I have not completed the listening of this album yet; i am on the begining, i should say, but I have already been AMAZED by the amazing riffing on that. it is magnificent. it is just awesome. execration test and wind of horus are the best songs imo till now!
what i just dont like is the fact that it contains 9 songs and 3 -i'd call them interlude/instrumental songs. some of them have some moments when they are DM but i find it boring to listen to 6 non-DM minutes in a Nile album...

EDIT: this album rocks, i'd easily call it a Masterpiece and has probably the best music ever created by NILE. it would be a 10 "hands -down" but now it is a 9 because of the not needed interludes...

Written by Deadmeat on 31.08.2010 at 21:14

I have not completed the listening of this album yet; i am on the begining, i should say, but I have already been AMAZED by the amazing riffing on that. it is magnificent. it is just awesome. execration test and wind of horus are the best songs imo till now!
what i just dont like is the fact that it contains 9 songs and 3 -i'd call them interlude/instrumental songs. some of them have some moments when they are DM but i find it boring to listen to 6 non-DM minutes in a Nile album...

EDIT: this album rocks, i'd easily call it a Masterpiece and has probably the best music ever created by NILE. it would be a 10 "hands -down" but now it is a 9 because of the not needed interludes...

Actually I enjoyed those interludes as much as the DM songs. Great balance between brutality and oriental stuff. Great album. I agree about the riffing being amazing
I heard only once, all the tracks are good, but the best are "Execration Text" and "Unas".

This album is masterpiece . The ancient Gods of Egipet are fans of Nile.

I think I'm starting to prefer this one to Annihilation... They're both so fucking insane though.

I do enjoy that Candlemass homage. I always forget about it until I hear it.

Nah, that's always gonna be Annihilation Of The Wicked.

Never particularly cared for this album, even prefer Those Whom The Gods Detest to it. The last bunch of songs are good shit, though.

Written by [user id=4365] on 12.05.2014 at 23:45

I do enjoy that Candlemass homage. I always forget about it until I hear it.

Same here, haha. I also always forget what band they were referencing until I hear the Candlemass song...

Written by deadone on 13.05.2014 at 01:38

Written by Zap on 13.03.2014 at 22:26

I think I'm starting to prefer this one to Annihilation... They're both so fucking insane though.

I prefer In Their Darkened Shrine - it's the pinnacle of their career IMO.

Still not sure, but I've been listening to this one a lot more than I used to I might agree with you now.

Written by [user id=101272] on 13.05.2014 at 01:40

Nah, that's always gonna be Annihilation Of The Wicked.

Pinnacle of their career with George Kollias, yes. Pinnacle of their entire career, no. This album is definitely the pinnacle of their entire career.

^ Naaaaaah.

Better drums here.

The peak of their career and a crucial album in the evolution of death metal

I prefer this to AotW all day long. It feels more varied.

One of the few technical and "brutal" dm bands I like.

Perfect combination between Egyptian elements and death metal. Nile always doing this kind of stuff, but this album finds a perfect balance to make it exotic, brutal but still melodic. None of those features are overstep the boundary. Not too brutal, not soft, enough exotic but still extreme that blows your mind. Everything just belong to the right place, combined together to create a great atmosphere makes you imagine the ancient empire, the desert. So its always fun and enjoyable while listen to. One of the best death metal album ever made. 10/10
My favorite songs are Unas Slayer Of Gods and the In Their Darkened Shrines Quartet.

The best Nile album. I have nothing but praise for this tech-death masterpiece.

Very great album!

I really liked this mix of brutal, technical, and melodic death metal with some Egyptian-vibes

Summing this up now to confirm this album features my favorite drumming I've heard. Tony Laureano did something special that made everything he hit with such a surprising factor boosted apart from the professional norm beatsticks. With that said this record has been an ever-increasing personal one that is up there for being the best, most listened-to death metal piece to me. It's the element of Egyptian darkness to Elvenefris' adaptation in light.

Listening again to this and Annihilation Of The Wicked, trying to decide which is better.

I think Darkened Shrines captures the atmospheric approach the best as it's filled with slower instrumental sections (Unas, Whisper, Horus, Shrines I and IV), while Annihilation captures the brutal, technical, fast death metal best.

I guess it depends on the mood I'm in. Most of the time I prefer Annihilation's fast approach. The songs flow nicely from one to another, not giving you a chance to breathe. Darkened Shrines starts off with fast songs, but keeps getting slower with long song after longer song. It makes for a great atmosphere, but I need to be in the right mood so it can keep my attention - kind of like funeral doom. That said, both albums are of course masterpieces... and their debut isn't far behind!

Written by F3ynman on 10.07.2022 at 14:35

Listening again to this and Annihilation Of The Wicked, trying to decide which is better.

I still think Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka is their best. I freakin' love that album.

Black Seeds of Vengeance is also good but after that they tried to get too fast and too technical for my liking and as a result less memorable and less enjoyable.

Written by F3ynman on 10.07.2022 at 14:35

Listening again to this and Annihilation Of The Wicked, trying to decide which is better.

I can't decide either I think Annihilation Of The Wicked is the more consistent album, and I like how the album flows with the short Middle Eastern inspired interludes, whuch you get more of on that, but at times the guitarwork just gets little too technical for my taste. I would have preferred more simple melodic riffing tbh, and I feel like I would have preferred some of the songs to have been a wee bit shorter, but in terms of musicianship, Annihilation Of The Wicked is not only their best, but one of the best in technical death metal ever imo. And I have to admit the album has really grown on new over time.

On the other hand, I prefer the sound on this one, their is a deeper tone and darker atmosphere, and the guitarwork is a tad more simplified than Annihilation Of The Wicked, I find myself not having to concentrate as much on here and the majority of the songs are kept relatively short, so I find it slightly more enjoyable for the most part, there are just a couple of songs that don't quite do it for me. And of course my favourite Nile song "Unas Slayer Of The Gods" features on this album

It just hit 20 years the other day. What a gem and also my introduction to Nile! Followed up by a legitimate masterpiece in 'Annihilation Of The Wicked!"

A good album to be sure, but Annihilation of the Wicked is and always will be better.

This is peak Nile for me. This album has the best atmosphere of their discography and manages to combine that with their trademark brutal technicality to a higher level than anything else.