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Nile - Ithyphallic
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Ithyphallic – A sign of fertility usually
displayed as the phallus of a god (sometimes Osiris) or pharaoh (usually
Min).
Nile has become one of the most prolific and influential bands in the
underground death metal scene over the years. Their raw and brutal
vocals, blistering drums beats, and blend of powerful riffs with
Egyptian inspired melodies have caught the ears and attention of quite a
few who have been looking for something that’s a little different, but
still not of the mainstream. Fans have been waiting with great
anticipation for their fifth release, and Ithyphallic doesn’t disappoint
and may very well be one of the bands best releases to date.
From the opening Egyptian flavored riffs in "What Can Be Safely
Written,” it is unmistakably Nile, and after nearly nine minutes of
viciousness, you can consider it to merely be a prelude for what’s to
come. "As He Creates So He Destroys" (which sadly they did not play when
I saw them at Roseland Bar & Grill just days ago) is one the stand out
tracks in my opinion, filled with some fantastic and intricate riffs,
chord progressions, and perfectly layered vocal patterns.
Nile though has always been about the Egyptology, and the title tracks
of this release, "Ithyphallic,” displays that perfectly from the opening
riffs into the main progression of the song and then into some fantastic
guitar harmonies not to mention George Kollias’ devastating drumming and
astounding speed. Having seen Nile twice at this point (and intentions
of times three, four, and so on) each member is incredibly skilled, and
hearing their music isn’t even enough; seeing them is the thing that
will make a believer out of anyone. "Papyrus Containing the Spell to
Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is in the Water,” and
that actually is the title of the song, is, as Dallas put it, “the
fastest fucking song” they’ve written. Not only is “Papyrus” fast, it’s
incredibly technical and the type of song that showcases the talents of
Nile.
"Laying Fire Upon Apep,” is yet another impressive song, particularly
the heavy mid-section with some thunderous floor toms and a noisy lead,
though this probably isn’t what Egyptian priests imagined their annual
rite of banishing the evil demo Apep, and I’m sure it wasn’t detailed as
such in The Books of Overthrowing Apep. The highlight track in my
opinion is "The Essential Salts,” a song which was followed nicely by
“Lashed to the Slave Stick” live. "The Essential Salts" has an
incredibly beginning riff that flows through a good portion of the song
before becoming even more technical and concluding with a powerful and
mournful sounding Egyptian style riff. This is the track that many a
Nile fan will be playing over and over again.
There are a couple of tracks though that I don’t necessarily care too
much for. "Eat of the Dead" is a slower song, and while not necessarily
a bad cut; it’s a bit too long in my opinion. "Even the Gods Must Die"
is Niles longest song, clocking in at an impressive 10 minutes (10:01 to
be exact.) The song begins with more of that nicely incorporated death
metal meets Egyptian instrumentation that Karl works out so well, a
mournful riff that reminds one of :”Annihilation of the Wicked,” but
unfortunately the song was another I found to be a bit too long,
especially with the slower pacing, though the voices and chants buried
within the music are quite impressive.
Ithyphallic is a prefect follow-up for Annihilation of the Wicked, and
Nile have outdone themselves with this album. There is very little room
for disappointment here, and if you were worried that maybe their
presence on Ozzfest was something that might ruin the style and sound, I
can promise you that’s not the case. Nile is a band where compromise
isn’t an option and Egyptology and songs inspired by Lovecraftian lore
are the essence of all. Ithyphallic is a audio display of brutal death
metal savagery that might even make Ra renounce his godhood and bestow
it upon these mere mortals.
-mike-
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Lineup:
Karl Sanders - Guitar, vocals,
Dallas Toler-Wade - Guitar, bass, vocals
George Kollias - Drums, percussion
Chris Lollis - Additional vocals (also handling bass duties on tour)
Deryk Whibley - Additional lead
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Track Listing:
01 What Can Be Safely Written
02 As He Creates So He Destroys
03 Ithyphallic
04 Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor Against
Attacks From He Who Is in the Water
05 Eat of the Dead
06 Laying Fire Upon Apep
07 The Essential Salts
08 The Infinity of Stone
09 The Language of the Shadows
10 Even the Gods Must Die
Total Playing Time:
49:48
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