Review by Rick Eaglestone for MPM
Evisceratiors of Egyptology and all-around death metal icons return with The Underworld Awaits Us All30 years of brutality brings with it airtight technicality so there is already a familiarity with Nile that you know that they haven’t suddenly to make a prog album, dissonant guitar chords and supernatural drumming aren’t so much anticipated but expected so as the album thunders in with opener Stelae of Vultures it is pretty much a given that the listener is going to pulled into a mind-bending experience and this is all but set in stone by the end of Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes.
The short and swift presentation ofThe Pentagrammathion of Nephren-Ka is easily the albums crowning glory, especially when paired with the visceral nature of Naqada II Enter the Golden Age which has some phenomenally prominent basslines and swirling solos.
Alongside Niles preference for sheer annihilation are evoking instrumental composition that always fit the aesthetic of the album, and this one is no different asThe Pentagrammathion of Nephren-Ka add another dynamic and serves and a great introduction for Overlords of the Black Earth, in particular the dual vocals here are particularly noteworthy.
Moving onto Under the Curse of the One God there is a definite nod to previous releases and has elements that are reminiscent of the reason I became a fan of the band; this is complimented spectacularly with Doctrine of Last Things with a heightened intensity.
Coming in almost seven minutes is True Gods of the Desert which does a fantastic job of highlighting the songwriting prowess and technicality, there is also a subtle ritualistic tone on here that comes through well, this is then followed by the even longer title trackThe Underworld Awaits us All.
Demonstrating a diversity in structure is final track Lament for the Destruction of Time, it’s ominous and foreboding instrumental structure focuses on atmospherics and manages to be almost narrative in its composition that closes of this offering with a sweeping sense of grandeur although much of the album has been raw and scathing.
The Underworld Awaits Us All Track listing.
1 Stelae of Vultures
2 Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes
3 To Strike with Secret Fang
4 Naqada II Enter the Golden Age
5 The Pentagrammathion of Nephren-Ka
6 Overlords of the Black Earth
7 Under the Curse of the One God
8 Doctrine of Last Things
9 True Gods of the Desert
10 The Underworld Awaits us All
11 Lament for the Destruction of Time
Line-up:
Karl Sanders – Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards,
George Kollias – Drums
Brian Kingsland – Guitar, Vocals
Zach Jeter – Guitar, Vocals
Dan Vadim Von – Bass
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7/10
