•
Rating:
The Nile, now a cornerstone of the so-called "extreme" music scene, was formed in 1993 by guitarist, singer, and main songwriter Karl Sanders. Since then, the American band, originating from South Carolina, has delivered a highly technical Brutal Death Metal characterized by melodies with strong oriental influences and lyrics inspired by ancient Egypt and the writings of Lovecraft (for those who don't know him yet, an English nineteenth-century author whose works are steeped in esotericism and mysticism). Despite Sanders' poetic style not varying significantly over time, there is a noticeable progressive and fairly consistent technical growth from work to work: from the debut album, the reviewed "Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka" (1998), to the recent and technically monstrous "Ithyphallic" (2007), the lineup changes have also been substantial.
This initial work (the result of the combined efforts of guitarist Karl Sanders, bassist Chief Spires, and drummer Pete Hammoura, who all also handle vocal parts) is probably the one with the rawest and most immediate personality. The aforementioned key elements of Nile's style are all already present; despite not reaching the technical-compositional complexity of its successors (shorter tracks, less complex drum arrangements), the album stands at exceptional levels from this point of view: extremely complicated riffs, irregular time signatures, tremolo and sweep picking in abundance, super-fast solos, furious drumming characterized by the massive use of double bass, which the group resorted to more and more over the years. However, it is not just the technical aspect that strikes strongly about this work: it also features an intense dark allure, at times epic, with esoteric reminiscences, an allure that makes this band truly uncommon in the scene it is part of; from a musical point of view, features like the beastly growling, alternated by three voices, the extremely low tuning (Drop-La), the Arabic harmonies, the frequent instrumental moments with a folk-ambient vibe, and the use of alternative instruments, can only contribute to the prevailing atmosphere. This sound-characterizing Nile mixture is fully manifested in tracks like the opener Smashing The Antiu, Barra Edinazzu, Serpent Headed Mask, and especially in Ramses Bringer of War (the most epic track, just listen to the intro complete with war drums and brass), Opening of The Mouth, and the concluding Beneath Eternal Oceans of Sand.
Ultimately, this "Amongst.." is the least technical album by Nile (as far as a lack of technicality can be discussed in their work), but this does not diminish its beauty, the result of the efforts of skilled musicians who have managed to create their own original and very personal proposal, something increasingly rare, even in the realm of extreme music; therefore, to all lovers and non-lovers of it, I personally highly recommend listening to this album.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Smashing the Antiu (02:18)
Burning of the Defeated
Dragging the Fettered Rebels
To the Block of Slaughter
Decapitated Headless
Naked and Bound
Captives Adorn my Shield
Arms Tied Behind Their Backs
Lying Bound in Agony
Fiends Hold Them with Ropes
Awaiting Beheadment and Mutilation
With Contempt for the Vanquished
We Exterminate the Dwellers
Of the Eastern Desert
Amenhiu!
They Are Doomed to Slaughter
We Stab Their Bodies with Daggers
We Smash Their Skulls with Clubs
We Crush Their Bones
And Gash Their Faces
Their Necks are Broken and Severed
Their Bowels are Gored with Spears
Yeah! We Hack Off Their Limbs
And Cast the Phalluses
Into Pits of Fire
Smashing the Antiu
02 Barra Edinazzu (02:47)
Zi Anna Kanpa
Zi Kia Kanpa
Gallu Barra
Namtar Barra
Ashak Barra
Gigim Barra
Alal Barra
Telal Barra
Masquim Barra
Utukku Barra
Idpa Barra
Lalartu Barra
Lalassu Barra
