight misfire that was 'Ithyphallic' and apparently, the band tried to further reinvent themselves by exploring their origins. In the case of Nile, this means playing material that is less heavy and less technical and much more rooted in an old schoolm Death Metal style. A lot of it is due to the production, which is a little more clear and with a more traditional (Read: less percussive and distorted) Guitar tone. There are no real cookie monster growls on the album and overall, it was just unexpected at the time.
All of this would obviously be not really an issue if the material was well written. Having now revisited 'At The Gate of Sethu', consciously trying to be as unbiased as possible, I find myself still underwhelmed. I struggle to remember most material from 'at The Gate of Sethu' and without looking the song titles up, the vocal lines of the opening track are probably the most memorable thing. At the end of the day, a stylistic shift is welcome after such a long discography, but it also has to work - and 'Sethu' doesn´t quite.
Rating: 5/10.
Nile - What Should Not Be Unearthed
Genre: Brutal/Technical Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2015
For as long as I had followed Nile, 'What Should Not Be Unearthed' was probably the only Nile album I did not listen to at release. Maybe my appetite for Nile was still soured after having been severly disappointed by 'At The Gate of Sethu' and I´ll admit that my metal listening at the time of this albums release was at an all time low. Had I checked out 'What Should Not Be Unearthed', I would have probably found that the band put in a lot of efforts to right the wrongs of 'Sethu' and return to their past glory.
And frankly, 'What Should Not Be Unearthed' is much more enjoyable than its predecessor. The opening track 'Call To Destruction' probably has everything I want out of Nile, with a section to chant along to, blistering tremolo sections and speedy runs in oriental scales. I can´t help but feel that this album does cater a bit too much to the fans. None of this material would have been out of place on 'Those Whom The Gods Detest', but none of it ever quite rises to the heights of that album. Doing the same style over and over can only lead to diminishing returns, and even a band as great as Nile can not really be spared by that.
Rating: 6/10
Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites
Genre: Brutal/Technical Death Metal
Label: Nuclear Blast
Year: 2019
Going into 'Vile Nilotic Rites' at the time of release, I had tempered expectations. I do not quite know how this affected how I viewed the album, but I am certain that to some extent, it did have an effect. At the time I was very much happy with 'VIle Nilotic Rites' and I considered it a return to form. Revisiting it now, I can certainly say that Nile once again put the work in and that it is indeed quite the improvement over the two albums that came before, even if the old heights can´t quite be reached.
What I enjoy about 'Vile Nilotic Rites' is how the cinematic aspect of Niles sound seems to be emphasized here. A lotl of the songs work towards a climactic moment that recalls ancient sorcery. This is less of a historical egypt, but more an egypt transformed by the egyptology obsession of old hollywood. Especially closer 'We Are Cursed' serves up the theatrics in ways that haven´t been as effective since 'Unas, Slayer of the Gods'. At the same time, Nile do know how to wrestle listener expectation. A moment in seven horns of war where a section unexpectedly spirals into smaller and smaller subdivisions has always stuck with me and in that moment, Nile manage to be memorable without relying on the theatrics or a catchy melody. It is this showcase of talent that made 'Vile Nilotic Rites' so enjoyable. My only complaint would likely be that I really miss Dallas and the unique spice that he brought to Nile, especially with his vocals. But in the end, maybe young blood was needed and it was possibly the newly involved musicians who got Nile out of their rut.
Rating: 7/10.
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