Sometimes, Nile remind me of these sophisticated, self-driving cars that use artificial intelligence technologies to move without human intervention. The passengers aren’t worried, since they’re sure that they’ll reach their destination safely; the car scans the terrain, takes the optimal route, and avoids all obstacles, learning in real-time. Likewise, we shouldn’t worry about Nile’s endeavors.The masters of brutality have set the standards for others to follow for nearly three decades, without disappointing anyone. In the worst-case scenario, they release something decent without overwhelming the audience.
In the case of their tenth album, “The Underworld Awaits Us All”, Sanders and his companions confidently follow the familiar path we’ve all been aware of; that’s a condition that excludes the occurrence of any surprises. Nonetheless, Nile’s tendency to remain in safe territories doesn’t negate the high quality of the album. This is guaranteed by the band members’ impressive technical abilities and precise execution, a constant parameter that has always been the main point of interest and attraction for deathsters. Certainly, Nile have indulged us all these years, and after albums that caused second thoughts among the audience (“At the Gate of Sethu”, “What Should Not Be Unearthed”), they make a strong comeback, reminding us of moments of grandeur from the past, supported by a production team that highlights their technical virtues.
The opener, “Stelae of Vultures”, sets the old-school tone ideally, unhesitatingly introducing Nile’s organized chaos. Sanders, aided by Kingsland in songwriting, unleashes considerable volumes of traditional, brutal riffs, either highly technical or more straightforward, like in the frenetic “To Strike with Secret Fang” (a none-breath shot of death adrenaline). Through a variety of patterns, solos, and rhythms, Nile shine in methodically structuring an ancient-Egyptian, sterilized atmosphere of morbidity and epic splendor, a feature that wouldn’t be possible without Kollias’ extraordinary drumming. The man wanders in Nile’s ill-tempered soundscapes with ease, no matter the task he has to execute. He plays in whatever way and condition possible, fulfilling every demand.
A sense of déjà vu naturally occurs in the second half of the album, where mid-paced ideas like in “Overlords of the Black Earth”, “Under the Curse of the One God”, or even the groovy “Doctrine of Last Things” clearly bring to mind glimpses of the excellent “Those Whom the Gods Detest”. That feeling is intensified in the two lengthy, doomier, down-tuned tracks towards the end (“True Gods of the Desert” and the homonymous song); they’re really crushing, gradually unfolding their aspects (and Sanders’ extreme low-pitched growls in his 60s are a pleasure for the ears), but their connection to the above-mentioned album is evident.
Of course, the dreadful darkness you once encountered in the insuperable “Annihilation of the Wicked” and “In Their Darkened Shrines” cannot be reproduced. The lunacy of the raw “Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka” and “Black Seeds of Vengeance” is locked in a hidden sarcophagus in a long-forgotten tomb. Nevertheless, Nile still capture your attention with a well-known, expertly prepared recipe. Over the course of more than fifty minutes, you’ll undoubtedly find the intriguing elements you’ve always looked for in the Americans’ past, and that continuous, long-standing offering is Nile’s greatest accomplishment.
♦ 8/10
Alex Nikolaidis
