Nile

Live at The House of Blues

Hollywood, California

April 5th, 2012

Review and Photos by Travis Baumann

Brutality kings, Nile return to the stage. For two decades Nile has brought their style of Technical Death Metal to mosh pits across the globe. Started in South Carolina, the band has always been global in attitude and subject matter.

Taking both their name and the lyrical inspiration from Ancient Egyptian mythology, history, and religion, they build songs that are at once punishing and mystical.

Their strengths lie in a battery of strings and voices performed in unison. The two guitarists and bassist all sing at points during the songs creating an awesome shift of growled vocals from one member to the next.

The band's founder and in a way lead singer, Karl Sanders stands at the center, his head shaved and his brow furrowed. Dallas Toler-Wade handled second guitar duty as well as singing almost a nearly equal portion.

The band was rounded out with a bass player who was different from the last time I saw them but he also fielded a good amount of growls and singing, and their drummer obscured behind his kit.

Nile was touring as direct support act for Black Dahlia Murder on the "North American Ritual Tour". Skeletonwitch played just prior to Nile so the crowd was ready and sweaty.

The blast of their guitar assault was intense as the band blazed into "Kafir!". Their songs are complex in musicality as well as in lyrical subject matter as detailed in the extensive liner notes that accompany the albums.

"Sacrifice Unto Sebek" was their next offering to the audience and the dark gods of their own mythos. It is hard to put into words the speed and deep thrust of their riffs. I love Nile live, they definitely surpass the majority of their peers in this realm.

"Hittite Dung Incantation" was their third song. A very unusual concept if you give it some thought but I am sure there is a much deeper history behind the song.

They performed "Ithyphallic" off the album of the same name and then the fan favorite "Permitting the Noble Dead to Descend to the Underworld"

Continuing with the Egyptian imagery, "Sarcophagus" was up next and then they hit the final song of their set, "Black Seeds of Vengeance".

It was a great show with all of the brutality and intensity that Nile are known for.

Click the banner above