Testament – Brotherhood Of the Snake

[nyrating]

22nd October 2016 Reinier de Vries Album Reviews 2

This years blue print for a thrash record is the new Testament album ‘Brotherhood Of the Snake’. No way a certain band called Metallica can top this. If anyone asks you what thrash music is, just let them listen to this album and no other words need to be said. The music even sounds angrier than before, fast like in their early days and played with so much pleasure and catchy melodies that it almost can’t get any better. Chuck Billy grunts, growls and sounds aggressive like being chased by a giant pitbull. Razor sharp riffs, unbelievable drums and fingerlicking melodic guitarsolos are the main ingredients on this album. Steve DiGiorgio’s rumbling bass parts form a perfect foundation and drum God Gene Hoglan does the rest. How can things go wrong with such a great line-up! One great riff after another gets fired at you by Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson and after three quarters of an hour you only want more, more and more…

The title track opens very heavy and sets the standard for the album. Next song “The Pale King” is perhaps a bit slower, but the groovy riff is not a tad softer. Fast, faster, fastest is the key word for “Stronghold”. Chuck growls and grunts it all together and the speedy solos do the rest. “Seven Deals” combines mid-tempo pieces with fast ones and the finishing touch is delivered by Alex and Eric with nice twin guitar work. The weakest track in my opinion is “Born In A Rut”, one of the slowest ones and it just doesn’t reach the same high level as the others. Fortunately this is already forgotten as soon as the next starts. A fast motherfucker with great growls and drums reaching the speed of sound.

After that the most melodic song follows, with the most beautiful guitar parts half way the song. Just when you thought that it couldn’t get any faster than “Centuries of Suffering” you get treated with “Black Jack”. Then one of the lyricaly most interesting tracks follows. I don’t think you have to guess twice about what subject “Canna Business” is about. In combination with the music I think this is together with the title track my personal favorite. If you are still waiting for a soft part on this album with clean vocals, I have to disappoint you, because the last one is as fast and awesome as the entire album, a heavy track with great riffs. The reason I don’t give them 10 devils is because I want to give the band the opportunity and the challenge even to top this one in the future.

Those of you who are still hoping that Metallica will release an album this year that is as fast, good and thrashy as their first 2…. just don’t, it’s all idle hope. Just buy this ‘Brotherhood Of the Snake’ instead!

Tracklist:

01. Brotherhood Of the Snake
02. The Pale King
03. Stronghold
04. Seven Deals
05. Born In A Rut
06. Centuries Of Suffering
07. Neptune’s Spear
08. Black Jack
09. Canna Business
10. The Number Game

Playing time: 45:00

Release date: 28 October 2016

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Website: www.testamentlegions.us

About Reinier de Vries 188 Articles

Once a metal head, always a metalhead. My parents thought it would only be a period, but they were wrong. I quit to explain the beauty of metal music to others that are not into metal, because it is something you can't tell in words... It is like explaining to a teetotaller why a cold beer is so nice on a hot day... I started with bands like Accept, Metal Church, Iron Maiden and Metallica in the eighties and I think I will still listen to them when I'm stone deaf and old...