In 1997 I heard Nile's "breakthrough" album, the somewhat pretentiously-titled "Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka". I was not overly impressed with it. As a fan of bands like Cryptopsy, Meshuggah, Morbid Angel, later-period Death, and the Dillinger Escape Plan, I did not hear anything that suggested to me that this band was doing anything remotely ground-breaking, and I dismissed them as copycats with an Egyptian gimmick. However, this particular release has made a very different impression on me.
The instrumentation is breathtaking, for one. There are many sounds on this record that I was not immediately able to identify. The "epic" feel this implies definitely stands out from the synth-type backing currently in vogue among death and black metal ensembles. The instrumental passages are especially tasty IMHO.
The styles of the individual musicians also are worthy of note. New drummer Tony Laureano (ex-Angelcorpse) provides an extremely busy counterpoint to the music. Although he has been accused of overplaying (and his sense of timing/feel has been criticized, perhaps rightly so), I am a drummer myself, and I thoroughly enjoyed his dizzying contributions to this album. I actually came away from the first listening wondering how he can play in this manner night after night without damage to his joints and tendons. As far as I am concerned, playing blast beats at these tempos makes Tony a potential poster child for repetitive-motion injuries or even carpal tunnel syndrome. I guess that's a compliment.
The guitar parts are very interestingly arranged, precisely played, and seamless. The bass guitar parts do not stand out in the mix, but I feel that they complement the guitars well overall. The vocals are hypnotic, if a little loud in the mix, and I will not waste time on writing about the lyrics, as virtually everyone else who has reviewed this CD has made a point of highlighting their novelty.
All in all, I would rate this album as roughly ten times as interesting and heavy as the aforementioned "Amongst the Catacombs..." If you are any kind of drummer I would recommend this highly, although I would also recommend Cryptopsy's "And Then You'll Beg", which is just as insane if not even more so.

Most of Masada's recorded music is a quaint blend of Middle-Eastern melody with early-60's American jazz stylings. This, my friends, is a wholly different animal. This live recording is a cathartic, brutal trip into the minds of Joey Baron, Greg Cohen, Dave Douglas, and John Zorn as they cast the expectations of their audience into the mud and reinvent themselves at the same time. Unlike any Masada recording before or since, the band literally consumes the material alive in a high-speed, breathless and often mind-bogglingly-chaotic show of force. Although "Volume 4" and the like are a great deal more coherent and better showcase the material over the playing, this is my favorite Masada album by far. The interplay is just amazing.

To be frank, I've heard Bill Frisell play in a variety of contexts... with Naked City, with his own trio, with other guitarists... All I can say is that his style has never particularly thrilled me. Until now.

With these great sidemen, Frisell's tone and character come to the forefront in a way I had never expected. Elvin Jones, perhaps the finest drummer in his genre ever to pick up a pair of sticks, gives the kind of flexible rhythmic support Frisell's odd phrasing has always needed; Dave Holland, who many people may remember for his work with Miles Davis in the sixties, is the very spirit of strength and taste. As a unit, the effect of these musicians is just unbelievable. I read many of the reviews others have posted regarding this recording, and I am utterly shocked. Apparently some of the reviewers have been lobotomized. Boring? Dull? You must be ----ing deaf. Besides being far and away the greatest Frisell recording, this is probably the best American record released in the last three years. I strongly suggest those of you who have not heard it to go out and find yourself a copy. And for those of you who didn't give it a chance, I recommend you pull those cotton balls out of your ears, turn off your cell phone, lie down on your back, and really listen to this all the way through. Five stars. I wish I could give more.