KARL SANDERS: STILL THE REIGNING VOICE OF PISSED OFF DEAD EGYPTIANS ON NILE’S THOSE WHOM THE GODS DETEST
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 12:00pm by Sammy O'Hagar
Nile’s Annihilation of the Wicked was a high water mark in their discography: while surgically precise and blazingly technical, it also was remarkably substantive, full of quality riffs and textures, and, ultimately, the sound of a band growing into its own and getting to the point. But, like most high water marks, it was one Nile couldn’t approach again with Ithyphallic, their (admittedly somewhat underrated) follow-up. Despite only a one album lapse, rounding out the second decade of their career, one could have assumed that Annihilation was the band’s shot wad. And even if it was, it certainly was an impressive masterpiece. However, with Those Whom the Gods Detest, Nile’s latest album, they prove to still have a considerable amount of fight in them, still equipped with almost uncomfortably blistering speed alongside brilliantly crafted slow parts. With bands like Behemoth and Melechesh making serious plays for the history metal throne, Karl Sanders proves that Nile is still the one on it, making some of the most brutal and absurdly heavy metal even when the band’s Egyptian gimmick is put aside.
But this isn’t to say that Arab and Egyptian influence doesn’t still play a large and effective part on Those Whom the Gods Detest. While still very much present in Sanders’ modal guitar work, it also makes an appearance via instrumentation and, on almost insultingly heavy opener “Kafir!”, Middle Eastern vocals. But seemingly even more so on Gods than any other Nile release, the Egyptian themes play a bigger part in the album’s overall mood and heaviness. The anthemic quality of “4th Arra of Dagon,” the title track, and “Kem Khefa Kheshef” are all buoyed by Sanders’ throaty barking, almost chill-inducingly epic despite lyrical content that may seem portentous or flat out silly in the hands of another portly metal dude. Nile’s lyrical choices haven’t always been the strongest aspect of the band, despite being the thing most instantly associated with them. But here, Sanders weaves it in with the band’s unendingly precise assault just as masterfully as he ever has previously, if not even more effectively now than before.
The remarkable thing about the album, though, is the attention paid to slow parts. In the past, Nile has the tendency to only slow down to regain speed for another bout of blasts-n-sweeps. But here, slow part are handled menacingly (perhaps after noticing how effective the epic trod of Ithyphallic’s closer “Even the Gods Must Die” was) and are as worthwhile as when the band are firing on all cylinders. In the age of slam, Nile look to out-slow their death metal peers, and with old school, mean grooves like the one that closes out “4th Arra of Dagon,” they’re just as relevant as any scraggly five piece playing slams in lieu of breakdowns. Those Whom the Gods Detest’s biggest accomplishment is learning how to integrate slow and impossibly fast more smoothly, and makes them mightier in the process.
And Nile are still mighty on Gods, with drummer George Kollias providing both groove and a solid ground for Karl Sanders’ almost hilariously technical playing. And for a band that once simply fleshed out the Middle Eastern themes hinted at by Morbid Angel and Immolation, that’s pretty fucking impressive. Almost twenty years into this – going from promising new dudes on Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka to the elder statesmen they are now – they’re still hinting that their best work is ahead of them. And for a band that showed compositional mastery and surprisingly maturity on Annihilation of the Wicked, it’s inspiring to see them still capable of polishing up their blemishes. Those Whom the Gods Detest is yet another reason to be impressed with Nile, and even if their excellence can be drowned out by the deafening hype surrounding them, when at their best, they’re worth every gooey superlative.
(4 out of 5 horns)
-SO
Not a single mention of Dallas? Oh well… I honestly think this could be their best release, but there’s a lot of people who’ll disagree with me. Utterances of the Crawling Dead is fucking siiiiiiiiick.
I never really got into this band, but I’m digging what I’ve heard from this album. Maybe it will change my mind.
“Nile’s Annihilation of the Wicked was a high water mark in their discography”
Say whaaa? I’m sorry, no. That’s just wrong. Either Black Seeds of Vengeance or In Their Darkened Shrines. You are just a sucker for the solid production on Annihilation. It was as generic as it gets, and Ithyphallic was better but still lacking the magic.
Now if you tell me that this new album has all the great songwriting of their earlier stuff but without the horrible box of bees mud riffs production, I’ll buy it. Does it?
pretty sure he’s using “water mark” incorrectly
No, he’s using it correctly. “High water mark” and “watermark” as in the watermark on paper are two different things.
You don’t like AOTW?! Really i don’t know whether to treat you as one of those “undergrounder than thou” types, or feel sorry for you.
But the song’s have a nice mix of all of their styles WITHIN each track, not just songs that sound like they could be from “place-album-name-here”.
Go with feel sorry.
Agreed. Darkened Shrines is a great album, but Annihilation of the Wicked is their most technical, and best-written. And I also agree with the review in the fact that Ithyphallic was disappointing, but mainly because AotW was so strong before it … and this new one is more of a return to form (while not quite as good as AotW or ITDS).
i just picked this up the other day man it did blow me away
Regarding “Sanders’ throaty barking”:
Not to hairsplit, but Dallas handles most of the lead vocals now. Karl does the low growls.
Bash me but this is the only Nile album I’m actually digging
Love me some Nile!
So far it has been hard for me to get into this album. Im for more shred, less middle-eastern influence (lyrics aside), but what-the-fuck do I know?
This deserves a perfect rating and there probably will not be a better death metal album released this year. If you don’t like Nile, you don’t like death metal.
i have trouble deciding whether this or annihilation of the wicked is better, they are both phenomenal.
God Nile sucks. Anyone can play guitar like Karl Sanders. There’s absolutely nothing special about their songwriting, all he does is throw some Egyptian shit into generic death metal. Anyone can play those ancient instruments that he plays. Psssh, 20+ strings in a tuning completely foreign to Western music? Child’s play. And so what if he plays fast in completely unconventional modes. Any guitarist worth a shit can blaze up and down fifth-mode, harmonic minor, Phrygian, and diminished scales…
Just kidding, I fucking love Nile. Always have. Their musicianship, songwriting ability, and unique vision are top-notch. I don’t know a single person who knows his death metal and doesn’t listen to Nile.
+1 for knowing the scales that Nile uses. Most people look at me like I am crazy when I explain why Nile’s music is so badass and unique.
I can’t lie, I got that from an interview with Karl Sanders I have posted up in my room. But I’m majoring in music theory, so I fully understand the brilliance of Karl Sanders.
Oh man you know MUSIC THEORY? Please let me suck your dick pleeeaaassse
No, you’re not worthy.
lol geez this whole thing was a cack. thanks boys.
as far as the album, it’s growin’, def need more listens though. as of now i’d put it about an 8 and behind juuust behind annihilation in their catalog – FOR NOW – don’t worry, i said for now…
Album of the year.
When I grow up, I wanna be Karl Sanders.
this is bull shit this should have 5 stars if nile was more mainstream you probably would have given them 5