lista zespołów Technical Death Nile Worship the Animal

Nile, over the past 18 years of their career, has firmly established themselves as one of the most influential and known bands in the technical/brutal death metal genre, with their fusion of Egyptian-inspired melodies that can be found on their music and sheer technicality and brutality making them stand out and stand apart from the many bands that have come before and after them. This year sees Goomba Music releasing Nile's Worship the Animal EP, containing 5 previously unreleased tracks from a 1994 recording of the band.

One should not expect the style that Nile currently performs in on their later albums on Worship the Animal, as what is presented here marks the very beginning of their musical genre. The first thing that one notices, apart from the raw production job is the vocal style of Karl Sanders. Unlike the current deep growls that he now heavily utilises, on Worship the Animal, the vocal style leans more towards those of death metal pioneers such as Chuck Schuldiner's, only in a deeper vocal range. There are also moments where he almost breaks into a singing style, something that is now not present on any newer Nile tracks. Growls can also be heard on the album, though these moments are few, such as on the title track Worship the Animal. On songs like Surrounded by Fright, his strained clean vocals even have a somewhat thrash metal feel to it despite the doom speed that the band is going at.

However, fans of later Nile need not worry as the technicality and brutality in the execution of the music are still present, with the odd time signatures on tracks such as Le Chant du Cygre and the brilliant executions on the individual instruments. The guitar riffs and guitar solos are often complex and technical, and even the bass is given much personal time and space on the album. The usage of a single guitar can also be easily heard on some sections on the album as well, for example, on the guitar solo of Le Chant du Cygre where the only rhythmic instrument accompanying the lead guitar is the bass guitar, and this results in a somewhat empty effect in the music. There is a general marked absence of the Egyptian musical influences that is so prominent and a vital part of later Nile works, though lyrics on the songs do draw upon these influences and Mecca contains a solo that reeks of the influence that will become an essential element of Nile's music later. There are also moments on the album where the backup vocals are used, and while they attempt to provide a heavier atmosphere in the music, over time they tend to end up getting slightly annoying. On Nepenthe there is also an awkward moment where there is a short spoken segment, breaking the momentum that has been built up thus far on the track.

Worship the Animal displays Nile's songwriting abilities and musicianship at one of their earliest years, and may come across as slightly primitive to fans who are used to the polished recordings of their later works. However, this EP is a must-have for fans of the band who wish to track the band's progression from their early days to present.