NILE — What Should Not be Unearthed (review)

NILE — What Should Not be Unearthed album cover

Album · 2015 · Technical Death Metal

5/5 · 2015-10-03
Nightfly

What Should Not Be Unearthed is the first album from USA technical death metal band Nile since 2012’s At The Gate Of Sethu. Guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders said on the band website before release that on the new album the goal was for sheer epic brutality with an emphasis on the riffing. Well I’d say that pretty much any Nile album is sheer epic brutality but I can see where he’s coming from as they’ve come up with some of the best riffs of their career.

Fans of the band need not worry – perhaps there is an emphasis on writing strong songs over technique for techniques sake but What Should Not Be Unearthed is clearly another album in the great Nile tradition with shredding a plenty, the Egyptian themes, complex arrangements with awesome musicianship with incredible speed and dexterity from all. George Kollias’s drumming is as jaw dropping as ever, clearly evident from the off as opener Call To Destruction kicks in with typical Nile speed and brutality. This man is the finest death metal drummer ever in my opinion and he’s up against some pretty stiff competition. Equally impressive is the guitar work of Karl Sanders and Dallas Toler-Wade who hold true to the promise of strong riffs without sacrificing anything of the technique they’re famous for. It’s difficult to imagine that Nile could get any heavier but these songs suggest they’ve excelled themselves in this area, perhaps due to riffs being more memorable and getting under the skin easier than At The Gate Of Sethu, which fine album that it was suffered from a thin production with a bit of style over substance at times – certainly in comparison to Those Whom The Gods Detest, their previous album.

Like all great albums the strength lies in overall consistency making it difficult to pick out favourites but it doesn’t get any better than the incredible title track for sheer speed, heaviness and incendiary riffing. It always good to hear them slow down at times, which they do now and again, which only helps to emphasize the heaviness.

Those Whom The Gods detest was my favourite Nile album which for me encapsulated everything great about Nile. It’s early days and I don’t want to jump the gun but What Should Not Be Unearthed may even overtake it being a flawless piece of work. I said in a recent review of the new Sulphur Aeon album that the only death metal album I thought could surpass it this year was this one. Seems I may be right.

more than 2 years ago
Permalink
Report #313552

Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer

Please login to post a shout

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Finally listened to this today. All I have to say is that this is the first 2015 album I've given a first impression rating of 5 stars too. Very, very powerful album. Indeed, it really might be their best yet.

Nightfly wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Unless my initial wave of enthusiasm wears off, which I doubt, this is my favourite Nile album.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

"In the Name of the God Amun I wage war" aaahhhhhhhhhhh....................fucking brilliant.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Great, great Nile album. I really like this one too...

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I still need to check this one out. Behind on a few albums from this year. Still haven't heard the new Symphony X either.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Great review, I personally love At the Gates of Sethu, but this one might actually be my favorite Nile album so far. I certainly agree that the strong riffs make it much easier to get into.