This is exactly what you would expect from Nile. Punishing drums that go from epic pace to lightning throughout and way low end guitars(tuned to drop A!!!). You can hear the difference in the production on every album they have put out to date. Each one it is a bit more clean and therefore you can really hear the technicality behind the riffs and solos, PLUS it doesn't lose any of the Nile brutality!!! I've heard some reviews say that Ithyphallic is AOTHW 2. Not sure how that can be a bad thing! I can understand where some may say that, but I think it has just enough of a different flavor that it separates itself from AOTHW.
The usual Egyptian fare from Nile. I like it. It is different and they do it quite well. One thing that I noticed is that the lyrics are much more decipherable than any other Nile Album. Now, you still need the lyric sheet to get them all, but they are clearer(relatively speaking ).
Impeccable, as usual(seems to be a theme with this album, and their others for that matter). The riffs are typical Nile. The solos kill. The fact they play so clean and fast and still maintain the brutal sound is nothing short of amazing.
1,000,000 out of 10. Nile's new effort is everything I hoped it would be. Nothing to move the sound away from the Nile sound I love, but it isn't just more of the same, either. All of the songs are great, but if I had to choose, I would say my favorite track is "The Essential Salts". Nile has cemented themselves, IMO, at the top of the current metal pantheon! I just hope it isn't another 2+ years until our next installment of Egyptian Death Metal from the masters!