Having very recently released a new banger of an album (please see my prior review for more info), it makes complete sense for Nile to hit the road and share the new tunes with the world. Stopping in at Bristol as the first part of their English/Scottish leg (it’s not a UK tour if you don’t come to Wales), The Fleece is an obvious and welcoming venue for bands of this high calibre. Despite the dismal weather heralding in the start of autumn, spirits were high and the crowd was dense, eager to partake in the desert rituals. First timers and repeat offenders alike, a palpable anticipation thrummed through the air as the first band of the night blasted onto stage.
Belgian tech death aficionados Pestifer (7) were a complete unknown to me before this show, somehow evading my attention despite being active for 20 years. Lots of groove, great use of fretless bass, and completely undeterred by being the opening act of the night, their performance was enthusiastic and captivating.
Wrapping the night up like a well preserved mummy, Nile’s (8) entry to the stage was greeted by a deafening cheer of the eager audience. Those foolish enough to waste their time outside rather than watching the support acts scurried inside, and the crowd heaved with excitement as the South Carolina 4 piece opened their performance with long time fan favourite Sacrifice Unto Sebek. Having recently also undergone a lineup change, this was also the first time this setup had graced us with their technical prowess, with head honcho and founding member Karl Sanders beaming to see that despite the changes in his support players, the audience never ceases to demand his brand of mythological worship.
Belgian tech death aficionados Pestifer (7) were a complete unknown to me before this show, somehow evading my attention despite being active for 20 years. Lots of groove, great use of fretless bass, and completely undeterred by being the opening act of the night, their performance was enthusiastic and captivating.
The intricate riffs usually shone out over the roar of the drums, but sometimes got lost and muddy - either due to slight mistiming or perhaps the FoH sound not quite being dialled in yet. Still, an impressive enough performance to warrant further exploration, and find out what I’ve been missing out on over their 3 full length releases.
Next up, Estonian self described old school death metallers Intrepid (7) add yet more weight to the argument that in death metal, the better your drummer is, the better your band sounds. Blisteringly quick double kick and tight blastbeats punctuate the otherwise simplistic riffs, occasionally seasoned with flourishes of sweeps, tapping, and lead lines from stage left’s lead guitarist. Hogging 90% of the band’s charisma, the vocalist dominated the centre stage, eagerly leaning over the crowd to deliver his guttural barks and roars.
Next up, Estonian self described old school death metallers Intrepid (7) add yet more weight to the argument that in death metal, the better your drummer is, the better your band sounds. Blisteringly quick double kick and tight blastbeats punctuate the otherwise simplistic riffs, occasionally seasoned with flourishes of sweeps, tapping, and lead lines from stage left’s lead guitarist. Hogging 90% of the band’s charisma, the vocalist dominated the centre stage, eagerly leaning over the crowd to deliver his guttural barks and roars.
Having attended 5 previous Nile tours, there’s usually a recurring theme with the support choices, and despite their solid playing I was wondering about the choice to bring such a different sounding band on board with the Egyptian themed headliners. Then, Intrepid played a riff and a lead line that featured that iconic eastern scale pattern, and it all made sense. Again, a band that’s been kicking about for nearly a decade now, but fresh and new to my dusty old ears, and they’ve left a good impression. Let’s see what they can make from this exposure.
Top support act of the night lands in the very capable hands of Rome’s Hideous Divinity (9), a terrific bunch of lads I’ve seen on multiple occasions in multiple countries. Sporting a new drummer after the recent departure of their long serving sticksmith, and also having released a new full length a few months ago, the Italian Stallions wasted no time in trotting out their fresh offerings to the eagerly awaiting crowd. Moving away from their initial intensity driven songwriting approach, the newer material takes more time to establish a threatening aura, which translates well to the live scene.
Top support act of the night lands in the very capable hands of Rome’s Hideous Divinity (9), a terrific bunch of lads I’ve seen on multiple occasions in multiple countries. Sporting a new drummer after the recent departure of their long serving sticksmith, and also having released a new full length a few months ago, the Italian Stallions wasted no time in trotting out their fresh offerings to the eagerly awaiting crowd. Moving away from their initial intensity driven songwriting approach, the newer material takes more time to establish a threatening aura, which translates well to the live scene.
The darkened room a fitting locale to tell tales of the OG bald terror that lurks in the night, Nosferatu, or the otherworldly horror of H R Giger inspired Xenomorphs in the song Chestburst. The band gelled together well, no doubt newcomers to the Hideous show would not have been able to guess that this line up is still fairly new to the touring circuit, and indeed is the first time it’s seen British soil. Using the full width of the stage, bass, guitar, and vocals all moved around, making sure that the whole audience got a good look at the members despite The Fleece’s pillars obscuring line of sight from some angles.
An extremely solid show, but with a back catalogue as strong as theirs it would’ve been nice to hear a few more off some of the other records, but maybe that’s just me being salty they didn’t play my favourite of theirs - Bent Until Fracture.
Wrapping the night up like a well preserved mummy, Nile’s (8) entry to the stage was greeted by a deafening cheer of the eager audience. Those foolish enough to waste their time outside rather than watching the support acts scurried inside, and the crowd heaved with excitement as the South Carolina 4 piece opened their performance with long time fan favourite Sacrifice Unto Sebek. Having recently also undergone a lineup change, this was also the first time this setup had graced us with their technical prowess, with head honcho and founding member Karl Sanders beaming to see that despite the changes in his support players, the audience never ceases to demand his brand of mythological worship.
That said, with any new band structure, there are going to be some teething issues. Sometimes there was some confusion on stage as to who was supposed to be doing which vocal - not a simple task when 3 of you are sharing duties - and for whatever reason the lead channel for new guitarist Zach Jeter was way louder than everything else, leading to his visible confusion every time he went to play a solo. It was a solid set, which featured a host of new tracks from the new album, interspersed with classics and staples of the band’s set. Nile have earned their spot at the high table of death metal gods, and their continued ability to deliver solid live shows, despite a few technical hiccups, demonstrate this utterly.
While this wasn’t the best I’ve seen them, it’s certainly one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. It’s high time the Nile show came back to Wales, let’s see if we can make that happen on their next visit!
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