Nile Live at The City National Grove of Anaheim, CA 02/25/2017

Nile are a veteran Death Metal band hailing from South Carolina and are renowned for their brutal musical assault incorporating thematic lyrical and visual inspiration taken from Egyptian mythology and history.

The band focuses around founder and chief creator, Karl Sanders who formed the band in 1993. Nearing their 25th anniversary, Nile are touring in support of their 8th studio album, "What Should Not Be Unearthed".

I got into Nile about ten years ago with the release of "Ithyphallic" and this is my fifth time seeing them live, so you can call me a fan.

They utilize an amazing "vocal triad" where Karl is joined by both of the other members on stringed instruments for alternating verse sections and then together for the chorus parts which has an amazing impact in person.

I was a bit taken aback as they took the stage as Karl's longtime collaborator and fellow vocalist/guitarist, Dallas Toller-Wade was not present. Brad Parris, who plays bass guitar and also performs vocal duties, addressed this early in the set and said to please welcome their new vocalist/guitarist, Brian Kingsland.

I always loved Dallas' imposing stare and shaven-head look, but I have to say, newcomer Brian did a great job and if you closed your eyes, you would not know the difference... it was full-on Nile.

They opened the set with "Sacrifice Unto Sebek" as the moody intro "Dusk Falls Upon the Temple of the Serpent on the Mount of Sunrise" came to a close. Blazing fast guitar work and the aforementioned triple vocal attack got the audience tearing into each other instantly.

They played one of my favorite songs of theirs next with "Defiling the Gates of Ishtar" off of the awesome "Black Seeds of Vengeance" album. I especially love the clean chanting sections of it as it makes the song clearly stand out from their other works.

"Kafir!" was a welcome treat with its diabolic "There is no god!" chorus and some really interesting use of Middle Eastern musical textures layered in the face-smashing Metal.

Continuing with another song from the "Those Whom The Gods Detest" album, they did "Hittite Dung Incantation". I can't really emphasize enough how the vocals switching from member to member throughout the songs is so dynamic, it becomes a musical stage play in ways with changing characters and intonations.

I am always amused watching George Kollias on drums because he continuously has these serene facial expressions despite delivering an absolutely pulverizing double bass drum attack.

Nile has a rabid fan base and they were out in force in Anaheim on this evening. The mosh pits (there seemed to be two of them) were as intense as they have become known for, and never stopped circling.

They moved to a song from the "At the Gate of Sethu" album with "The Fiends Who Come to Steal the Magick of the Deceased". A number of their songs move into H.P. Lovecraft type stories, beyond just the historical and mythological, adding a foreboding sorcery overtone which I like a lot.

"In the Name of Amun" was the sole song representing the new album, but is one of the longer tracks they played for the night. It starts off with an ambient introduction setting the Egyptian feel and tone before breaking down into waves of Metal onslaught.

They went back to their third album for a huge fan favorite with "Sarcophagus" before hitting upon the song that they pretty much close out their set with every tour, as it is maybe the ultimate Nile song of all time: "Black Seeds of Vengeance". The crowd sang along to the great ending vocal barrage with enthusiasm as Nile brought their powerful set to a close.

It was a great show and they lived up to all that Nile has become as a legendary Death Metal act. The band members all frequently had big grins on their faces as they fed off of the audience. You could tell they were really enjoying their time up there, which is amazing as that fed back to all of us in the crowd as well.

They are touring as direct support for Overkill which made a fantastic lineup and a great evening of Metal music that I highly recommend checking out.




				Nile Live at The City National Grove Anaheim, California February 25th, 2017 Review and Photos by Travis Baumann Nile are a veteran Death Metal band hailing from South Carolina and are renowned for their brutal musical assault incorporating thematic lyrical and visual inspiration taken from Egyptian mythology and history. The band focuses around founder and chief creator, Karl Sanders who formed the band in 1993. Nearing their 25th anniversary, Nile are touring in support of their 8th studio album, "What Should Not Be Unearthed". I got into Nile about ten years ago with the release of "Ithyphallic" and this is my fifth time seeing them live, so you can call me a fan. They utilize an amazing "vocal triad" where Karl is joined by both of the other members on stringed instruments for alternating verse sections and then together for the chorus parts which has an amazing impact in person. I was a bit taken aback as they took the stage as Karl's longtime collaborator and fellow vocalist/guitarist, Dallas Toller-Wade was not present. Brad Parris, who plays bass guitar and also performs vocal duties, addressed this early in the set and said to please welcome their new vocalist/guitarist, Brian Kingsland. I always loved Dallas' imposing stare and shaven-head look, but I have to say, newcomer Brian did a great job and if you closed your eyes, you would not know the difference... it was full-on Nile. They opened the set with "Sacrifice Unto Sebek" as the moody intro "Dusk Falls Upon the Temple of the Serpent on the Mount of Sunrise" came to a close. Blazing fast guitar work and the aforementioned triple vocal attack got the audience tearing into each other instantly. They played one of my favorite songs of theirs next with "Defiling the Gates of Ishtar" off of the awesome "Black Seeds of Vengeance" album. I especially love the clean chanting sections of it as it makes the song clearly stand out from their other works. "Kafir!" was a welcome treat with its diabolic "There is no god!" chorus and some really interesting use of Middle Eastern musical textures layered in the face-smashing Metal. Continuing with another song from the "Those Whom The Gods Detest" album, they did "Hittite Dung Incantation". I can't really emphasize enough how the vocals switching from member to member throughout the songs is so dynamic, it becomes a musical stage play in ways with changing characters and intonations. I am always amused watching George Kollias on drums because he continuously has these serene facial expressions despite delivering an absolutely pulverizing double bass drum attack. Nile has a rabid fan base and they were out in force in Anaheim on this evening. The mosh pits (there seemed to be two of them) were as intense as they have become known for, and never stopped circling. They moved to a song from the "At the Gate of Sethu" album with "The Fiends Who Come to Steal the Magick of the Deceased". A number of their songs move into H.P. Lovecraft type stories, beyond just the historical and mythological, adding a foreboding sorcery overtone which I like a lot. "In the Name of Amun" was the sole song representing the new album, but is one of the longer tracks they played for the night. It starts off with an ambient introduction setting the Egyptian feel and tone before breaking down into waves of Metal onslaught. They went back to their third album for a huge fan favorite with "Sarcophagus" before hitting upon the song that they pretty much close out their set with every tour, as it is maybe the ultimate Nile song of all time: "Black Seeds of Vengeance". The crowd sang along to the great ending vocal barrage with enthusiasm as Nile brought their powerful set to a close. It was a great show and they lived up to all that Nile has become as a legendary Death Metal act. The band members all frequently had big grins on their faces as they fed off of the audience. You could tell they were really enjoying their time up there, which is amazing as that fed back to all of us in the crowd as well. They are touring as direct support for Overkill which made a fantastic lineup and a great evening of Metal music that I highly recommend checking out.





































			Click the banner above to return to the Virtual Night Angel main page