ALBUM REVIEW: Vile Nilotic Rites – Nile

The last decade has not been the greatest for South Carolina’s finest. Since releasing their absolutely stellar Those Whom the Gods Detest in 2009, NILE, led by virtuoso guitarist Karl Sanders, have hit a plateau. 2012’s At The Gates of Sethu was far from weak, but poor production and a drop in quality after Those Whom the Gods Detest hurt the band’s progression. Similarly, What Should Not Be Unearthed introduced a new, catchier brand of death metal into the quartet’s sound, but much of the record felt a tad toothless. Line-up changes and a burning desire to push the band to the next level, NILE return four years on with Vile Nilotic Rites – but can Sanders and co. reaffirm their place at the top of the international death metal hierarchy with their ninth offering? 

This becomes immediately clear that the band are back with a vengeance from opening track and lead single Long Shadows of Dread. Eastern melodies take prominence amid the brutalising, classically NILE riff work while the vocal assault of Parris, Sanders and Kingsland offers an incredibly clarity with even the most guttural line coming through clearly. The solo work is blinding, the atmosphere ominous, and the hooks unshakeable. What an opening statement. Speaking of opening statements, Oxford Handbook of Savage Genocidal Warfare is, chronologically, the first NILE song where Kingsland has taken a lead role in the songwriting, and you bet he makes an explosive entrance. Breakneck tempos and an unrestrained brutality leave this as one of the most aggressive songs in NILE‘s catalogue.

Though brutality is a staple in NILE‘s sound, the real strength of Vile Nilotic Rites comes in their desire to flex their songwriting, honing the musicality just as much as the technicality. The title track is a clear example of this, sounding every bit like NILE should, but with a more palatable groove and utterly massive hooks – just try and stop yourself from screaming along as the triple vocal assault bellows “What one worships, one becomes!”

From here, the epic elements of NILE‘s sound take centre stage; with the exception of the pit-anthem Snake Pit Mating Frenzy, it’s full steam ahead on cinematic and grandiose brutality. Seven Horns of War is an immediate album highlight, blending the new-found love of hooks and the classic NILE sonic evisceration with a monolithic scale. The horn section ripped straight from the Battle of Helms Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is particularly stirring; That Which is Forbidden brings an unprecedented level of black metal into the quartet’s musical arsenal, to fantastic effect; and Revel In Their Suffering is a crushing affair, laden with the classic NILE-isms that have made them such a revered band.

In seemingly no time at all, Vile Nilotic Rites is already approaching its climax. The interludial Thus Sayeth the Parasites of the Mind is loaded with Eastern scales and melodies, allowing for a brief moment of respite before the bruising Where is the Wrathful Sky crashes in with the ferocity of the Gods. The closing one-two of The Imperishable Stars Are Sickened and We Are Cursed prove to be one the finest closing gambits NILE have ever released. Heavy on the Eastern melodies and atmosphere once more, The Imperishable Stars Are Sickened brings crushing grooves and hook-heavy riff-and-vocal work into play, with a return of the black metal influences of That Which is Forbidden, before the monolithic We Are Cursed brings Vile Nilotic Rites to a thunderous close.

How often does a band over a quarter of a century into their career release a game changer of an album? NILE could very easily have played things safe, and it would have paid off – they could have emulated the catchy, if passion-lacking, What Should Not Be Unearthed and it would have been fine. However, Vile Nilotic Rites is not merely fan-service, nor simply a new record to justify another four years on tour. Here, NILE have rediscovered an incredible love and passion for song-craft, with the creative voices of Parris and Kingsland bringing new influences into play and evolving the band’s sound and Sanders delivering thematic excellence at every return (read the exclusive track by track guide from Sanders here). Vile Nilotic Rites is unquestionably the strongest NILE record in at least a decade, and may just be the catalyst to smash the glass ceiling NILE have been pushing against for half of their career.

Rating: 10/10

Vile Nilotic Rites is set for release November 1st via Nuclear Blast Records.

Like NILE on Facebook.