NILE „“Those Whom the Gods Detest””

Music: Death Metal
Country: U.S.A.
Web site: http://www.nile-catacombs.net/
Cool Songs: The Eye of Ra, Kafir, Hittite Dung Incantation

Over the past few years, South Carolina act NILE has become one of the biggest draws in death metal. NILE is one of the few bands that have flirted with the prospect of metal’s mainstream. Along with BEHEMOTH, NILE is the only DM band to have played OZZFEST in America. NILE’s superb musicianship and eccentric blend of Florida death metal with Near-East elements made the metal world take notice even during their demo days.

Now with several albums and headlining tours throughout the world under their belt, the group has returned with a new album of ancient-occult-inspired death metal titled “Those Whom the Gods Detest,” the second opus for Nuclear Blast Records.

“Those Whom the Gods Detest” maintains the style NILE has created and improved upon in its sixteen-year existence. The said album revisits the droning, trudging paces of its predecessor “Ithyphallic.” These sections serve has a hypnotic break to the bewilderingly-fast tempos. Seminal musicians such as front man, Karl Sanders always have some tricks, though.

“Kafir!” shows the group pulls out different vocal tones. These vocals are of a higher pitch, raspy death metal sort, although the group still returns to the guttural backing voice. Additionally, “Kafir!” clocks in at a near seven minutes, very long for death metal. Makes sense, though, because NILE’s music is quite progressive—not in a DREAM THEATER sense, but in a since of multiple tempo changes, technical twists and turns, samples and Middle Eastern/North African harmonies.

Karl Sanders has steadily improved and introduced new music from eastern-world sands, even going to the length of creating a solo album with nothing but Middle Eastern instrumentals, and on “Kafir!” he includes vocal harmonies of this sort. Staying with this theme, the following track “Hittite Dung Incantation” presents tribal drumming at the track’s onset. Blast beat god, George Kollias merges this old world beat with modern, death metal drum furry. The Egyptian-scaled guitar work on this track instills an imperialistic quality, which works well with ancient Egypt’s warring mentality.

The title track presents more ethnic instrumentation with Flamenco guitar, gong, sitar and kettledrum. These traditional movements help break up the constant death metal flurries, not that the band needs help with their metal. Sanders pulls off finger-bleeding solos, all the while followed by Kollias’ quick hands and feet. On the title tracks, as well as throughout the album, the group tempers ear-bleeding speed with a measured pace. Here, one will find gritty guitars that sound as if toiling through a Babylonian desert. These parts also work well when the group throws in atmospheric elements.

It’s strange that with the mysticism and brutality involving the Near East’s ancient civilizations more metal bands don’t blend old world elements with death metal like NILE. The group definitely applies an original concept to their music, and their musicianship and knowledge of such literature ensure a highly listenable product. Like experiencing a desert mirage, “Those Whom the Gods Detest” creates more visions of mummies, pyramids,chariots and bloody cults, all-the-while bashing your brains in with the utmost technical death metal!

note: 8.5/10

Tracklist

01. Kafir !
02. Hittite Dung Incantation
03. Utterances of the Crawling Dead
04. Those Whom the Gods Detest
05. 4th Arra of Dagon
06. Permitting the Noble Dead to Descend to the Underworld
07. Yezd Desert Ghul Ritual in the Abandoned Towers of Silence
08. Kem Khefa Kheshef
09. The Eye of Ra
10. Iskander D'hul Karnon
Total Playing Time: 56:40

Line-up

Karl Sanders – Vocals, Guitars
Dallas Toler-Wade – Guitars, Bass, Vocals
George Kollias – Drums, Percussion