At The Gate Of Sethu (Digi) [Import]

That's the message I get from this album, a release that will spark the usual debate over bands who "do the same album over and over" vs. those who evolve. It's not always that simple, though. Some bands change because they want to, and some just run out of good material sooner than others and have to change. Nile have not run out of ways to turn ancient Egyptian themes into dramatic, compelling metal, and have no need to make drastic changes. They do what they do with no compromise and no bowing to trends or critics who say they're doing the same things they always have.

At the Gate of Sethu is like a combination of Amongst the Catacombs and Those Whom the Gods Detest. Whereas 'Gods' sounded heavily influenced by Rapture-era Morbid Angel, 'Sethu' refocuses on the classic Nile sound, with more Chuck Schuldiner in the guitars than Trey Azagthoth. There's also more emphasis on atmosphere and greater diversity in the vocal sounds.

I'm not going to say I like it better than 'Gods', which was a freakin' steamroller of an album, but it's as good as that and has more of the old Nile sound. The song lengths are back down from their last few releases, mostly in the 4 to 5 minute range, with a couple short instrumentals.

Although 'Sethu' doesn't go beyond what you'd expect from Nile, it confirms their ability to stay inventive and fresh within their niche. This album has amazing guitar work throughout, inspired vocal dynamics, and ridiculously sick drumming. They've proven once again to be peerless in the realm of death metal, tech-death, or whatever other subgenre they're assigned to. If anyone's looking for more info on specific tracks, read on. If not, go blast the album and enjoy.

"Enduring the Eternal Molestation of Flame"--Blistering track with lightning fast double-bass and blast beats and plenty of deep guttural vocals like Catacombs mixed with the shouting style of 'Gods'. Death metal instrumentation at its mindblowing best.

"The Fiends Who Come to Steal the Magick of the Deceased"--Impressive vocal variety with a mix of shouts, screams, singing, grunts, growls...a little bit of everything. Has some of the cleaner thrash style of the Worship the Animal EP/demo alongside twisting riffs and relentless grinds for constants shifts in tempo. A total roller coaster ride of a song; for anyone who's been to King's Island in Ohio, listening to this track feels like riding The Vortex.

"The Inevitable Degradation of Flesh"--This could've been on 'Gods', with similar vocals and riffs, plus some insane solos. It's the third straight predominantly fast song leading off the album.

"When My Wrath Is Done"--Starts out slow and plodding after an acoustic intro, but quickly gets fast, and mostly stays that way. Features an amazing solo, plus great variety for only 3  minutes.

"Slaves of Xul"--The first extended section of instrumental oddness, full of exotic percussion, tortured grunts, growls, screams, and chants.

"The Gods Who Light Up the Sky at the Gate of Sethu"--Cool thrash-style opening and influences; more discernible vocal style, but with some of the mummy-gurgling intact for old-schoolers; and nice Chuck-influenced death metal riffs.

"Natural Liberation of Fear Through the Ritual Deception of Death"--Brain-melting technical death metal in the finest Nile tradition. `Nuff said.

"Ethno-Musicological Cannibalisms"--Another Middle East-influenced instrumental with creepy groans, stunning classical guitar, and more exotic percussion.

"Tribunal of the Dead"--Slow-paced song (mostly) with some vocals close to the style on Worship the Animal, as well as spoken/yelled insanity that I believe is by Jon Vesano, who has appeared on several Nile releases.

"Supreme Humanism of Megalomania"--Another song that sounds close to Those Whom the Gods Detest, but with more melody in some of the riffs.

"The Chaining of the Iniquitous"--The CD's longest song at 7 minutes. Starts with crawling riffs and guttural vocals, never gets very fast, and has an atmospheric, perfectly eerie ambient ending to finish the album. The completion of another success for one of metal's most skilled and brutal bands.

First: The sound. This disc is state of the art. Absent is the over-compressed, heavily distorted, and lifeless sound of nearly all modern pop/rock/metal CDs. There is a transparent quality to the sound that demands some top-notch headphones to fully appreciate. This disc shows that digital releases can sound better than analog (LPs). Hopefully other artists/engineers will follow suit with discs that sound this great.
Second: The music. Nile is still at the height of their powers here. Varied, crushing, exciting death metal throughout this album. The vocal variation has never been greater and I love it. The riffs are as great as ever. Thank you Nile!

Without naming all the overtly long song titles, At the Gate of Sethu sees Nile slightly toning down their complex, labyrinthine songwriting formula in favour of a more straightforward approach (by their own standards, of course). The tracks are filled with frenzied riff mastery; they are blindingly fast and carry a melodic weight to them. Densely churning riffs are interwoven into deranged, schizophrenic solos with haunting harmonies looming over the arrangements. The shorter pieces, thanks to the clever integration of authentic instruments and Egyptian themes, serve as interludes and help deepen the atmospheres intended to create. They are followed by intense, focused riffing and Kollias' seismic, hyperkinetic drum work which is given a larger space in the mix.

The songs are marked with blasts of speed and thundering, brutal riffs, some of which are instantly gripping. The opening riff of "Natural Liberation of Fear through the Ritual Deception of Death" is glorious as is the melodically complex lead of "Supreme Humanism of Megalomania," which is, unfortunately, the only track with an 'epic' guitar crescendo. While it is obvious Nile wanted to cut loose on this album, and they've done a great job at it, the album's finest moments are those when they choose to slow things down on the doom-like "Tribunal of the Dead," arguably their heaviest offering here. It boasts 70s Sabbath-like riffs which are deftly hammered into shape by unsettlingly quiet passages and doomsday melodies. The mind-numbing, intricate guitar work is so sharp it could carve diamonds - this is what sets Nile apart from other death metal bands. Not only do they write obsessively focused and blistering riffs and solos, they also know how to incorporate them into the songs' most pivotal moments achieving cohesion rivaled by few others.

While I consider this album another strong entry into Nile's never-disappointing discography, I still happen to like their period from Black Seeds of Vengeance through Annihilation of the Wicked the best. The low, guttural vocals, the more organic-sounding dynamically rich arrangements, and the cripplingly heavy riffs and lead passages on their Relapse albums have been missing on Nile's more recent output. The production on this one is similar to that of the previous two releases, but unlike Those Whom the Gods Detest, it seems like the low end could have been more emphasized, as there are moments when the whole mix is dominated by the relentless fury of the guitars and pummelling push of the drums. At times, this results in a claustrophobic soundscape, but given the album's flow and direction it works. The vocals consist of demonic grunts and bellowed, hellish screams that are punctuated by the more guttural, bowel-churning growls for added tension.

The two instrumental bonus tracks demonstrate the band's knack for creating complex grooves and interlocking them with precise, stampeding rhythmic motion that might appeal to fans of Meshuggah. As a matter of fact, listening to each band's new disc back to back is a great experience.

Finally, Seth Siro Anton's (Soilwork, Septic Flesh, Paradise Lost) is amazing. It definitely captures the dark side of Nile and reflects their current musical vision.