With four critically acclaimed albums, a few EPs and several world tours under their belt, Nile has raised the bar for extreme metal bands musically, lyrically and conceptually. Their withering live performances are nothing short of legendary. Formed in 1993 by Karl Sanders (guitar/vocals), Chief Spires (bass/vocals), and Pete Hammoura (drums), Nile wasted little time combining their interest in Egyptian history, culture and lore with the ferocity of modern death metal. Using a symphonic approach to songwriting and arrangement, Nile unleashed an uncompromising attack that fused unique, technical death metal with organic Middle Eastern tones. Their unique lyrical approach was inspired by Sanders" interpretation of ancient Egyptian inscriptions, temple carvings, papyri, hieroglyphics and tomb paintings depicting ancient battles, rituals and religious ceremonies. Each following year brought a new recording, which marked a large step forward in their musical evolution. Recorded in 1994, Worship The Animal set the tone for what would become one of extreme metal s most popular bands.