Nile Levels Gramercy Theatre, NYC 1-14-16

Back in August of last year, Egyptian-themed Death Metal band Nile vowed to return to North America for the first time since 2014’s At The Gate Of Sethu Tour. Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, the band was eager to bring their eighth studio record, What Should Not Be Unearthed, to loyal followers on their home turf for one epic tour.  Kicking off the tour on January 8th of the new year, there are a total of thirty-one shows plotted coast to coast before it concludes on February 12th for a special hometown show for Nile.

Just under a week into the run, on Thursday, January 14th, Nile fans gathered at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City to rejoice in the band’s return. In fact, it was nearly two years ago when Nile rattled Stage 48 on Easter Sunday, and looking around Gramercy Theatre, many of the same faces were on hand for the ceremony of brutality once more. Staying true to roots, Nile have been long-time supports of local underground Metal scenes, and like previous tours, each date will feature local acts in each said city they perform. In the Big Apple, the journey would include the bands Day of Doom and Khiazma, who were ready to get the night going.

A crowd was just beginning to form as Long Island based Day of Doom were ready to begin. Despite battling through lineup changes and an extended hiatus, Day of Doom has been growing quite a following as they are part of the underground New York Death Metal scene. Born in 1999 by Drummer Rich Hervey, his never-give-up drive led the group to an official signing with Lavadome Productions in January 2014 with their first full-length album, The Gates of Hell following in June that year. Their current lineup consists of Hervey, Doug Randazzo (guitar/vocals), and Sam Lara (bass/vocals). The band has shared the stage with Suffocation, Deicide, Dehumanized, and Six Feet Under as they continue to climb further up the rank.

Firing up the platform with “Embrace Your Demise,” “Through Horrible Despair” and “Lust for Blood” sparked the excitement of the crowd. Before introducing the next tune, Lara took the mic to converse with the crowd, promoting their next release; a combination of their first two albums Night of Horror and Slaves to Insanity to be released on one disc, entitled The Second Coming. Lara promised it would be “brutal as fuck,” and informed everyone to “keep up with their shit,” as they moved into “Perpetual Sorrow.” As their set was almost complete, Lara took a moment and warned the crowd that the band will soon be taking a break to record their next album. He also showed his gratitude and thanked the band manager Bill and Gramercy Theatre to be performing that night and acknowledged the crowd, “for supporting the scene,” and closed with “Slaves to Insanity.” Currently no dates have been announced, however, fans should check out the album The Gates of Hell in order to experience their Metal-bloodshed.

As the floor of Gramercy Theatre began to fill up, another Long Island based band by the name of Khiazma were ready to energize the crowd. Possessing a Blackened Death Metal sound, Khiazma began when founder David Galdamez (vocals/keyboards) launched the group as a one-man act in the mid-2000s. After a few years of searching for members, Khiazma progressed in 2009 when Westchester based Winston Omar Mejía (guitar) joined. The two brought in Suffocation’s Derek Boyer (bass) and Kevin Talley (drums) to record their debut, The Entrance of the Black Circles, which is still looking for a worldwide release.

These four talented collaborators were eager to take the direct opening spot for Nile as they took the venue by storm. Their performance captivated the audience, with Galdamez displaying his multi-talents in vocals, the guitar, and taking the crowd even further with his darkened keyboard wizardry. Intense all set long, the highlight of their performance was the track “Sapphire.” New York City’s Metal underground hope to see Khiazma playing again soon. In the meantime, give The Entrance of the Black Circles a spin.

After witnessing two enjoyable local acts, it was time for Nile to be summonedto the platform of Gramercy Theatre. Known for their exotic and Middle Eastern themed take on Technical Death Metal, Nile has been in this game since 1993. Initially releasing two EPs, Festivals of Atonement (1995) and Ramses Bringer of War (1997), their debut full-length in 1998, Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka, kicked off their first of many world tours. Relentlessly showcasing their mastery, it was 2000’s Black Seeds of Vengeance where concepts fully emerged, along with the band receiving universal praise in the underground. Since, Nile has released eight outstanding albums. Vocalist/Guitarist Karl Sanders has been the leader of Nile since the start and their latest lineup consists of long-time Vocalist/Guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade, Drummer Georg Kollias, and newest brethren, Bassist Brad Parris. Excited for Nile to begin, many who were seated in the back of the venue pushed their way towards the front barricades as they prepared for the performance.

Nile crept onto the stage during the atmospheric “Ushabti Reanimator” from What Should Not Be Unearthed, which held the crowd’s anticipation. As soon as “Sacrifice Unto Sebek” hit, the audience lost control and created mayhem from the get-go. Continuing with destruction, “Cast Down the Heretic,” from 2005’s Annihilation of the Wicked, sprung more moshers in the pit. Vocals by Sanders and Toler-Wade were intertwined as the instrumentals moved at hellish speeds. The energy remained fierce as chaos continued with “Defiling the Gates of Ishtar,” from Black Seeds of Vengeance, and “Kafir!,” from 2009’s Those Whom the Gods Detest. Toler-Wade gave praise to the local acts that evening as they roared into the next piece, “Hittite Dung Incantation.” Nile embraced the crowd’s response as they cut into the recent “Call to Destruction” and “In the Name of Amun” from What Should Not Be Unearthed. At this point, it did not matter what they played as fans showcased their own gratitude by raising their fists to salute the Metal warriors. The set continued as the titled track from 2007’s Ithyphallic erupted, which led to additional screams in the audience. The iconic “The Howling of the Jinn,” from Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka, soon followed, bringing fans to roaring heights.

The set was nearing towards a close as Toler-Wade announced the next track, dedicated to the internet trolls, “Nice people like to go to shows and have a good time than sitting on the computer and talking shit. The next song is for them, “The Inevitable Degradation of Flesh.” The crowd chimed in with delight as Nile performed with no remorse to said trolls. Conquering as the warriors that they are, the new “Evil to Cast Out” and the classic “Sarcophagus” echoed across the venue. The epic track “Black Seeds of Vengeance” concluded their ambitious set spanning from their entire career. A few fans rushed towards the front of the stage, begging to hear more, as Nile slowly packed up the gear and the house lights came up.

With a career spanning over twenty years, Nile has grown to be an acclaimed American Technical Death Metal act. With their return to New York City, they had proven once again to be an outstanding live act, that no one should miss. As promised by Sanders, the band paid homage to their past with plenty of classic Nile tunes amidst the newer songs from What Should Not Be Unearthed. Sustaining a ruthless performance, fans left happy with Metal ringing in their ears. There is still plenty of time between now and February 12th to get out there and see these brutal masters, so get out and see them before it is too late.

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