Combining the extreme speed and nihilism of modern death metal with the ancient styling of Middle Eastern music,
Nile formed in their hometown of Greensberg, SC, in 1993. With their self-proclaimed trademark of "Ithyphallic Metal,"
Karl Sanders (guitar/vocals),
Chief Spires (bass/vocals), and
Pete Hammoura (drums) debuted with their Festivals of Atonement album in 1995, leading
Nile to a southwestern tour in support of other big metal acts such as
Obituary,
Deicide and
Broken Hope. Viscera Productions was responsible for
Nile's follow-up EP Ramses Bringer of War in 1997 and was going to release their second album
Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka -- that is, if they hadn't gone out of business later that year. However, Relapse Records was more than happy to put it out in early 1998, giving
Nile a wider distribution and a chance to hit the road with
Incantation and
Morbid Angel. The follow-up,
Black Seeds of Vengeance, was released in late 2000. A collection of remastered, hard to find recordings,
In the Beginning was released later the same year. By 2002, the highly anticipated
In Their Darkened Shrines was dropped and the buzz around it led to mainstream coverage the band had never experienced before. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide