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NILE
The Underworld Awaits Us All

Napalm (2024)
Rating: 8.5/10

When Greenville, South Carolina-based death metal band Nile crept onto the scene in 1994 with their self-titled demo, little did we realise that four years later the combo would release one of the greatest modern death metal records in the form of 1998’s Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka. Two years later, Black Seeds Of Vengeance was just as astonishing as the bunch explored the depths of Egyptian history alongside Lovecraftian twists.

It’s fair to say that with subsequent releases, although of immense quality, Nile couldn’t quite match the seminal brace of albums that rocketed them to the forefront of the contemporary extreme metal scene. Even with this, their tenth full-length outing, the quintet were, in my eyes, never going to reach the heights of Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka and Black Seeds Of Vengeance, but I tell you this, they aren’t far short.

The Underworld Awaits Us All is a very strong album, arguably the best Nile platter for some time and one bolstered by the energy of newest recruits Zach Jeter (guitar and vocals) and Dan Vadim Von (bass), who join George Kollias (drums), Brian Kingsland (guitar and vocals) and original member Karl Sanders (vocals, guitar and keyboards).

Eleven songs are dished up here, the most eye-catching (ridiculous?) title-wise being ‘Chapter For Not Being Hung Upside Down On A Stake In The Underworld And Made To Eat Feces By The Four Apes’. Even with its ferocity I couldn’t help but smirk at some of the lyrics, although I’m sure I’ll be criticised for my lack of understanding of the concept. Even so, it’s typical Nile as they unleash opener ‘Stelae Of Vultures’, a black melodeath bashing of destructive riffing and a refreshing exuberance no doubt bolstered by the enthusiasm and skill sets of the new members.

Lyrically, the album is typically bonkers in their esoteric manner, but musically the blasts are so fierce that you cannot help but be drawn into Nile’s world of gods and monsters and excrement consuming. There is some great variation in the vocals too as cleaner melodies entwine with guttural tumult, all swept up in foaming black tides of chaos and creation through the formidable terrain of ‘To Strike With Secret Fang’ and ‘Overlords Of The Black Earth’, while ‘True Gods Of The Desert’ is majestically moody in design with the weighty doom shifts.

Nile maintains the Middle Eastern maulings which are channelled like hot, blazing threads whipped up into scorching storms of intricacy. Karl Sanders remains the commanding master, barking orders and carving huge chunks of blasting terror, especially with ‘Naqada II Enter The Golden Age’ and hostile tirade ‘Under The Curse Of The One God’. It’s the Nile we know and love, still marching through ancient tapestries of wonder and stirring up the sands like swirling tornadoes.

Like archaic thunder, The Underworld Awaits Us All is a reminder as to the sheer power of Nile, an extraordinary band which shows no signs of wilting.

Neil Arnold

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