Nile | ‘Those Whom The Gods Detest’

If there’s one thing about Nile, it’s that they’re consistent. Lineup changes aside, their music has remained almost remarkabley brutal for well over ten years now. And what’s more, you know it’s them - which is something that can only really be said for the best in Death Metal.

‘Ithyphallic’, from 2007 or thereabouts, marked a high point for them after two compartively muddy albums. ‘In Their Darkened Shrines’ and ‘Annihilation Of The Wicked’ were of course solid, but nothing on the debut brace. With scorching tracks like ‘Lashed To The Slave Stick’ though, Nile’s last one really brought them back to form.

Even at that stage, Karl Sanders was keen to impress on audiences just how much of a push they were making. He noted that practically noone in the genre was capable of the speed, dexterity and consistency with which they were playing. He could have been right, given their punishing tour schedules.

This new album hasn’t let up a bit. Nile’s drummers have always set a standard, but they are truly spoiled with George Kolias. He gives these tracks an absolute roasting, most especially on the ultra fast ‘Permitting The Noble Dead To Descend To The Underworld’. Certainly one of the album’s highlights, its ‘I know you and I know your name’ hook is fantastic. Not to mention a blazing solo section.

The band are on predictable but highly satisfying form with ‘Utterances Of The Crawling Dead’, which marries everything familiar about Nile with the sturdiness of vintage Cannibal Corpse.

Given the speeds that bookend this album, it’s unsurprising that the band rest somewhat for the middle. The dip is not fantastic though, and these tracks are no ‘God Of Emptiness’. The title track and ‘4th Arra Of Dagon’ both trundle, and apart from adding a sludgy density, add nothing of note to the album as a whole.

Granted they’re not the most riveting in the world, but one thing these tracks do point to is Nile’s continued rootedness in the underground. The tortuously slow speed, the grinding difficulty of them, is so fixed in the sounds of old that they’re hard to dislike.

The speed however is where it’s at, and Nile are continuing to show the masses how its done. Dallas Toler Wade’s vocals lack a commanding personality but are at least still possessed of an underproduced rawness - again a something the band play to a trump card on this release.

Casting the mind back to Nile’s debut, it’s incredible how little has actually changed. The revving guitar tone is still all there, and the locktight playing remains jaw dropping. If anything it’s good that the cinematic style of their middle two albums has gone; the back to basics, ultra tight, whip cracking attack of four guys just playing at the height of their ability remains reason enough to listen.

Are they still relevant? Yes. There could only be handful of bands in the world playing like this, and it just happens that Nile are still writing the best songs. Stick on ‘Kem Khefa Kheshef’, hear those unholy bends, feel that incredible speed, and you’ll need little convincing.

4/5 - Ciaran Tracey ::: 22/11/09