01. Brotherhood of the Snake
02. The Pale King
03. Stronghold
04. Seven Seals
05. Born in a Rut
06. Centuries of Suffering
07. Black Jack
08. Neptune's Spear
09. Canna-Business
Testament are one of those legendary thrash bands from
the 80's who've been a huge influence on their scene worldwide, and have kept
going in the face of adversity. However, unlike many of their peers (*cough* The
Big Four) they have never lost their way or put out substandard records. Testament
always deliver. They manage to progress with each album without diluting their
core sound. Every album they put out has its own individual character and is an
essential part of their legacy. Whilst other bands take the easy road and
regurgitate the same formula each time and milk former glories, Testament
continually prove that they are masters of their art and remain on top of their
game.
Brotherhood of the Snake is their eleventh studio album,
and the third since the return of guitar legend Alex Skolnick. The previous two
albums, Formation of Damnation and Dark Roots of Earth, were awesome and the band
saw a well deserved resurgence in popularity. The good news is that Brotherhood
of the Snake is even better.
Brotherhood of the Snake is a thrashing beast of an
album. The musicianship is very technical but retains the ferocity needed for
this kind of record. Drummer Gene Hoglan is an absolute powerhouse and again
reminds us why he's so highly in demand. In my opinion he's one of the best (if
not the best) metal drummers in the world. Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick
deliver the world class shredding solos and heavy riffing they've become famous
for with a level of class that has to be heard to be believed. Chuck Billy's
vocals are also on form. He's sounding better than ever, and his distinctive
voice oozes charisma. Lyrically, the album is influenced by an 6000 year old secret
society which debarred all religions. It's a cool concept and works well with
the music.
If you're already
a Testament fan, I'm sure you have very high expectations for this album, based
on the previous two. They've surpassed my expectations and Brotherhood of the
Snake is one of their best albums yet. It's certainly my favourite thrash album
of the year so far.
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