Nile is a four-piece American death metal band formed in 1993. Vocalist/guitarist Karl Sanders is the only original member and main song writer. Their music and lyrics are inspired by Ancient Egyptian history and Lovecraftian horror (named after American author H. P. Lovecraft). Nile's music is characterized by speed and brutality combining traditional and technical death metal. Their debut album Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka (1998) is considered to be their breakthrough record and often regarded as a top influential death metal record.
Vile Nilotic Rites is the ninth studio album following 2015's What Should Not Be Unearthed. It is the band's first album with Brad Parris on bass/vocals and Brian Kingsland on guitars/vocals. This time around while all lyrics were written by Karl Sanders, long-time drummer George Kollias co-wrote virtually all tracks. Additionally the new members also contributed in some songs. The team spirit can be heard as we have a very energetic and coherent album from beginning to end. My initial impression was of a mix of influences from early Opeth and Meshuggah which is a very good thing.
The albums opens with 3 relatively short tracks two being the singles released as lyrics videos, "Long Shadows of Dread" (displays a good balance between speed and groove) and the title track . Another short powerful song is "Snake Pit Mating Frenzy" which is already being played live. While there are longer tracks and one short instrumental, the album is very cohesive, a clear consequence of the band spending so much time crafting Vile Nilotic Rites. The record comes out with a big bang, Brian's scream followed by relentless drum fills and guitar riffs. The drumming will continue to be top-notch throughout the record (check "Where Is the Wrathful Sky"). Rarely Kollias relies on blast beats for too long and some songs sound like a very long drum fill. "That Which Is Forbidden" depicts the contrast of the fast drumming and groove. I also love the vocal work. It may be difficult to point out, but the three singers are alternating vocal parts during the whole song and the rest of the album. It brings contrast to the songs as we hear deep guttural singing and also higher pitched screaming. It's like Mikael Åkerfeldt and Chris Barnes were in the same band. Other tracks are more progressive and bring to the front the Egyptian sound influence via sound samples and other instruments. "Seven Horns of War" and the fantastic "The Imperishable Stars Are Sickened" being good examples of it.
With Vile Nilotic Rites, Nile focused on laser sharp music writing and cut all the fat and excess. Every passage, riff, sample and vocal line serves a purpose. The album ticks like a clock but without loosing its emotion and energy. The quartet found a good chemistry on their first record together and I certainly hope they can further evolve this fruitful collaboration. Nile, and tech death in general, is not for everyone and requires some focused time to get into it. Vile Nilotic Rites is a highlight of this genre in 2019 and deserves this investment.
SCORE: 82/100
DR: 6
Genre: Death Metal
Released by Nuclear Blast on November 1st, 2019
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Rating System
98 - 100 Perfect
92 - 97 Excellent
86 - 91 Great
81 - 85 Very Good
77 - 80 Good
69 - 76 Mixed
58 - 68 Bad
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