Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines CD Review

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2002-12-17 : Ostonegu
Nile are unique amongst the newer breed of death metal bands in their ability to create music of sophisticated structure and convincing mood while keeping the pedal to the metal, as it were: "In Their Darkened Shrines" is uncompromisingly brutal and a viscerally satisfying sonic beatdown. There are slower moments here and there, but this album generally maintains full blastbeat speed for most of the duration. If that sounds boring to those burned out on speed without variety, nothing could be further from the truth. The drumming is absolutely insane, with inumerable intricate fills constantly doubling back and circling the pulse. Remarkably, the incessantly changing rhythms detract nothing from the music's unstoppable forward thrust. The meaty, grinding guitar work may seem monochromatic at times, but Nile's trademark use of middle eastern scales adds exotic color to the more melodic lead playing. The Egyptian theme is more integrated into the heavy sections, although there are a few more mood-setting interludes. I fall into the camp of Nile fans who think the Egyptian elements should be more prominent. I miss touches like "Nephren-ka"'s sudden, yet seemless transitions from full thrash to Egyptian hand drumming, or the wild chanting at the beginning of a couple of that album's tracks that set things up for the coming mayhem. Still, it's hard to really complain when the music's this good, not to mention that the lengthy liner notes confirm that the Egyptian conceptual base is firmly intact. So basically, this is top quality death metal punishment with superb musicianship, distinctive form, and just enough of an exotic tinge to maintain the unique mood that only Nile can deliver.