After seven years of touring the world, death metal icons Nile have announced their Latin American Tour 2023 that will take them to México, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and Bogotá, Colombia.
The tour will kick off in Mexico City on June 9th, and will conclude in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 14th. Nile is one of the most influential and important acts in the death metal genre, and fans around the world have been eagerly awaiting their Latin American tour. With an extensive catalog of music, Nile is sure to deliver a powerful and thrilling performance in each of the countries they visit.
Nile is a North American death metal band founded in 1993 in Greenville, South Carolina. Egyptian mythology, Near Eastern mysticism, history, religion, art, and culture influenced their lyrics and music, as well as the works of H. P. Lovecraft. All in all, their musical style relies heavily on the use of Egyptian scales and themes, both vocally and instrumentally.
Nile’s current lineup consists of Karl Sanders (guitars, vocals), Chief Spires (bass, vocals), and George Kollias (drums). Since its formation, the band has released nine studio albums and have toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, South Africa, and Latin America.
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Nile’s history dates back to 1993 when founding members Karl Sanders and Chief Spires formed the group in Greenville, South Carolina. They released their debut EP, ‘Festivals of Atonement,’ the same year, and it was followed by the EP ‘Ramses Bringer of War’ in 1997.
Nile’s first full-length album, ‘Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka,’ was released on April 28th, 1998, and marked the band’s move to a more established label, Relapse Records. The debut album is a tour de force of technical death metal mastery that tells the story of Nephren-Ka, an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who was cursed by the gods and sent to live in the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka.
Nile’s musicianship is on full display on this album, with complex compositions and musicianship that is as intricate as it is brutal. The album is a must-listen for fans of death metal and is a benchmark in the genre. ‘Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka,’ would become a seminal work in the death metal scene, and it propelled the band to international success.
Nile’s second album, ‘Black Seeds of Vengeance,’ released on September 5th, 2000, is an uncanny epitome as each song is a masterfully crafted exercise in brutality, and the album as a whole is a non-stop assault on the senses. There is no weak moment to be found, and the album’s production is impeccable, which turns ‘Black Seeds of Vengeance’ into a must-have for any fan of death metal.
Nile’s third album, ‘In Their Darkened Shrines,’ released on August 20th, 2002, is a masterful work of death metal excellence. From the opening track, ‘The Blessed Dead,’ to the explosive closer, ‘In Their Darkened Shrines,’ the album is a non-stop assault of blistering riffs and thunderous drums. Vocalist Karl Sanders is in top form throughout the album, growling and snarling his way through the lyrics with inhuman precision. Every track is a journey, taking the listener on a tour of the dark and brutal corners of the band’s imagination.
‘In Their Darkened Shrines’ is easily one of Nile’s best albums to date and is sure to please fans of both death metal and Egyptian-themed metal alike. It definitely is a triumph of death metal artistry, and it is sure to please fans of the genre. It is an essential addition to any metalhead’s collection.
Nile’s fourth album, ‘Annihilation of the Wicked’ released on May 23rd, 2005, is a brutal, relentless assault of death metal that is sure to please fans of the genre. The album is packed with face-melting guitar work, pummeling drums, and guttural vocals that will leave you feeling brutalized.
The downside is that the album is a little too one-dimensional for its own good. After a while, the constant onslaught of blast beats and growls starts to wear thin. Nonetheless, the musicianship is top-notch, and the production values are superb, packed with death metal greatness.
‘Ithyphallic’ is the fifth studio and was released on July 17th, 2007, a tour de force of death metal might, an album that showcases the band’s impressive musicianship and strength as composers. The album is tightly focused, with each song flowing seamlessly into the next, and the overall effect is one of unrelenting intensity.
From the opener, ‘What Can Be Safely Written,’ to the closer, ‘Even the Gods Must Die,’ ‘Ithyphallic’ verses are blast-beats and double-bass drums, the choruses huge and melodic, and the guitar work is simply phenomenal. The solos are particularly shred-tastic but never feel out of place or gratuitous.
‘Those Whom the Gods Detest,’ sixth studio album released on November 3rd, 2009, is a brutal, relentless assault of death metal that is sure to please fans of the genre. From start to finish, the album is a relentless barrage of heavy riffs and pounding drums, with frontman Karl Sanders growling his way through each track.
