NILE: (2000) Black Seed of Vengeance

In some ways Nile are much like the typical death metal band. "Black Seeds of Vengeance" contains more than enough searing guitar work, guttural vocals, and blastbeat drumming to please any Cannibal Corpse or Morbid Angel fan. However, Nile have a unique idea that sets them apart from the pack. They combine their prototypical death metal with Egyptian/Middle Eastern elements that make this album a truly dark and eerie piece of music. It's obvious pretty early that this is more than just a death-metal album. The title track blasts forward with unbridled speed and intensity, driven by Pete Hammoura's amazing precision and variety on the drum kit. The following song, "Defiling the Gates of Ishtar," starts off similarly, but then suddenly breaks into some eerie and frightening choral chanting before getting heavy again. Another highlight is "Masturbating the War God," a slow, grinding basher that also includes some choral vocals towards the end. Probably the best song here, though, is the epic "To Dream of Ur." The song starts out with some creepy music and slow, tortured whisphering, then switches to brusing death metal, then switches back, and then back again. I know that's not much of a description, but suffice to say the song rules. And if that's not enough, "Libation Unto the Shades Who Lurk in the Shadows of the Temple of Anhur" and "The Nameless City of the Accursed" are excellent Egyptian-sounding interludes that add to the haunting atmosphere of the album without being self-indulgent. The musicianship is excellent throughout, and the lyrics are far smarter and more meaningful than the typical death metal fare, so be sure to read them (every song is explained in the liner notes too, which is cool). Now to get their other albums!... by Wheelchair Assassin

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download link = http://lix.in/1cdf95
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