Artist: Nile
Label: Relapse Records
Release Date: 8/20/02
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Title: In Their Darkened Shrines Artist: Nile Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 8/20/02 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
Nile's new album meets and exceeds the incredibly lofty expectations that have been placed on it since the success of Black Seeds of Vengeance. In Their Darkened Shrines had a lot to live up to considering their previous album was one of the best received of that year, and it seems that this album will be finding it's way onto a lot of year end lists as well. Nile have constructed a flawless album that sees them playing to their strengths and propelling themselves forward at the same time.
"Nile have constructed a flawless album that sees them playing to their strengths and propelling themselves forward at the same time." It's not surprising that Nile has come out with such a strong album. But what is surprising is that they've come out with an album that is ultimately more successful than their last two masterpieces. The storylines are more in depth, the lyrics more expressive, the riffs more intense and the atmosphere more chilling. No matter how much time I spend with this record, I can't help but feel I'm still not getting all of it. I feel like I just might not actually possess all of the faculties needed to truly know this album. This means that every time I listen to it I'm treated to a new experience. Nile have positioned themselves as the American death metal band to beat, consistently challenging themselves as well as others to reach new levels of perfection.
Every song is a mini masterpiece, and there isn't the slightest inkling of filler anywhere to be found on this album. I'm not ashamed to admit that the lyrical themes are well above my attention span, but for those of you who get off on that type of shit, a cursory glance show these lyrics are as challenging and in depth as you would expect from this band. Nile also continue to deliver the goods when it comes to mixing technicality and brutality. This album crushes as much as it inspires and is simply unrivaled in the current metal world. No one has done an even modestly successful job of imitating this sound.
"This album crushes as much as it inspires and is simply unrivaled in the current metal world." I could go on and on about this album, but that would just be a waste of space. This is on a short list for album of the year, and any fan of music, let alone metal, should have this album in their collection. One word review: Brilliant.
Death's Review:
Are Nile the new Morbid Angel? At least. Now that I've heard In Their Darkened Shrines, I think I'm almost ready to start calling them the new Slayer. I can tell you this: The new Nile album is riffier, meatier, darker, groovier, more technical, tighter, thrashier, more progressive and just plain more compelling than even the excellent last Nile album, Black Seeds of Vengeance, or anything else the band has ever done for that matter. Predictably, Nile slow down a bit on this record, as great metal bands often do at this point in their careers, displaying even a Black Sabbath type groove at times (see, e.g., "Sarcophagus" - which the liner notes suggest "could be thought of as a continuation of the Nephran-Ka saga"). Not as predictably, this new sense of considered forethought combined with a excellent recording and killer performances mix have left us with an album many will soon be calling a modern death metal classic.
"Are Nile the new Morbid Angel? At least."
Yes, Nile have lost the services of bassist Chief Spires, yet in the process guitarist/co-founder Karl Sanders has kept the band together and emerged with a more powerful and effective-sounding unit than ever before. For example, have a listen to the epic, dramatic and (of course) Egyptian-sounding "Unas Slayer of the Gods", which features all manner of sound and instrumentation beautifully echoing and haunting the song's progression into moments of creative vocal ranting in the middle of a monstrously lumbering all-out double-bass drum assault. The guitar tones, the bends and the distortion levels of the riffs all come together to present a killer sound that I think constitutes a new high-water mark in metal. The new material is really that good.
"A focused listen to the shit going on in a track like "Kheftiu Asar Butchiu" should be enough to make most you start muttering about where this fits into your year-end top ten lists." This is fantastic stuff, much drier on the effects and much more focused on insanely fast double-bass drumming, incredibly technical guitar runs and precision twin-guitar attack riffing. Seriously folks, a focused listen to the shit going on in a track like "Kheftiu Asar Butchiu" should be enough to make most you start muttering about where this fits into your year-end top ten lists. The album simply takes the fine art of death metal shredding to heretofore unimaginable dimensions. This is the next level shit in death metal. A perfect balance between brutal and the technical. Worth repeated airings at loud volume throughout the balance of 2002. Mssrs. Sanders, Vesano, Toler-Wade and Laureano, you should be proud.
Hel's Review:
I always look forward to a new Nile album. I have often espoused upon my belief that their brand of death metal, with its Egyptian twist, is unrivaled in its uniqueness. It should come as no surprise that I continue to support this position.
"Despite their recent line-up changes, Nile has not missed a step in making this new album."
"All Hail Nile, Kings of Egyptian Death Metal!" Once again, we are immersed with dark images from a society whose existence ceased ages ago. The lyrics are rife with mythology from this bygone era, one which was extremely advanced, and extremely cruel. This rich imagery continues in the music through use of elaborate symphonic passages.
Despite their recent line-up changes, Nile has not missed a step in making this new album. They have again provided us with a quality record containing as much personality as musical prowess. All Hail Nile, Kings of Egyptian Death Metal!
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