Akhkharu Barra
Urukku Barra
Kielgalal Barra
Lilitu Barra
Utuq Xul Edinazzu
Alla Xul Edinazzu
Gigim Xul Edinazzu
Mulla Xul Edinazzu
Masquim Xul Edinazzu
Barra Edinazzu
Zi Anna Kanpa
Zi Kia Kanpa
04 Serpent Headed Mask (02:18)
Aa-herit Nebu Huit-Ra
We come before Thee wearing serpent headed Masks
In sanguinary worship we offer the Tcheser-t Senfiu
The sacrificial drink of the Gods of Blood
in a goblet carved from a human skull
Aa-t-aru
Fiendish blood drinking reptile Lord of the Ankhit-Thekh
rites of bloodfeast
We propitiate Thee with our own fluid of life
and the freely offered flesh of these ritual prostitutes
that Thou mayest copulate with thine self
and spill Thy seed upon the Black Earth
Aui-f-em-kha-nef Netri nek khefa
We don the Abui ames Machta the ceremonial two horned phallus
to become as like unto the two horned serpent god Sekhui
We besmear ourselves with the bloodseed of
the living serpent goddess Arati
And with curved blades
shed our skin
05 Ramses Bringer of War (04:45)
Wretched Fallen one of Khatti
Rise against the oppressing Sword
Encircled Abandoned Alone
I Smite the vile Hittite Foe
My Father Amon what carest Thee
For the Vile and Ignorant of God
My Father Amon what carest Thee
For these Effeminate ones
At millions of whom I groweth not Pale
Raging like Menthu like Baal in his Hour
Lo the mighty Sekhmet is with Me
I enter in among them even as a hawk striketh
I slay I hew to pieces and cast to the ground
The royal snake upon my brow
Spits forth Fire in the face of mine enemies
And Burneth their Limbs
My Chariot Wheels trample the Fallen
Cut to pieces before my Steeds
And laying
In their own Blood
I Crush the Skulls of the Dying
And Sever the hands of the Slain
I Ramses
Builder of Temples
Usurper of Monuments Slayer of Hittites
Bringer of War
06 Stones of Sorrow (04:17)
Slaves Whipped to Death
In the Hot Sun
Drag the Stones of Sorrow
Vast Monolithic a Collossus of Stone
Greased with the Blood of Abraham
Of Human Bondage
and Suffering
We carve a monument to Megalomania
Bleak and Endless is my Sorrow
For the chain of Sut
Is around my Neck
Aperu Heseb Semedet!
It is I who lift up the arm of the Inert
I have gone out of Khemenu
and am no longer a living soul
I have been initiated into the hearts of the Baboons
And I claim Dominion over the legions
of Uninscribed Shabitiu
Khunumu Khufu!
The God Khnum is my Protector
Ushabti
Tekenu
Ushabti
07 Die Rache Krieg Lied der Assyriche (03:13)
Ia Namtaru
Ia Lammia
Ia Asaku
Ia Pazuzu
Ia Zixul zi Azkak
Ia Gula zi Pazu
Alal uggae Utukku Xul
Ia Ia Pazuzu
Ia Ningursu Ia Ia Umduggu
Shemti Shebui Nehenkau
Addu Nergal Arrallu
Nergal dread God of War and Plague
Avenge the shades of our Fallen ones
Blacken the sun with Fierce Winds
Bring forth your Terrible Storms!
Yea! Burn the flesh of our Enemies
Gash their throats with Weapons of Iron
Destroy Them utterly
With Locusts and Disease
08 The Howling of the Jinn (02:34)
Nafs I Ammara
Fana Azif
I am the Infidel
Fiendish Insects encircle Me
Howling Wind Wraiths
Surround my disembodied Ka
Dulcarnon
Hideous Unseen
Speaking in Tongues
Heard only by the Mad
Shrieking Insects Swarm over Me
Suffocate Me
Suffocate my Soul
Majnun I am Empty
Crawling Reptiles Devour my Soul
They utterly and completely Annihilate Me
I can hear the Howling of the Djinn
Echoing in the mountains of Kaf
09 Pestilence and Iniquity (01:54)
Heralds of Pestilence
Blackest Plague Rusheth through the Land
Burning Evil Winds
Carry Sickness
Invoking the Bitter Venom of the Gods
Loathsome Sickening Stench of the Defiled
A Cesspool Breeding the Unclean
Hordes of Locusts
Fiends of the South Winds
Cleanse the Earth from the Impure
The Daemon That Siezeth the Body
The Daemon that Rendeth the Body
Ruthless and Profane
Lord of all Fevers and Plagues
Grinning Dark Angel of the four Wings
Spawn of Eng
Horned God with rotting Genitalia
Pazuzu
Loading comments slowly
