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This is gonna be the one that breaks Nile wide open. It's a terrific death metal album in the tradition of
Morbid Angel and the Tampa style with modern energy and influences.
But I also can't say I'm thrilled with the idea of a bunch of guys from North Carolina claiming all this Egyptian inspiration when in fact, they're producing nothing more than traditional Florida death metal. Granted, it's GREAT traditional Florida death metal, but let's not go overboard with the credit we bestow upon them.
"But what's so wrong about including new sounds and ideas into their mix? Isn't that cool?" Well.....no. Follow me on this one, it won't be too painful.
Here's a couple of paths that Nile could have taken when recording Black Seeds of Vengeance.
Path 1: Immerse themselves in Egyptian culture and sounds. Take a trip to Cairo and live there for a few weeks. Meet with local musicians and learn some traditional songs and instruments. Eat their food. Learn their jokes. Visit their sacred places. Take dozens of rolls of film and snap endless shots of the desert and the pyramids. Join a caravan. Meet with Egyptologists and visit archaelogical sites.. Do anything they can to find out what both ancient and modern Egypt are all about. Then take all of that back to the studio and write truly Egyptian-influenced material.
Path 2: Slap some Arabic-sounding samples on the beginning of your songs and learn a few names for various deities and claim to be inspired by ancient Egypt.
I have a feeling that Black Seeds of Vengeance was written while drinking beer somewhere along Path 2. The one thing that would have had me raving about this record is sorely lacking : authenticity.
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Killalot
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