Those Whom the Gods Detest

Album review

It's hard to not be impressed by the sheer sonic onslaught that is otherwise known as Nile. Except to the most hardened death metal fanatic, the genre has a way of sounding the same after a while, but Nile is one of the few exceptions -- able to put their own unmistakable fingerprints on this heavy duty style (Egyptian-influenced lyrics and musical bits, highly impressive instrumental dexterity, etc.). And on their sixth studio effort overall, 2009's Those Whom the Gods Detest, Nile has once again proven that they are a step ahead of the rest of the pack. Although some of the sonic depth has to be attributed to producer Neil Kernon (after all, he worked with such sticklers for audio perfection as Queensrÿche in the past), it's the true metallic fury that Nile create themselves that makes it all extremely impressive. Case in point, such delicious death metal ditties as "Kafir!," while on selections such as the title track and what's sure to be top metal song title of 2009, "Yezd Desert Ghul Ritual in the Abandoned Towers of Silence," Karl Sanders shows why he is considered by many to be the finest guitarist of the extreme metal genre (both songs incorporate Sanders' love of all things Middle Eastern). "Exotic" and "heavy metal" are not often terms used together, but in the case of Those Whom the Gods Detest, they go together as splendidly as peanut butter and jelly.

© Greg Prato /TiVo