The Album Reader Reviews:

	Title: Black Seeds of Vengeance Artist: Nile Label: Relapse Records Release Date: 9/5/00	There are currently 5 Reader Reviews of this album. Average Rating: 4.8 Go to Judgment Committee Reviews of this Album
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Submitted by Chris Puzak (1/17/02):
The depressing fact facing underground metal fans is the perennial glut of bands producing third-rate "brutal" death metal with little or no interest in crafting memorable songs. For every Opeth or Cryptopsy, there's a hundred Jungle Rots, Fleshgrinds, and Internal Bleedings, all content to spew out uninspired death metal while good bands fall by the wayside.
And then there's Nile. Their latest album, Black Seeds of Vengeance, is a shining example of how good death metal can be, and is proof that the genre is still viable even after black metal threatened to overwhelm it in the late 90s. As impressive as Among the Catcombs of Nephren-Ka was, this is even better.
Nile is the ony band I know of that can combine such disparate elements as death metal, chanting monks, and ancient Egyptian instruments and make it all sound very natural. The band's songs are more memorable this time around; listeners will have a hard time getting songs like "Defiling the Gates of Ishtar" and "Masturbating the War God" out of their heads. Most of the songs on the album are incredibly fast, although the band seems to know exactly when to slow down, such as the haunting intro to "The Black Flame" or the closing track "Khetti Satha Shemsu." It is not hyperbole to suggest that this is an album that sets a new standard of excellence for other death metal bands to reach for. At the very least, this album should make the guys at Relapse question why they continue to shell out money for Mortician albums when Nile makes that band look like rank amateurs.
Nile sounds like Deicide did before they got lazy. The sound like Morbid Angel did on Altars of Madness, when the band still had something to prove. In other words, Nile has a passion and energy that many of the scene's leaders are unwilling or unable to display. Hopefully, the band will continue to challenge themselves and make even greater albums in the future.

Submitted by azazel28546 (2/25/01):
This album is awesome. It is one of the finest death metal albums this year. Nile are constantly compared to Morbid Angel and I still feel that Gateways is superior to this album but this has a lot to offer.
It has incredible dynamics musically and the drums are out of this world. The lyrics are cool too because there is a description of each song in the back. The guitarists are definitely children of Trey and Erics' yet they still will never surpass the masters. Highly recommended... buy it now.

Submitted by genitalgrinder (11/1/00):
We all know there's plenty of death metal bands out there, most being skillful and interesting. But, quite probably, none of them has the same intensity and depth that Nile showcases. No matter how far the time machine in my mind goes back, I cannot remember one band in the past (nor in the present) incorporating the elements of Nile's music (well, maybe a bit by Morbid Angel, only for the mythologic argument of Lovecraft's Ancient Ones, but I digress.) The thing that, in my opinion, stands out about this disc is not much the use of antique Egyptian instruments, but the way they're used in order to seize an atmosphere of pure evil and mystery. In fact, what you can sense throughout the album is the effort Nile does to recreate the obscurity and arcane of the ancient Egyptian world and translate it into a musical environment. The whole album is an exciting experience you must not miss. Furthermore, these guys are excellent musicians and songwriters, all the tracks in here being extremely technical and well structured.
Bottom line: Believe it or not, this album brilliantly overcomes the boundaries of the genre. Highly recommended.

Submitted by Jonathan E.C. (10/15/00):
ANOTHER AWESOME RELEASE FROM NILE!
A great followup to their AMONGST THE CATACOMBS OF NEPHREN-KA, even more brutal than Catacombs, with the Eygpt style melodies. So original compared to all the other stuff happening.
Buy it fast! NILE RULE!!!!

Submitted by DMS (9/26/00):
CRUSHING, ABSOLUTELY CRUSHING death metal with a high dose of originality. The Ancient Egyptian themes prove to be fertile ground for death metal inspiration and evoke a true feeling of horrific evil. In my opinion, Nile lyrically demonstrates that true evil comes from humanity's worship of evil gods, not the evil gods themselves. This band intellectually destroys retards such as Deicide, who are plodding along with the same childishness album after album. The music is highly technical death metal, extremely well played, with the best vocals EVER heard. Interspersed throughout the album are instrumental moments, played with Middle Eastern instruments, that easliy fit the mood. The BEST death metal album in quite awhile. GET IT NOW.

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