2024 studio album by Nile
| The Underworld Awaits Us All | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Nile | ||||
| Released | August 23, 2024 (2024-08-23) | |||
| Studio | Serpent Headed Studios/OTB, Greenville, South Carolina, US | |||
| Genre | Technical death metal, brutal death metal | |||
| Length | 53:39 | |||
| Label | Napalm | |||
| Producer | Karl Sanders | |||
| Nile chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Blabbermouth.net | 9/10 |
| Metal Injection | 7.5/10 |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.8/5 |
The Underworld Awaits Us All is the tenth studio album by American technical death metal band Nile, released through Napalm Records on August 23, 2024. The album features founding member Karl Sanders on guitars and vocals, longtime member George Kollias on drums, and Brian Kingsland on guitars and vocals. Dan Vadim Von performed bass on the album. Zach Jeter contributed vocals, as well as guest guitar solos in the songs "Stelae of Vultures" and "Naqada II Enter the Golden Age"
Critical Reception
The Underworld Awaits Us All has been hailed as a high point in Nile's storied career, earning praise for its technical intensity, thematic depth, and ambitious songwriting. Critics and fans have noted the album's successful blend of brutality and atmosphere, solidifying its position as one of the band’s strongest works in recent years. "Showing no signs of a backwards step or lack of power, despite being over 30 years deep into the extreme metal game" is how Wall Of Sound summarized the album.
Dom Lawson of Louder described the album as “their best in nearly 20 years,” highlighting the ferocity of tracks like "Stelae Of Vultures" and the creative grandeur of epics like the title track. Lawson praised Karl Sanders and the band for their virtuosity and ability to maintain an exhilarating intensity throughout the record.
Distorted Sound Magazine emphasized the album's sophisticated production and inventive use of choral elements, particularly in tracks like "Overlords Of The Black Earth." The review celebrated Nile’s ability to evolve while retaining their core identity, calling the album a fitting marker of their tenth studio release.
Lambgoat wrote “The Underworld Awaits Us All is a high point for the he Underworld Awaits Us All is a profoundly strong entry in their decades-long reign, producing some of my favorite songs from them ever, in addition to a loopable body of work that mimics the cyclical nature of life and death itself. The gods may try to impose their wills on us, but Nile impose their brutal technicality with an ease that only comes with being a veteran of the game for so long.”
Overall, The Underworld Awaits Us All is widely considered a triumphant return for the band, showcasing their enduring relevance and creative vitality in the death metal genre
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Karl Sanders, except where noted
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Stelae of Vultures" | Karl Sanders, George Kollias | 6:20 | |
| 2. | "Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes" | Sanders, Kollias | 3:50 | |
| 3. | "To Strike with Secret Fang" | Sanders, Kingsland | Sanders, Kollias, Brian Kingsland | 1:59 |
| 4. | "Naqada II Enter the Golden Age" | Sanders, Kollias | 5:28 | |
| 5. | "The Pentagrammathion of Nephren-Ka" (Instrumental) | Sanders | 1:18 | |
| 6. | "Overlords of the Black Earth" | Sanders, Kollias | 4:45 | |
| 7. | "Under the Curse of the One God" | Sanders, Kollias | 4:46 | |
| 8. | "Doctrine of Last Things" | Sanders, Kollias | 4:40 | |
| 9. | "True Gods of the Desert" | Sanders, Kingsland | Kollias, Kingsland | 7:08 |
| 10. | "The Underworld Awaits Us All" | Sanders, Kollias | 8:36 | |
| 11. | "Lament For the Destruction of Time" (Instrumental) | Kollias, Kingsland | 4:51 | |
| Total length: | 53:39 | |||
Personnel
Nile
- Karl Sanders – guitars, vocals, keyboards
- George Kollias – drums
- Brian Kingsland – guitars, vocals
- Zach Jeter – guitars, vocals
- Dan Vadim Von – bass
Additional musicians
- Jason Hohenstein – guest vocals on "Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down On a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes"
Production and Design
- Karl Sanders – production, recording, liner notes
- Mark Lewis – mixing and mastering
- George Dovolos – engineering (drums)
- Michael "Xaay" Loranc – cover art, layout
- Michelle Mercado – studio admin
Charts
| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 11 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 187 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 20 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) | 28 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 39 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) | 41 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) | 11 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) | 5 |
References
- Lawson, Dom (August 21, 2024). "Nile The Underworld Awaits Us All". Blabbermouth. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- Heilman, Max (August 21, 2024). "Album Review: Nile The Underworld Awaits Us All". Metal Injection. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- "Review: Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All". Sputnikmusic. August 30, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
- "Extreme metal Egyptologists Nile deliver a career-defining masterclass of brutality!" (PDF). Napalm Records. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- https://label.napalmrecords.com/images/bands/nile/NILE_TheUnderworldAwaitsUsAll_ProductDescription%20EN%20%20NILE_TheUnderworldAwaitsUsAll_ProductDescription%20DE.pdf
- "Nile - The Underworld Awaits Us All - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". www.metal-archives.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- "Austriancharts.at – Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Ultratop.be – Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Swisscharts.com – Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
- "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
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