You would think that after nine studio albums and a major personnel change that technical death metal juggernaut Nile would perhaps hit their first hiccup in their career...well, forget that notion! Longtime guitarist/vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade left the band in 2017 to pursue other musical directions, seemingly a huge hit for the group seeing as his excellent vocal growls and formidable guitar skills alongside founder Karl Sanders was such a huge part of Nile's sound. However, they have not lost a step, and in comes new guitarist/vocalist Brian Kingsland, along with bassist/vocalist Brad Parris, as they both join mainstays Sanders and superhuman drummer George Kollias for their latest Nuclear Blast gem, Vile Nilotic Rites.
Once you get past the slight difference in vocal styles (Kingsland, Parris, and Sanders combine to form an effective, slightly different growling attack) none of the trademark Nile formula has changed. We still have the grand, epic styled conceptual themes (Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, war, ancient art, H.P. Lovecraft) surrounded by brutal, bombastic & technical death metal ferocity. Sanders & Kingsland prove to be just as potent a guitar team as Toler-Wade & Sanders, with a non-stop bludgeoning of intricate riff-o-rama twisting, turning, and pummeling at every corner. Whether it's blistering speedy tracks such as "Long Shadows of Dread" and "The Oxford Handbook Of Savage Genocidal Warfare" or the slower, doomier, and more grinding "That Which is Forbidden" and "Seven Horns of War", it's irresistible listening all the way. Kollias, ever the human jackhammer, interjects his uncanny blast beats and double bass drum gymnastics every step of the way, really showing off his stuff on the manic "Snake Pit Mating Frenzy". And, if you love blazing lead guitar work, check out the jaw-dropping sweep picking of the crushing "Revel In Their Suffering", complemented by some insane blasting and orchestral keyboards. Another highlight here is "The Imperishable Stars Are Sickened", an epic track with some intricate guitar work, spooky keys, and some of the most complex grooves on the album. A truly exceptional slice of progressive extreme metal!
Top notch stuff from start to finish, Vile Nilotic Rites once again shows Nile at their top of their game, with no signs of the creative well running dry anytime soon. Easily one of the best extreme metal albums here in 2019!
Track Listing
1 Long shadows Of Dread 4:07
2 The Oxford Handbook Of Savage Genocidal Warfare 3:09
3 Vile Nilotic Rites 3:28
4 Seven Horns Of War 8:48
5 That Which Is Forbidden 5:35
6 Snake Pit Mating Frenzy 2:48
7 Revel In Their Suffering 5:44
8 Thus Sayeth The Parasites Of The Mind 1:42
9 Where Is The Wrathful Sky 4:40
10 The Imperishable Stars Are Sickened 8:00
11 We Are Cursed 6:53
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
