Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest

October 2, 2009

Reviewer: Matt

Defying all conventional wisdom on heavy metal’s place in popular culture with their 2007 Billboard charting release Ithyphallic, Nile poised themselves for domination, and with Those Whom the Gods Detest, they deliver.  Those Whom the Gods detest is Nile’s best album since their magnum opus, 2000’s Black Seeds of Vengeance, and solidifies their place in metal history with ten tracks of cinematic and unrelentingly brutal death metal.

If you weren’t flying the Nile flag before, this may be the album that wins your heart and mind.  Sacrificing none of the trademark suffocating brutality or dizzyingly technicality of their prior albums, Nile hone their songwriting to razor precision and unleash riff after powerful riff in an epic assault on the gods who detest and seek to destroy heavy metal.  On the surface Those Whom the Gods Detest may seem trite conceptually, but in actuality Nile’s tales of wars against Ancient Egyptian gods are an engaging metaphor for their unwavering (and, to this point, unerring) quest to conquer a mainstream establishment that reviles everything to which metal is beholden.

The cinematic nature of the music and the centrality of the vocals, the most critical components of Nile’s sound, are what often lead the cynical to dismiss Nile as an Egyptian-themed gimmick, but an honest appraisal reveals Those Whom the Gods Detest as a deeply thoughtful and sincere work bristling with unbridled energy and epic poeticism.  Rather than derision, Nile’s careful attention to atmosphere, through subtle use of keyboards and fascinating use of traditional instruments and chanting, is cause for celebration, provoking imaginations of an era long lost to the sands of time.

The powerful vocal presence, Nile’s single most underrated and underappreciated asset, along with the inescapably addictive riffs, make Those Whom the Gods Detest one of the most memorable albums of the year.  The masterful combination of crushing riff and driving vocal hook that made “Unas Slayer of the Gods” bang around inside your skull for days is replicated here tenfold, meaning you’ll find yourself alternatingly chanting “We are those whom the gods detest!” and “Arra! Arra! Arra! Dagon! Dagon! Dagon!” at the most inopportune times throughout your day.

Songwriting on Annihilation and the Wicked and Ithyphallic relied too heavily on blasting, and both albums were marred by subpar productions, the former being too muddy and the latter lacking a thick bottom end.  These shortcomings are not present on Those Whom the Gods Detest; songwriting is balanced, groove-laden passages abound, and the entire package is delivered in a thick, crisp production courtesy of Neil Kernon and Erik Rutan.

Those Whom the Gods Detest stands out in a year overflowing with groundbreaking death metal releases.  Nile is proudly setting the standard as we approach a new decade.  You owe it to yourself to own this excellent work.

Release Date: October 20th, 2009
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Kafir!
2.  Hittite Dung Incantation
3.  Utterances Of The
     Crawling Dead
4.  Those Whom The Gods Detest
5.  4th Arra Of Dagon
6.  Permitting The Noble Dead To
     Descend To The Underworld
7.  Yezd Desert Ghul Ritual in the
     Abandoned Towers of Silence
8.  Kem Khefa Kheshef
9.  The Eye Of Ra
10. Iskander D'hul Karnon

Total playing time:  56:40

*By clicking "Submit" you agree to the following Terms of Use. You agree not to post any material that is obscene, slanderous, or threatening, or that may violate any law of your country of origin or the United States or of international law. Should you wish to restrict viewing of your email address by third parties, you must select "Hide My Email." You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Metal Psalter from any claims, actions, suits, damages, or other costs arising out of any breach of these Terms of Use.

*Comments: