Customer Reviews

Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Absolutely stunning release by the saviors of death metal! Right when death metal was starting to get boring, Nile roared onto the scene and presented us with a brutal intensity unrivaled since Suffocation's debut. A refreshing blast of brutal death in an era when most death metallers are going the route of the melodic Gothenburg sound (now don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Dark Tranquility, (old) In Flames, and newer Arch Enemy, but like some Brutal Death every now and then.) Extremely fast, technical and intelligent, the music is also epic and very original. Highly recommended. Also of note are the lyrics. Not the boring, mindless gore-obsessed lyrics of bands like Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under, but based on mythology. Nile are far from being the first death metal band to use mythology as a bases for their lyrics, but they chose the mythology of Egypt whilst everyone else chose Norse mythos. Interesting and inventive. I am of the firm opinion that Nile is one of the greatest brutal death metal bands on the scene today! I cannot wait to get the new release "Annihilation of the Wicked" due out at the end of May! Stunning! Also get the cds: "Black Seeds of Vengeance" and "In their Darkened Shrines" and check out "Demigod" by the band Behemoth, which used to be a good black metal band, but is now an awesome brutal death metal band!

This is without a doubt the best death/grind album ever. The only drawback is the brevity of the work. All other great albums can only hope to tie or approach this album. The production is top-knotch, the drums being very powerful, the guitars being extremely crunchy. The vocals, while not as guttural as some bands, are probably the best in the genre. Nile is one of the magnificent monsters like Cryptopsy, Suffocation, and Cephalic Carnage that manage to be as brutul as hell but also hyper-technical. The only thing that I can think of that is more technical and original that this is Gorguts's 'Obscura', and even then it doesn't beat it by much. This band has certainly received alot of hype recently but for those of you who haven't heard this album, let me tell you if deserves all the damn hype it has received and more. In the underground metal scene, hyped up bands usually live up to the it. The criterion for greatness is technicality, originality, quality song writing, and extreme brutality, and Nile possesses all these to the pinnacle of perfection.

This is probably my favorite Nile CD. In Their Darkened Shrines is also quite good, and is much more atmospheric than Amongst¡­, but this album condenses all the raging brutality of a desert sandstorm into roughly thirty minutes, with a short, haunting interlude on the seventh track to you to collect all the tatters of your skin that were not torn away by the storm of the first six songs (well, actually songs 1,3,4,5,and 6). If you do not already know, Nile is a death metal band that takes its musical and lyrical inspirations from ancient Egyptian lore (and H.P. Lovecraft too, occasionally), which is truly a welcome change after the hordes of stagnant gore and Satan obsessed death metal bands running around screaming about severed tongues and blood sacrifices. Musically, this album is perfect. The drumming pounds your eardrums into submission yet never becomes too repetitive or predictable. The guitars are excellent, utterly devastating death metal shredding that also incorporates Egyptian influences, creating a very unique and distinct sound. The vocals are low and guttural growls which are at times indecipherable, but I have no problem with this as it always evokes an image of some infernal (Egyptian?) beast, snarling into the howling wind as it is whipped into a frenzy by the maelstrom of whirling drums and guitars. The production is great (although I¡¯m not a good judge of such things; I think the production on Emperor¡¯s In the Nightside Eclipse is great too) and the lyrics are thoughtful and intelligent, echoing the Egyptian feel of the music. A highly recommended album.

This release hinges more on a Morbid Angel influence than say a Napalm Death influence (more slayer roots than punk). The riffs are mostly blazing, the best ones however are the relatively 'slower' ones. On a first listen it is almost a dismissable album.. do not be fooled, this is worth a 4th and 5th listen. The gem of the album is the industrial type focus sprinkled throughout. The keyboards sound like old The Gathering material which is very interesting blended with the hyper drumming and ultra fast riffs.
The soloing is very derivative of Trey Azagoth (Morbid Angel) which at times totally misses the mark (50% of the time in my opinon, other than that there are some really nice solos that suit the songs).
The riffs lend themselves to an egyptian sound (a nice unique twist) but at the same time fall into the "being as evil as we can be" trap at times.
Those are my only complaints. I LOVE the vocal variance, for 3 guys it is amazing, you get guttural lows like Carcass and high pitch material like John Tardy (Obituary) and Carcass' high end stuff. They like to keep you guessing (like Cephalic Carnage.. not as hectic as that though).
They have classic sounding metal riffs mixed with brutal death blur fests. The real keeper is the song "Die Rache..." which is chanting etc. They really have a nice balance of speed here. Where as an album like Napalm Death's "Enemies of the Music Business" blungeons you completely this one lets you up for air a few times... and it is enjoyable as such without letting up on the heaviness of the album. Nice production, great vocals, nice packaging as well. A good CD to own if you are into the genre.

While Nile's recent album "Black Seeds of Vengence" helped set a new benchmark for the majority of death metal acts already out there, it cannot be denied that "Amongst The Catacombs..." is a much more brutal release. The effects and samples added in BSoV helped steep the album in more atmosphere and mood, but ATCoN maintained the extreme brutality expected of today's high caliber death metal.

