Nile & Ex Deo

With flags and cinematic rock raised in ceremonial pomp, Roman Empire-themed Canadian metallers Ex Deo set the scene for a night of high-concept heavy guitar work. Headlining, the technical death metal stalwarts Nile showed twenty years in the business hadn’t softened their sound. Also plundering the history books (or at least The Mummy on DVD) for lyrical and sonic influences, Nile’s brutal layering of thundering blastbeats and growled vocals over ancient Egyptian-style melodies was sometimes majestic. Despite occasional alienating tech-guitar moments, highlights from new LP At The Gate of Sethu and the atmospheric classic, ‘The Howling Of The Jinn’, kept this on the right side of silly.

The Haunt, 15 September 2013

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