Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines

The thought that goes through my head most often when I listen to Nile is “I am not worthy.” It’s not that I don’t like heavy stuff. I can eat death, black, thrash, and speed metal like Wheaties. But this stuff is insane! The pure speed, the bludgeoning blast beats, the bizarre chanting and recorded rituals that sound like some kind of blighted shaman in a frenzy, the eternally heavy riffs during “slower” moments, the long fade-outs that literally last for minutes…sometimes it is simply overwhelming. But any rational consideration tells me this is one of the best bands in metal.

Formed in South Carolina (?!) in 1993 by Karl Sanders (vocals/guitars), Chief Spires and Pete Hammoura, Nile combined an interest in Egyptian history, culture and lore with a taste for modern death metal. Their symphonic approach to songwriting and arrangement generated a unique sound that could be described as technical death metal with Middle Eastern overtones. Lyrically, Sanders' chose to interpret ancient Egyptian inscriptions, temple carvings, papyri, hieroglyphics and tomb paintings depicting ancient battles, rituals and religious ceremonies. Relapse Records recognized their vast potential and released their debut, Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka, in 1998. The album was an adventurous and awesome piece of work that garnered that band significant praise. Their next release did not come easy. One particularly technical composition, “Multitude of Foes,” took guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade a full year to work out. The final result, 2000’s Black Seeds of Vengeance was an absolute masterpiece that placed Nile firmly in the upper echelon of the metal rank and file. KERRANG magazine was probably right when they declared: "Nile are death metal's saviors."

2002’s In Their Darkened Shrines picks up where its predecessor left off. Right from the first track, “The Blessed Dead,” the band attacks with insane blast beats and regal, symphonic sections that sound as if they were written to be played in throne rooms. The second track, “Execration Text,” is even faster, and here Sanders and Toler-Wade get involved with fretboard runs and harmonies played at the speed of light. Finally on “Sarcophagus” we are allowed to breathe, with a slow, doomy riff that has a distinct Middle Eastern flavor. It sounds like something that might be played during a procession of dead Egyptians into the afterlife. On “Unas Slayer of the Gods” we hear the Tibetan doom horns for the first time, and at the nine-minute mark some kind of bizarre ritual is conducted, with Sanders shouting at the gods of the Nile for some reason or another. This one of many Nile tracks that makes use of diverse instrumentation such as tablas, tempuras, sitars, gongs, and kettle drums. Another is “I Whisper in the Ear of the Dead.” It begins with prolific double bass playing only to cut to an atmospheric section with Sanders grunting (like a corpse) sweet nothings into the mike. The chorus of this song is strong enough to raise Osiris from the next life. The album concludes with a towering instrumental, “Ruins,” that demonstrates both elegance and class. At the very end, a gong crash and chimes take us into blackness.

Black Seeds of Vengeance was one of the tougher acts to follow in recent metal history. It made a huge buzz in the metal world and was one of those rare albums that truly introduced a unique sound and vision to the genre. On its own merits, In Their Darkened Shrines is an amazing technical and creative accomplishment. It might lose a bit of luster, however, when compared to its predecessor. Nonetheless, Nile, with the same basic formula intact, is still a formidable death machine whose best years likely lie ahead.