A short while ago, RMR tackled a feisty mix of mainly dissonance and tech death, served on a platform of overwrought occultism. A peculiar set of styles that somehow worked nonetheless. Oddly so, but it did. So, why not continue with yet another tech death act that waited for attention over here for a few months now? Nile‘s the name, and The Underworld Awaits Us All is the game. But man, did the overindulging fanbois and girls swoon over this record that comes with a cover art sporting a wave or vortex of something that must not be named.1
So, welcome to our newest clutch of age-old n00bs. Yet another veteran metal band that never made it onto our roster. And as always, the RMR crew shall send in its unholy thoughts and prayers without regard to what came before. Let ‘er rip!
A public service announcement first. The Egyptian sounds and flavors Nile use to adorn their Death Metal brutality with made us pick up The Underworld Awaits Us All in the first place. In other words, this little fun fact furnished that little juicy droplet needed to stand out from your usual Cannibal Corpse or Dying Fetus crowd. So, we’re back yet again in the good ol’ territory of old-style metal extremes. Musings that were en vogue eons ago and really didn’t change much over the years. And by that token, this here record stubbornly sticks to the smelly underbelly of the metal multiverse whilst striving for the ominously glowing mainstream. A style usually reserved for metal nerds and nothing at all for non-metallists out there.2
Nile truly excel in densely written songs full of staccato-fashion roaringly wild riffs, stinging solos, and absolutely blistering, excellent drumwork. The Egyptian-themed wails and slightly oriental leads indeed provide some sort of glue to keep that jumble of metal outrage together. The relentless and grimy growls, gurgles, and snarls seamlessly integrate into the mix, always right front-center, exactly where they ought to be. And kudos go to the production, the mix usually leaves nothing to chance. To the point that the bass often kinda soars forth to add its grain of metallic salt. Also, the band did try to usher in some bombast and a few better-than-standard melodics. And this indeed led to some better tracks such as True Gods of the Desert.
However, the overarching technicality of The Underworld Awaits Us All might very well work in the band’s disfavor. I ain’t suggesting they move to Power Metal or something. But better consistency might help. The flailing and ever-rotating style changes, frequent break-downs, and the careening from one snazzy riff and tempo change to the other will only talk to the Metal Geeks o’ The Realm. The old-style, die-hard, and entrenched fans of metal overreach will surely find a lot to like on this here piece. It is, after all, one of the most technically astute pieces on our roster to date.
Ultimately and at a personal level, I can buy into and appreciate the metal geekery The Underworld Awaits Us All displays at every turn of the record. But – the whole piece sounds like a technical study of extended fretboard torture used to drive shredding wannabes to despair. A tour-de-force of what is possible to do with your axes if you take it to the utmost limit. Thus, often Nile lose touch with the ground and soar to Nerd Level One. Meaning, the band’s offering goes off the rails and loses cohesion in the process. Case in point, the acoustic samples often feel disjointed without connection to the metal brutality following next. With some notable exceptions, that is.
And yet. While the record remains a somewhat messy and often moody pile of metal tidbits, its excellent excursions into Nerdistan will always pull you back into its steamy realm. The underexploited Egyptian theme, the slightly progressive undercurrents, and the very high technical standards of this band won’t fail to convince after a while. In short, this is tech death at outstanding levels of proficiency. And thus, The Underworld here still landed on the RMR crew’s good side. Albeit barely so.
Ed’s note: The band made it onto our 2024 list of lamestream n00bs. Click on the link to find out what we had to say!
Record Rating: 6/10 | Label: Napalm Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 23 August 2024