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1 - What Can Be Safely Written
2 - As He Creates So He Destroy
3 - Ithyphallic
4 - Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks
5 - Eat of the Dead
6 - Laying Fire Upon Apep
7 - The Essential Salts
8 - The Infinity of Stone
9 - Language of the Shadows
10 - Even the Gods Must Die
11 - As He Creates So He Destroys
12 - Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve It's Possessor Against Attacks
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 Grows on you... ( xeno6696 )
I'm more of a critic of death metal than active fan: VERY VERY VERY few recordings make it to 4-stars for me in this genre. This is because the style is typically VERY limited in scope: Two guitars, one bass, and drums, and a cookie-monster vocalist bellowing unintelligble lyrics.
How many times do you think you'll reinvent the wheel like that?
Couple that with the absolutely insane bent of your typical death-metal fan: "Singing is not allowed! You're a p-ssy if you sing! Keyboards are ghey! Good guitar leads are for posers! My band is more manly than your band!"
Its no wonder that the show Metalocalypse is so popular: The stereotype proves true; even metalheads at large make fun of the subgenre. (Don't worry, this will all be pertinent in a second.)
Recently I had the chance to buy Bloodbath's new disc; it was brutal AND incredibly melodic. I had heard Nile via their myspace page sometime in '07 and thought what another reviewer said earlier. "Boring."
However, I decided to give this disc a real chance, after all Bloodbath hit a chugging-home run! I bought Ithyphallic.
Initially...
I didn't like it. It seemed uninspired. But before coming here to write a review I made it a point to listen to it more; strangely it wasn't a chore. It became kind of like Absu's "Tara," an album that at first I could find no redemption for, but it really grew on me and I came to highly enjoy it. Although in neither case, can I actually tell you WHY I like it--because it breaks all of my own views for how I normally enjoy music; I like subtlety and artistic expression. Death metal typically conjures images of children with crayons for some reason; noted exceptions being any swedish/norwegian/finnish metal band from 1990 on. And Arsis.
Nile isn't quite your typical grind/death band... I say this loosley. You have to be pretty familiar with the genre to be able to tell the difference between two bands. Nile borrows a bit from Melechesh (one of the best metal bands ever) and use some traditional mideastern instrumentation... These songs are incredibly good. The vocals are the weakest link, however he uses more intelligent and (sometimes) intelligble vocal patterns that actually show some craftsmanship.
Of all the bands I listen to, this band DOES remind me alot of Absu, just downtuned on both vocals and guitars, mixed with Melechesh. (I think he's tuned down to G; hard to tell though as notes are barely intelligble at that range.
This isn't a balls-out rock fest... there won't be as much head-banging as there was on Bloodbath's newest, but there are shining moments, my favorites being "The Essential Salts," and "Eat of the Dead."
Best release of '07? I---have extreme reservations going that far. I would lean towards Dark Tranquillity's "Fiction," or All Shall Perish's "The Price of all Existence," but considering that '07 was kind of a bleak year for metal (most of your best bands, Opeth etc; all waited till '08.) this would rank on the top ten.
EDIT: After 2 more months, it's still in my mp3 player and still an infectious listen. I'd give it 5 instead of my original 4 if I could.
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 one word: BORING
After a minute or so of listening, this music loses all impact. It's a fundamental musical truth that when you have no dynamic range, even the most balls out playing becomes dull. Add to that fact that the rhythmic figures are so simple (nearly everything is in 4/4, the accents are all on the beat, and the phrasing is dictated by the beginnings and ends of measures) and you simply have highly repetitive, boring music. This is true for nearly all death metal, and it begs the question: why do extremely fast players who are capable of doing very complex things write such boring, straightahead rhythms?
There is nothing sophisticated going on here, there is nothing musical going on either. It's a flat out bore that makes the listener believe these musicians must have the intellect of a caveman if they actually enjoy playing this.
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 i think everyone pretty much said what i'm about to say
awesome. every newer nile release just makes me DROOL. i loved "annihilation of the wicked", but "ithyphallic" just TURNS ME ON (no, not in a fetish/homosexual way, but in a musical way).
"what may be safely written" opens up the cd with brutal, blisteringly fast riffs after a nice little overture in the beginning of the song.
the next three tracks continue the sheer insanity of the intricately written guitar parts, speedily precise drumming, and growled vocals. each one sounds different and more memorable than the last.
"eat of the dead" and "the inifinity of stone" slow it down and give you a breather, but not for long! because in between each song and after them, there are MORE AWESOME SONGS with the same great material that somehow fails to get boring each time i listen to it.
i loved nile the first time i heard them in 2006, but ithyphallic doesn't disappoint; it just adds more to nile's spot in "awesome death metal bands."
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Nile Keeps Raising the Bar in the Genre of Death Metal
Clearly with this release Nile have yet raised the bar again in the genre of Death Metal.
When I first picked this album up it did take a few listens through to really absorb all that's going on in the songs and to get a feel for the album.
The production is great as you can clearly hear the drums and the dual guitar work going on. I think the vocals are also a bit more clearer than they have been on previous albums.
The technical guitar work and drumming is rather astounding and is performed in top form. Fret-less guitars are used on a few tracks which sounds truly amazing and different.
I highly recommend this to any fan of Nile or any fan of brutal Death Metal. Hands down something you don't want to miss out on!
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Amazing
Nile in full swing....The thing I love about this group is the fact that their albums have no major song, each album is a unique effort which can be listened to start to finish and enjoy every minute of it. Ithyphallic is none different. In Their Darkened Shrines and Annihilation of the Wicked were my favorite Nile albums, but after lettin this rip several times we may have a new leader in the club house. This album doesn't let up and is relentless. In addition there is the added bonus of actually being able to make out some of the words growled by Sanders and company. Overall this album is sure to please any Death metal fan, and if you are a new found metal fan you will surely respect the level of complexity and uniqueness this group exhibits with each album they put out. Fantastic....Get it.
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