N.I.L. - USA

N.I.L. - Same - BATTLE KOMMAND  
N.I.L. - short for Nihilism Is Liberation - is the project of Krieg’s N. Imperial, which by definition means a whole lot of underground attention and praise. Oddly enough, the band’s sound is not much removed from Krieg’s. Nonetheless, the man claims N.I.L. is not the continuation of Krieg, which disbanded over a year ago. I suppose Britney Spears is Krieg’s successor then.
The album begins with Plague Doors Rusted Shut and clouds of doubt gather strength as the acoustic vibes of a mandolin spill out of the speakers. Here I Found No Shelter is the true beginning of the album and smacks of the same depressive and downbeat dirge-like metal that many bands and Krieg have espoused in recent years. The production is clear, yet noisy and the vocals as hollow as purgatory’s heart. The pace is moderate with the emphasis largely on atmosphere in lieu of brutality or speed. The song Bad Houses is clearly a cover and an undiscovered joke. The album’s best beats are on the powerful Negative Frequency Entity, while the album’s closer leaving The Self behind is not bad either showing a modicum of power and anger before chiming with bells and a backwards track. No matter the track, the bass is both loud and present.
N.I.L. is neither bad nor good, but one would not see much of a reason for its existence beyond this one outing. - Ali “The Metallian”