Nile - Brutal Death Metal legends talk to Music Trespass

Music Trespass talk to Nile legend Karl Sanders before they play the UK!

Joe Denby and Alan Gulliver sat down with Nile mastermind and Death Metal legend Karl Sanders ahead of release of the band’s latest album 'What should not be Unearthed'. 

Music Trespass: How are you today? 

Karl Sanders: I’m doing great, how are you doing? 

Music Trespass: Great, Looks like you have a busy time ahead of you. First let’s talk about the new album. 

Karl Sanders: Well it’s called 'What should not be Unearthed' and it’s coming out on Nuclear Blast on August 29th.  

Music Trespass: How have the band evolved from the last release? 

Karl Sanders: Well hopefully we have evolved we used to be monkeys but hopefully now we can call ourselves human. I guess its three years down the road and I guess we are somewhat different people. Every album you do you learn from and look back and see what you could have done better. I know that for one thing this time around it’s kind of a polar opposite of the last record. On 'At the gates of Sethu' we focused very much on musicianship and technicality and it had a very clean surgical sound and you know this time around we didn’t want “super clean” This is more of a heavy record. Its very song orientated. The technical side very much took a back seat to just writing catchy, memorable songs. 

Music Trespass: It’s a case of giving the fans what they want then. 

Karl Sanders: I think so; the album was consciously made with the listeners in mind. We care about Nile fans. Every once in a while yes we as artists want to do what the f**k we want to do, do or be damned but every band experiences that from time to time to some degree but with this album we just wanted to be heavy and write some crushing songs and let the fans enjoy them and enjoy playing them at shows. 

Music Trespass: It’s funny because I think the last album 'At the gates of Sethu' was actually quite palatable to the point where if someone had never heard of the band I’d point them to check that album out first. I think with 'Ithyphallic' and 'Those whom the Gods Detest' you pushed the epic side of your sound to the forefront. I see what you are saying about the slick production though; would you say there is a return of the earthier feel of 'Black seeds of Vengeance'?.

Karl Sanders: There is, I guess you could call it earthy. I’d say more of a focus on achieving a big sound as if a pyramid was dropped straight on your head. A Nile album should be that heavy! 

Music Trespass: What are your influences? When did you start listening to Rock music? 

Karl Sanders: I started listening to rock and metal music as a youngster but back then heavy music was Black Sabbath and Queen, Led Zeppelin and Rush that was heavy. It wasn’t until later on that you got your Judas Priest and Iron maiden and things went on from that with Metallica and Slayer. When I started playing guitar we didn’t have that extreme range that people have today. 

Music Trespass: Do you feel that there is too much choice today? You know you get a band that’s Technical / Black / Death / Thrash! 

Karl Sanders: There is so much of everything, good god in 2015 we have more extreme metal then ever and that’s both good and bad, I mean you can’t possibly listen to every single band that there is nowadays it’s just not frigging possible. Labels can’t sign everyone so people are very concerned about what label you stick on it. twenty years it didn’t matter what label you stuck on it, what mattered was did you like listening to it. 

Music Trespass: You know last year there were over a million releases under the Metal label alone. 

Karl Sanders: Holy shit! 

Music Trespass: It makes you wonder is there really an underground anymore? If everyone from U2 to and band releasing their first demo (do we even have demos now?) are putting their music through the same channels and it’s just as easy to access it, what does the term underground really mean nowadays? 

Karl Sanders: You can find anything you want on the internet by a few Google clicks, it’s just seconds away. That’s the information age that we live in. 

Music Trespass: The main problem is that the quality and quantity ratio has shifted to quantity. 

Karl Sanders: That again is the sign of the times that we live in. With access to everything there is no filter. The bottom line is that we can’t live in the past as much as we like to glorify the good old days things evolve and there’s the theory that you either adapt or you die, which is crazy in terms of evolution in the span of a lifetime.  

Music Trespass:  Let’s get back to the album. Obviously there is the Egyptian theme but where are you coming from lyrically this time around? 

Karl Sanders: There are a few other angles. We explored some current events. We had some Lovecraft ideas. 'Call to Destruction' for example is about Islam extremist calling for the destruction of the pyramids, the title track is a Science Fiction... What if? Scenario which asks what is something is discovered that is so horrible that the entire world is driven to madness which was a fun idea. I think a lot of the things on this record are coming from an angle of entertainment and fun. I mean if anyone should write a song about the destruction of the pyramids it should be us! 

Music Trespass: I think people know more about Egyptian mythology and history from reading Nile lyrics then from actual books and documentaries! Where did your fascination with Egyptian mythology and history come from? Was there a particular book or movie that sparked it? 

Karl Sanders: Well it was something that was from early childhood but it really took off when one day I woke up and found myself in a band called Nile and I looked in the mirror and asked myself the question if I were the listener what I expect to hear from a Metal band named Nile? I decided if I were to write these songs I should know more about it and as I started researching the lyrics it became something I really enjoy. It’s an endless well to draw inspiration from. If you pay attention it’s never ending. Nearly on a daily basis someone is digging up something amazing.  

Music Trespass: What Death Metal artists are turning your head today? 

Karl Sanders: I really found of a band called Lecherous Nocturne, Incredibly brutal! Holy shit these guys are brutal.  

Music Trespass: What in your mind makes a great Death Metal band?