Nile
Annihilation Of The Wicked

THE REVIEW

As far as I'm concerned, my review could simply be the word “Nile,” and I'm sure that those who have followed this group's decade-long career would immediately understand what I mean. But my mission isn't to further convince the faithful of the genre; rather, it's to attract new followers: so sharpen your sight and read this review carefully.

Nile is an American band with three previous LPs under their belt: from the very beginning, the five members have showcased a passion for ancient Egypt. This translates not only thematically, but also musically, as the melodies played more or less faithfully reproduce Egyptian ones: the fact that they have attempted to combine these melodies with the stylistic features of Brutal Death metal makes it clear how bold this project is. The band members have shown particular technical skills from the start, but to be fair, they are in continuous evolution and improve with each album: already in the previous “In Their Darkened Shrine,” they were flirting with perfection, but in this work, they have come even closer: to make illustrious comparisons, they are approaching the levels of Cryptopsy or Suffocation. Nile undoubtedly excels at guitars: you remember Chuck Schuldiner's solos? Well, here passages of the same difficulty (but with characteristic Egyptian sound) become riffs and give this album, and the sound of Nile in general, that originality that allows them to break free from the typical stasis of the genre.

Obviously, the five of them do not give up the Death component that is always present and never completely gives way to those ethnic-like contaminations: theirs is Brutal in every respect, with breakneck tempos interrupted by slowdowns heavy as boulders, catacombal growling, and guitar parts of considerable power chased by those ancient melodies that make the difference. Amazingly complex riffs and stopped ascending scales played with impressive speed, as well as tireless and very precise drumming, are not the only elements: there's much more. What strikes the listener the most is the meticulous attention to detail of this record, which translates into the inclusion of pieces played with instruments characteristic of ancient Egypt, explanations of the mysterious rituals of this people in the booklet (the lyrics become increasingly historically accurate), perfectly and surgically structured songs, and finally, a lucid and very clean production.

Songs like the title track or "Von Unaussprechlichen Kulten," with a duration that far exceeds eight minutes, are examples of this marvellous work. But meticulousness is a double-edged sword: a work refined so well cannot help but have an aftertaste of artificiality: you see, the passion for ancient Egypt becomes of dubious sincerity, and the whole record takes on the characteristics of something calculated and not at all natural. Nonetheless, the splendor of the CD also signifies great quality and perfection and does not detract from the great innovation that Nile has brought to the genre. An excellent album from a technical and compositional point of view, but a bit too baroque to earn perfect marks. In any case, it stands among the best releases of 2005.