Nile
Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka

THE REVIEW

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.