NILE, SEVERE TORTURE, OMNIUM GATHERUM, MAGNIFICAT

Bestial force of death metal pharaons

05.10.2009 Berlin (GER)

So, the next European tour of NILE is finished. The Pharaohs of death metal invaded once again our old continent, crushing and destroying everything with the bestial force during the few weeks and doing their duties like always very perfect.

The last station of this voyage, called “Ithyphallic Tour 2008” took a place in the capital of Germany, so it’s absolutely logic, that having to travel only a half hour time by city train, called in Berlin as S-Bahn, I visited those Sunday the inside of K 17, experiencing once again the true sound massacre, being like a real honey for my fastidious ears and senses. Previously, announced on this tour GRAVE and BELPHEGOR made me happy the same like headliner of this devastating march, but a time-table, modified yet earlier, done that the Swedes and Austrians were replaced in some of venues by the other of bands. I love all of those bands, these are the crews, which belongs to the first league of extreme and playing together during the one evening could to unleash a real carnage of the highest class, but I can’t to admit however, that I was by these changes disappointed, cause as I mentioned somewhere in the one of my earlier reports – every clouds has its silver lining and this way on the final concert of murderous crusade appeared themselves the Dutchies of SEVERE TORTURE, supported by the Finnish OMNIUM GATHERUM. Suppose, that much of you would be curious, how looked it all like, so omitting in this place the explaining of all reasons, I come to the point of matter, giving to you the true report from the battlefield.

Although the Germans are rather a specific nation, coming always to the venues when the time of performance their idols is closer and closer, in the moment of beginning, so about 8.00 PM (punctual exceptionally, cause sometimes a national features of Germans meets a some of complications) in front of the stage were circa 100 people. First of all not only that’s why, cause was yet so early, but probably in due of very indifferently (if not simply worthless) local support act. Those, who are shortly after reading my report from Under The Black Sun Festival in July, remember surely my unenthusiastic words about MAGNIFICAT, commanded by the Mexican guitarist, supporting by two German musicians. Similar like during those gig, the trio played about 40 minutes of thrash metal, mixed with the elements of black and death, unfortunately the same boring like in those days. How should I to call MAGNIFICAT, if I wouldn’t like to be ungentlemanly? Which word can to use instead of “shit”? Maybe “cow dung”? Sorry, I know that I am very intolerance and have no good taste, but probably I am not one and only, cause the people, observing the spectacle of this band from the distance, had the same kinds of impressions like me. It was like a big relief for my body and soul, when the ineffective company left finally the stage behind, although the next participant, who pitched his camp on.

As the second band of the evening appeared itself mentioned already before OMNIUM GATHERUM. About this Finnish crew I can’t to write something amazing too, cause their music is like for me nothing more like sounding more heavy CHILDREN OF BODOM, and as the band of Alexi Laihoo never was the one of my favourites, every of you should to understand me. But if I would have to be sincerely, I admit from whole of my heart, that I would prefer to watch this evening a five times OMNIUM GATHERUM, than MAGNIFICAT only one – now you see how nasty I can to be…


OK, so now it’s time for the bloodshed of the first class and in this place I can to say without a piece of hypocrisy, that finally something good began to happen! Yeah! SEVERE TORTURE – the butchers, releasing their acts of murder under the banner of Earache, took a part in this tour, promoting still their latest album “Sworn Vengeance” and although the last stuff of bloody Dutchies is maybe not so murderous like previous acts of merciless, but playing at the stage SEVERE TORTURE stays with their skills the true masters. Butchery was began by “Endless Strain Of Cadavers” and already in this moment I have known, that during those three quarters will be no place for mercy. The killing sound and his quality, smashing the ears the same effectively like in studio version – every of songs emanated with true violence and degeneration, so hearing following “Baptized In Vaginal Liquid”, “Dismal Perception” or “Feces For Jesus”, all of my flesh was creeping! A double surprise was like for me the fact, that were selected two songs from “Sworn Vengeance”, which belongs to my favourite pieces of this album – “Countless Villains” and “Buried Hatchet”. Shit, that was exactly like a wet dream! Would be a little bit tactless to nothing mention about the activity of guys, who absolutely don’t stays passive, but feelings themselves responsible for unleashing the real bestiality, massacring by the best ways, especially Seth, Marvin or Patrick. Of course, can’t to lessen the merits of Thijs and Dennis (screaming between the songs “Verdammte Scheisse!” and rousing the people to action), who being maybe now hairless, stays the same dangerous and furious like their comrades. Time is going unfortunately without mercy, so only yet “Mutilation Of The Flesh”, “Pray For Nothing” and crowning the show “End Of Christ”. Nothing more, what a pity… I can however to say, that the performance of SEVERE TORTURE those evening was in every of inches better than last time, when I was watching them during the tour with DEW-SCENTED in February. I am full of hope, that next time I will be shredded into pieces the same effectively like now.

The guys of NILE mustn’t to introduce, so in this place I could to write practically very short, that they did what had to do – they came, they killed and left only the ruins. To this day I remember my impressions, reasoned before 10 years by their debut massacre “Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka”, when as a school-leaver I terrorized by these sounds the people from all classes in the one of best secondary schools in my town, ha, ha! Yeah, there were wonderful times – autumn 1998, the examination for secondary school certificate was closer and closer, and here no willingness to learn, cause NILE released exactly the album, which not only was admitted as one of the best debut album those year, but was a turning-point in the history of death metal too… Observing all of events during the career of this band since the moment, when the world gone down before him on knees, can to only say, that everything was here not coincidentally – that’s a result of very, very hard work. NILE didn’t rest on laurels, but walking by his path made his skills better and better. The effects are hearable especially today, when the guys have in their discography already five full-length albums and the latest, named “Ithyphallic” still conquers the souls of extreme maniacs. In the question of murdering by their music in live version – no changes like always, cause after my sixth meeting with the crew from South Carolina I had broken all of my bones, so one time yet and nothing will remain of me, ha, ha! I miss only the decorations, which lacks every time during the shows of this band, but if it’s still impossible to decorate the stage by the figure of Sphinx, small sarcophagus or pyramid, the T-shirt and cross of Karl Sanders must to be sufficient. But the most important is of course the music and as NILE can to play it perfectly, I hope that Ra, the grand God Of Sun will reward to Karl, Dallas, Chris and George all of their merits, giving to them eternal life and a blind date with Cleopatra as a special distinction, ha, ha! And here are a few of details yet: “Sacrifice Unto Sebek”, “Black Flame”, “Papyrus”, “Cast Down The Heretic”, “Ithyphallic”, “Sarcophagus”, “Annihilation Of The Wicked”, “Black Seeds Of Vengeance”, “Unas, The Slayer Of Gods”. But why didn’t appear something from so worshipped by me debut album? Where were “Serpent Headed Mask” or “Stones Of Sorrow”? Oh, gentlemen – please to correct yourself in future! But that’s only a small hunger. The most important is, that the writer of these words and about 250 of people left those night the walls of K 17 with smiles on their faces.