Review by Jeger on August 24, 2024.

From South Carolina, USA to Egypt and even through time has Nile’s music taken their devout followers as the band has so adamantly detailed ancient Egyptian mythology throughout their career. And why not? Great mysteries surrounding pyramids that may or may not have been built by human hands, the Pharaohs, the Gods! And the myth surrounding it all like something tailor-made for death metal. Brilliant concepts set to DM of an intangible consort. The talent and the vision that formulates Nile’s records have always been something untouchable, even by some of the best tech outfits out there, and now, as we wallow in pre-cataclysm days of total chaos/discord, an escape into where life cycles toward judgment and the Underworld unfurls. On August 23, Nile released The Underworld Awaits Us All via Napalm Records. 

An engineering muse is The Underworld Awaits Us All, but also a clinic in refined yet brutal technical death metal. Produced at founding member Karl Sanders’ own Serpent Headed Studios and engineered once again by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus), this one comes in crisp and layered perfectly. No comparisons as no one does death metal like Nile: the musicianship, the concepts, and the capturing of the ancient essence as translated through gorgeous strings in the interlude, 'The Pentagrammathion Of Nephren-Ka' that evoke images of great chambers aglow by torchlight and instill a feeling of total mystification as you take in such simple yet shimmering soundscapes. Carrying over into the following track, 'Overlords Of The Black Earth' with brutality and unmatched percussive prowess now in this the album’s most savage offering. 

George Kollias - one of the world of extreme metal’s most complexly adept percussionists does a little more than set the foundation - more like an establishment of complete dominance: rapid time changes, air-tight blasts, and what’s usually described as “hold my beer” drumming. However, this is not some Archspire abomination of a tech record. What separates Nile from the rest is something that I always talk about, and that is class, which some are born with while others attain this character trait through time/experience. With Karl and Nile, tech dazzlery comes second to concept and vision. You’ll experience technicality on another level, but it’s grounded in fundamentals like form-fitting solos, a little melody, and some old-fashioned epic intros to counterbalance the madness. 

Nile have gradually evolved from a power trio to a dominant five-piece over the past nine years and the music has only become more nuanced and dynamic as a result, but then we have 'True Gods Of The Desert'. A hearty groove-dominated, mid-tempo bruiser devoid of all the bells and whistles, but instead like a doom metaller’s wet dream as mammoth riffs set to monolithic rhythms grind and bludgeon you helplessly to your knees before Anubis - God of the afterlife and judgment. An opus! A little something to write home about is 'The Underworld Awaits Us All'. Kidding, this thing is fucking acclaim-worthy to the max and probably this band’s greatest achievement. A vision of the Kemitian afterlife brought realized through magisterial musicianship and uncompromising recording standards. 

The world as we know it today is an awful place. We could’ve only been so fortunate as to have lived during ancient days; knowing that the afterlife awaits. Thankfully, we have DM bands like Nile who provide that aforementioned and much-needed escape from the everyday. The Underworld Awaits Us All - that pinnacle of achievement that comes only after decades of toiling is just around the corner and man is it sweet… FFO Nile…

Rating: 9.5 out of 10