The production values are top-notch, making ‘Those Whom the Gods Detest’ sound huge and powerful. And the songwriting is excellent, with each track offering something different and exciting, a stellar death metal album that should not be missed.
Their seventh studio album, ‘At the Gate of Sethu,’ released on June 29th, 2012, is a brutal and unrelenting assault of death metal with Egyptian themes and instrumentation. It is an ambitious album that, indeed, is divisive among metal fans.
The album opener, ‘Enduring the Eternal Molestation of Flame,’ sets the tone for the rest of the album with its slow, methodical pace and Egyptian-influenced riffing. The following track, ‘The Fiends Who Come to Steal the Magick of the Deceased,’ is one of the album’s highlights, with its catchy hooks and massive chugging riffs. Other standout tracks include ‘The Gods Who Light Up the Sky at the Gate of Sethu,’ ‘Tribunal of the Dead, and ‘The Inevitable Degradation of Flesh.’
Nile’s eighth studio album, ‘What Should Not Be Unearthed,’ was released on August 28th, 2015. The album was highly anticipated by fans, as it was the band’s first album in four years.
‘What Should Not Be Unearthed’ does not disappoint. The album is a tour de force of technical metal mastery, with searing guitar work, thunderous drums, and guttural vocals. The band’s Egyptian-themed lyrics are as brutal as ever, and the album’s artwork is truly haunting.
Nile’s ‘Vile Nilotic Rites’ is the band’s ninth and latest studio album and is their first release since 2015’s ‘What Should Not Be Unearthed.’ It was released on its turn through Nuclear Blast Records on November 1st, 2019.
As one of the most iconic and influential acts in the death metal genre, ‘Vile Nilotic Rites’ had some lofty expectations to live up to. Fortunately, the album does not disappoint, leaving no space for respite or mercy and heading straight for the slaughter.
‘Vile Nilotic Rites’ is a juggernaut of an achievement built upon the sturdy stones of albums past, and filled with rare gems that will surely become staples of the Nile discography. The Egyptian lyrical themes and eastern musical motifs are as prevalent as ever, but delivered with a renewed vibrancy.
The opener and first single, ‘Long Shadows of Dread,’ is about as definitively the Nile as can be, and that is no bad thing. The album’s unique voice echoes in the writing process, albeit faintly. Each track has been afforded its own identity, and to some degree, this works.
‘The Oxford Handbook of Savage Genocidal Warfare’ brandishes an immediately memorable gattling gun riff, while ‘Seven Horns of War’ opts for churning passages with the occasional savage bluster. Such melodrama strikes a fine contrast to ‘Snake Pit Mating Frenzy,’ whose reticulated rhythms could shame even Apep’s cataclysmic coils.
The performances on ‘Vile Nilotic Rites’ are predictably superhuman. George Kollias’ drumming is as tight and precise as ever, and Karl Sanders still oscillates between chaotic soloing and monotone growls. Brian Kingsland’s riffing has definitely influenced the rhythm section. His more typical tech death background has fostered a prevalent vein of immediacy, which furnishes certain tracks with a not unwelcome, linear nature.
‘Vile Nilotic Rites’ can not quite compare to the effortless quality and depth of ‘In Their Darkened Shrines,’ ‘Annihilation of the Wicked,’ or even ‘Those Whom the Gods Detest.’ But, under its own steam, the album is a success. It places the emphasis back on the songs, and it never sacrifices writing in a bid for excess.
Despite the non-stop brutality, the album is strangely catchy. The riffs will get stuck in your head, the drums will make your head nod, and the vocals will make you want to scream along. This is not background music; this is an album that demands your full undivided attention.
Ultimately, Nile’s Latin American Tour will be an unforgettable experience for metal fans in South America. With their iconic blend of Middle Eastern melodies, technical death metal riffs, and ancient Egyptian themes, Nile has created a sound that is truly unique and captivating.
As Nile prepares to embark on their Latin American tour, we urge fans to be sure to catch them when they arrive in Colombia on June 14th. This is sure to be a show not to be missed, and fans will be left with memories to last a lifetime.
