Sanders began his own solo side project in 2004. Much of the music that he plays includes similar elements of his band Nile, however presented in an ambient/Egyptian folk format, rather than death metal. Karl Sanders explained that “he got sick of hearing big loud death metal everyday after touring,” and started writing quieter music to relax, and recorded them.

His first solo full-length album, Saurian Meditation, was released on October 26, 2004 under the Relapse record label. A second solo album, Saurian Exorcisms, was released on April 14, 2009.

Sanders guested on Behemoth’s 2004 CD release, Demigod, playing a guitar solo on the track “XUL”. He also performed a guitar solo at the end of the track “God of Our Own Divinity” by Morbid Angel, on their 2003 album Heretic, as well as a solo on the song “The Final War (Battle of Actium)” on Ex Deo’s 2009 album Romulus. Karl also played on Grave’s 2010 album Burial Ground on the tracks “Bloodtrail” and “Naafa”, and provided guest vocals for Nervecell’s song “Shunq (To the Despaired… King of Darkness)” on their 2011 album Psychogenocide. On Tourniquet’s 2012 album Antiseptic Bloodbath, Karl contributed a guitar solo to the track “Chamunda Temple Stampede”.