How about a list of prerequisites for any new Nile album? Okay, here goes. Blast beats? Check. Blistering solos? Got 'em. More atmosphere than a cursed pyramid? Of course. Wailing guitars and lots of bent string notes? Naturally. Theban themes and an impossibly long song title or two? No doubt. So if the syntax and semantics are essentially the same, what's new or different? Not much if things are broken down on this level, but there is a difference, and what a difference it is.

Ithyphallic has the unenviable task of following up the truly masterful Annihilation of the Wicked, a record which saw Karl Sanders' most mature--and even accessible--material. Noting that Nile records are best consumed as a whole, but recognizing that a band is made on stage, and whereas previous songs on earlier albums had a catchy moment or two (see "Black Seeds of Vengeance" or "Lashed to the Slave Stick"), the new record is a summation of all this. The hooks are massive and stick with the listener long after the song's sounds are gone. It's as if Sanders has composed songs for the live setting, something that should dispel the notion of a band engaged solely in "studio magic." Yes, the hooks are here; repeated more for greater effect, and fat, crushing grooves truly dominate, particularly as punctuation for maniacally fast riffs.

What does all this mean for the listener? Say it with me, kids: "annoint my phallus with the blood of the fallen" (from the title track), or "eat of the dead" and "even the gods must die" (from the songs of the same name), or "preserve me from he who is in the water" (from, oh, man, "Papyrus Containing The Spell To Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In The Water"--how is that ever going to be requested live?), or even the whole creation/destruction theme from "As He Creates, So He Destroys." It's a toss-up as to whether this or the 2005 release is better. Both are of a disgustingly high quality and each album is paced extremely well making for an excellent sonic experience. Simply put, Nile is still amazing after all these years. How do they do it? Oh, and one must wonder how they went over on Ozzfest '07. Perhaps like a "lead Zeppelin" (apologies to Keith Moon).

written by Tony Belcher

Playing time: 57:57