With this particular release, Nile managed to superbly execute in every aspect their ability to play lightning fast with awesome technicality as well as hard hitting vocals worthy of any death metal fan's attention. Songs like "Howling of the Jinn" are some of the most brutal and fast that I've heard in recent times, not to mention that, if I was forced to pick Nile's best song to date (excluding their newest release "In Their Darkened Shrines since I haven't had the pleasure of hearing it yet...), it would by far have to be "Ramses Bringer of War" because not only does the song have a great death march feel in the intro and lots of mood, it absolutely rips throughout the entire song. "Ramses Bringer of War" combines pretty much all the best elements of Nile's songwriting into one piece, whereas the majority in BSoV the highlights of Nile's style and songwriting is more spread out in pieces among the songs there (this isn't necessarily a bad thing, there just truly isn't one particular song that showcases all aspects of the band).

While songs like "Masturbating the War God" off of BSoV are one of the best songs released to date, the entire album ATCoN is a force to be reckoned with. ATCoN plays up their ability to deliver some of the best, most brutal stuff in the scene right now. While "Black Seeds of Vengence" must be appreciated for its atmosphere and showcase songs such as "Masturbating the War God", "Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka" will remain the superior album in terms of sheer brutality and speed throughout the entire disc.

Nile's second album, "Amongst the Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka," was the band's breakthrough disc. It didn't catapult Nile into the mainstream, so you'll have no luck finding their song on the radio, but it did make frontman Karl Sanders and his band a force to be reckoned with amongst the heavy metal underground.

Pick almost any song on this album, and you'll find mind-jumbling polyrhythms (which consist of airtight, often amazing drumming), steam-rolling riffs, maybe even a careening solo or two, and Sanders' ultra-deep, growly and unintelligible vocals (which sound more like a demon belching than an actual human).

The album opens with a very speedy number, "Smashing The Antiu," which has a deft, pounding blast beat and searing guitars. There are a couple of interlude-type tracks ("Kudurru Maqlu" and "Die Rache Krieg Lied Der Assyriche") which break up the album's monotony, but they don't kill the record's intensity or relentlessness. "Barra Edinazzu" boasts thunderous guitars, insane drumming, and a spoken-word part which wouldn't sound out-of-place on a Cradle of Filth album. "Ramses Bringer Of War" features lightning fast drum work, frenetic riffs, retching vocals, and a couple of scorching, wild solos. Other standout tracks are the jackhammer rhythm on "The Howling Of the Jinn" (a song which sounds more like Dying Fetus covering Slayer than a traditional Nile tune), and the Deicide-esque scorcher, "Beneath Eternal Oceans Of Sand." This song begins with some pretty acoustic noodling before going full blast with crushing guitars and drums (and there's also a brief acoustic breakdown about halfway through).

So, yeah. This is good stuff. Any death metal fan (or metalhead in general) should find a lot to enjoy here.

This is their second and best album and always will be unless they get their original drummer and vocalist back.The drummer on this album is the fastest most hardest drummer I've ever heard.When I saw them in concert back in 99' the song "Ramses Bringer of War"nearly ripped my face off!The drummer actually injured himself is what i heard do to playing so hard through their european tour that year.Chief is a giant of a death metal vocalist.If you don't have this album yet and you are a fan of Cryptopsy and/or Morbid Angel then you need to add this to your collection immediately!Their first album is called "Festivals of Atonement"also one to check out if you can find it.

This is without a shadow of doubt their heaviest, most brutal, and best release yet. Egyptian themes and imagery separate Nile from other death metal bands but their musicianship and creativity are what make them really stand out. Each composition on Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka feels like an encapsulated epic, brought about by skilled dynamics that never surrender Nile's unapologetic brutality. Adding to the epic feel is the group's bold decision to experiment is their biggest attribute and thank God they did. This just wouldn't be as good without. Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka is a stand-out death metal release, expanding the genre's scope but staying true to its extreme, blood soaked roots. This release is a must for long time death metal fans and an excellent place for new listeners to begin.

upon first listen of nile, i wasnt too impressed. the vocals were too unbearable for me, and the music just flew over my head.

that was over a year ago, when i was caught in the black hole of terrible hardcore bands. now, i find it hard to stop listening to nile, especially nephren-ka.

first off, nile is different from many death metal bands, mainly because of their lyrics. a majority of DM bands rampage about death, gore, etc. but nile chooses to focus on the unbelievable culture and beliefts of ancient egypt. the lyrics make for a very interesting read, and i must say ive become addicted to egyptology thanks to these guys.

now, the music is off the wall. nile isnt focused on any real aspect, they can be driving heavy riffs into you one second, and suddenly blaze off into a crazed solo. there is no real song structure to these songs, so this isnt for the simple minded, who are used to verse-chorus-verse repetition. songs like "smashing the antiu" are great examples of this.
the drummer is insane, he has technical brilliance on par with brann dailor of mastodon and the hyperspeed of flo mounier of cryptopsy.

the vocals do take getting used to, every member of nile growls into the mic, but a vast majority of the vocals in this disc are low grunts and growls, and i mean really really low (the end of #6 is a good example), but dont give up on these guys solely on the vocals, they grow on you.

my only complaint is the production. usually im not too picky about this, but when i listen to this, the snare on the drums drowns out the guitars and bass, while the guitars are busy overpowering the vocals. nile has improved on this though, and the sound quality isnt going to stop me (and shouldnt stop you) from enjoying an excellent release. it may take a few listens, but this (as well as every other nile release) will grow on you.

favorite tracks - #1, #5, #7

I really love this album from beginning to end. All the songs in this album has a powerful, magical feeling to it and you won't be able to stop head banging too...:) Anyways, I really appreciate this band combining death metal with egyptian music, and the combination is very well done. The vocals are amazing, and I love the guitar riffs. The drums are fast too... if you're a death metal fan...this album is an album you won't want to miss