Best of 2009

#6 - Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest

Ever since "In Their Darkened Shrines" i've made sure to pay close attention to the work of Nile. I've always been fascinated by modern art that takes strong influence from ancient civilization. I think the interest comes from the brutality of those times. An individual life seemed so insignificant, faced with spiritual cleansing, disease, famine, all at the hands of a supreme deity, either in the from of a man or an illusion. Reality was brutal and life could be taken away from you on a whim. Nile capture this idea and deliver it accurately to the listener. Their bludgeoning execution would seem right at home in that sort of environment which is an odd thing to think about considering electric instrumentation wasn't around back then. Nile has been building upon each release from the start of their career, noting strengths and weaknesses and always comparing their sound to the embodiment of ancient evil, of death, of senseless destruction. Those Whom the Gods Detest is the product of that constant effort; it is their masterpiece in every quantifiable way. This album raises the bar quite high, but i'm confident Nile has a few albums to come that may raise the bar even higher.