Nile 03/12/2003 Live at Whelans, Dublin
Support from: Misery Index, Dew Scented
By Paddy Walsh
Photos by Shane Phelan
Nile
Having seen Nile twice before, I knew before this gig exactly what was to come. I also knew they were one of the tightest and most potent death metal bands doing the live circuit today, their current line-up both extremely professional and slick, while retaining that all important level of passion. Nile were never going to disappoint tonight save, perhaps, if technical gremlins reared their heads, or other factors out of their control marred the show.
First up however was Misery Index. Fans of American death/grind act Dying Fetus would no doubt be familiar with them, consisting largely, as they do, of former members of the aforementioned band. Their sound is remarkably like that of their forbearers too, providing us with a death/grind/hardcore assault that, while intense, is somewhat monotonous. Playing in support of their recent Retaliate album, Misery Index are competent and hard hitting. As someone who witnessed Dying Fetus live a few years back, however, I found it hard not to wish it was them on stage instead. I preferred the former bands dual-vocal attack, although Misery Index have some very good songs of their own right. A band Id like to think that will improve immeasurably as they grow, and perhaps one day outshine the glories of their past.
Dew Scented
Next came Germanys Dew Scented, filling in the nights thrash quota. They have been getting a lot of exposure of late, apparently proving very popular with Europes thrash-friendly metallers. On tonights performance, however, its somewhat hard to see why. Thrash by numbers is what immediately came to mind as they launched into material from their latest album Impact. As a straightforward thrash band they are competent, but it is unfortunate that they completely fail to inject any sense of individuality into their music. As I was not familiar with their studio material prior to this gig, every song ended up sounding the same; i.e. a rather pointless exercise in Slayer worship. The fact that they sound checked with actual Slayer riffs spoke volumes to me, although the crowd seemed to eat them up. However, The Haunted, they definitely are not.
Nile
And thus onto the mighty Nile, purveyors of excellent modern death metal and all that is heavy! As usual taking an age to set up, due to Karl Sanders elaborate computer/foot pedal contraptions, the wait was to be well worth it. Vocalist/bassist John Vesano looked positively demented, exuding a ferocity that most death metal front men couldnt hope to match. His stage presence (not to mention his arms!) was immense, a man possessed by the music he plays. Guitarists Karl Sanders and Dallas Toller-Wade were spot on, the pinpoint precision of their soloing coming through perfectly. The set list was a mix between the old and new, with Amongst the Catacombs of Nehren-ka being represented by the likes of Smashing the Antiu, while there was an absolutely riveting rendition of the title-track from Black Seeds of Vengeance. The omission of Ramses [is this right dude? Its normally Rameses?] Bringer of War was a small misnomer, being one of the greatest death metal songs ever recorded to these ears, but the wealth of amazing material on offer more than made up for it. The highlight from the In Their Darkened Shrines material played was the awesome The Blessed Dead. Sanders as usual deserved a special mention because of his multitasking. From vocals to guitarist to synths, he did them all, and his performance proved he is one of the great death metal musicians of the 90s, surely up there with Trey Azagthoth and Co. A masterful night of Egyptian tinged death metal.
Support from: Misery Index, Dew Scented
By Paddy Walsh
Photos by Shane Phelan
Nile
Having seen Nile twice before, I knew before this gig exactly what was to come. I also knew they were one of the tightest and most potent death metal bands doing the live circuit today, their current line-up both extremely professional and slick, while retaining that all important level of passion. Nile were never going to disappoint tonight save, perhaps, if technical gremlins reared their heads, or other factors out of their control marred the show.
First up however was Misery Index. Fans of American death/grind act Dying Fetus would no doubt be familiar with them, consisting largely, as they do, of former members of the aforementioned band. Their sound is remarkably like that of their forbearers too, providing us with a death/grind/hardcore assault that, while intense, is somewhat monotonous. Playing in support of their recent Retaliate album, Misery Index are competent and hard hitting. As someone who witnessed Dying Fetus live a few years back, however, I found it hard not to wish it was them on stage instead. I preferred the former bands dual-vocal attack, although Misery Index have some very good songs of their own right. A band Id like to think that will improve immeasurably as they grow, and perhaps one day outshine the glories of their past.
Dew Scented
Next came Germanys Dew Scented, filling in the nights thrash quota. They have been getting a lot of exposure of late, apparently proving very popular with Europes thrash-friendly metallers. On tonights performance, however, its somewhat hard to see why. Thrash by numbers is what immediately came to mind as they launched into material from their latest album Impact. As a straightforward thrash band they are competent, but it is unfortunate that they completely fail to inject any sense of individuality into their music. As I was not familiar with their studio material prior to this gig, every song ended up sounding the same; i.e. a rather pointless exercise in Slayer worship. The fact that they sound checked with actual Slayer riffs spoke volumes to me, although the crowd seemed to eat them up. However, The Haunted, they definitely are not.
Nile
And thus onto the mighty Nile, purveyors of excellent modern death metal and all that is heavy! As usual taking an age to set up, due to Karl Sanders elaborate computer/foot pedal contraptions, the wait was to be well worth it. Vocalist/bassist John Vesano looked positively demented, exuding a ferocity that most death metal front men couldnt hope to match. His stage presence (not to mention his arms!) was immense, a man possessed by the music he plays. Guitarists Karl Sanders and Dallas Toller-Wade were spot on, the pinpoint precision of their soloing coming through perfectly. The set list was a mix between the old and new, with Amongst the Catacombs of Nehren-ka being represented by the likes of Smashing the Antiu, while there was an absolutely riveting rendition of the title-track from Black Seeds of Vengeance. The omission of Ramses [is this right dude? Its normally Rameses?] Bringer of War was a small misnomer, being one of the greatest death metal songs ever recorded to these ears, but the wealth of amazing material on offer more than made up for it. The highlight from the In Their Darkened Shrines material played was the awesome The Blessed Dead. Sanders as usual deserved a special mention because of his multitasking. From vocals to guitarist to synths, he did them all, and his performance proved he is one of the great death metal musicians of the 90s, surely up there with Trey Azagthoth and Co. A masterful night of Egyptian tinged death metal.
!
