In the ever-evolving realm of death metal, Nile are like one of those terrifying sandworms from Dune, but relocated to Ancient Egypt. Over the last 30 years, guitarist Karl Sanders’ crew have carved an abominable, obsidian trench through the hot, barren sands of generic brutality, while simultaneously raising the bar for technical prowess and atmospheric might. No one else sounds like Nile. It would be rather silly to try. The band’s 10th album, The Underworld Awaits Us All, reinforces that point – and with more vigour and venom than ever before.
They may be veterans with 30 years of active service under their bejewelled belt, but Nile still seem to be growing in power and intensity. The opening Stelae Of Vultures is simply ridiculous; exhilarating, unfathomable and wild, it’s an audacious display of virtuosity and six of the most absurdly intense minutes Nile have ever recorded. That, incidentally, is really saying something. The same is true of recent single, Chapter For Not Being Hung Upside Down On A Stake In The Underworld And Made To Eat Feces By The Four Apes, which aside from having the best title of 2024, is also breathtakingly fast and ferocious, thanks in part to the peerless blasting of drummer George Kollias.
A few artfully chilling instrumental interludes notwithstanding, the madness is sustained from beginning to end. To Strike With Secret Fang is a sub-two-minute, black magic tornado; Overlords Of The Black Earth is a constantly mutating whirlpool of pitch-black riffing and vengeful cries from the abyss; and dual epics True Gods Of The Desert and the title track are both dizzyingly grandiose reminders that Karl Sanders is, in essence, a fucking genius. Their best album in nearly 20 years, this puts Nile firmly back on top of the death metal pyramid.
The Underworld Awaits Us All is out this Friday, August 23