The uncompromising brutality and the spectacular drumming performance of George Kollias showcases his great talent throughout the album. The lineup also includes bassist Dan Vadim Von, Zach Jeter and Brian Kingsland, both sharing their duties on guitars and vocals. In the cursed grimoire of Karl Sanders, nothing seems impossible as from the opening track ‘Stelae of Vultures’ riffs and blast beats unleash a maelstrom of Middle Eastern storms. Rapid fury and low guttural growls possess your soul. Supersonic speed and brutality incorporate breakneck drumming with a powerful barrage of guitar work that delivers a ferocious clamor to the ears.

The breakdown tempos are compelling and have always remained the strength of the band. However, the riffs are displayed prominently across the duration of fifty-three minutes, and thus Nile ultimately manifests the peaks of songwriting on ‘Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes’ is a mouthful of a sick title track that presents insane blast beats from George Kollias. The riffing quality of the triple guitars is a lesson in uncompromising barbarity; all honed in perfection. The steady flow of the blistering riffs in the track ‘To Strike with Secret Fang’ is under two minutes long, but the performance offers complex techniques.

For example ‘Naqada II Enter the Golden Age’ shows the trademark approach of Nile in delivering precision strikes with crushing drumming skills backed by dual mummified growls, searing melodies and guitar solos that can tame the black serpents. The atmosphere transports you to the ancient catacombs and dark tunnels where the sacred sarcophagus lay in the burial chamber of the ancient gods.

The instrumental track ‘The Pentagrammathion of Nephren-Ka’ is mesmerizing. It begins with an acoustic guitar and surrounds you with the mysteriousness of the aura. The blazing riffs build up for the next track ‘Overlords of the Black Earth’. Inhuman blast beats and the short orchestral segments flow in and out through the song.

It is important to note that Nile has cut down on the fat in the newer installment: the chanting and the orchestral samples this time are emphasized less. ‘The Underworld Awaits Us All’ is reminiscent of classic Nile albums such as ‘Annihilation of the Wicked’ and ‘Those Whom the Gods Detest’ which bring the old flare. There is a mixture of old-school brutality and epic mid-paced sections, revealing the approach to songwriting.

Many songs like ‘Under the Curse of One God’ deliver a ferocious speed that continuously pulverizes your soul with a superb drumroll and blast beats. Karl’s low guttural growls are immediately apparent from the start and the clinical onslaught of sheer viciousness reverberates off your speakers.

The demonic intonations set the trademark of Nile: the enormous chugging riffs constructed like a monolithic pyramid present the mastery of the technical skills that remain at the core. ‘Doctrine of Last Things’ and ‘True Gods of the Desert’ are well structured and combine crushing war drum-like blast beats. The march continues with the slow theme of the guitars which are akin to doom metal. The fast-paced sections engulf you with moments of dread. While the latter track has a very Middle Eastern vibe, the twisted guitar riff intro carries the song with the chanting effects lending an epic feeling to the flawless melodies and riffs invoking the slumbering gods.

The eponymous track ‘The Underworld Awaits Us All’ has a unique and esoteric theme. The song is grippingly slow and triggered by the trudging cadences of the guitars. Its melodies follow the oriental rhythm, creating an ominous atmosphere where every element from extreme metal is poured into the composition. The epic final track ‘Lament for the Destruction of Time’ offers melodic guitar twists and excellent drum fills. The song has a great aspect of pacing which maintains the epic flow of the slow, obscure melodies and sends chills down your spine as the guitar boasts catchy and vague spirit-filled tunes with the growing atmosphere depicting the ancient Egyptian tombs.

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