After 4 years and a slight lineup change,
Testament has returned amongst a very crowded 2016 with their next record, “Brotherhood
of the Snake”. Testament seems like one of the most divisive thrash bands, and
even my own opinion on them seems to waver every once in a while. Fortunately, “Brotherhood
of the Snake” is a record that should make a believer out of all thrash fans. It
is filled to the brim with high-speed thrashing classics, and impressive
technical performances. The rhythm section of Gene Hoglan and Steve DiGiorgio aren’t
as technical as they were on albums like “Individual Thought Patterns”, but
they’re both masters of their craft at this point, and know exactly what to do.
On the title track, for example, there are several excellent bass fills that
show up at exactly the right moment. Similarly, Hoglan just crushes all
throughout the record (particularly on the high velocity closer “The Number
Game”), as he consistently unleashes effortless-sounding double bass work.
But as legendary as Hoglan and DiGiorgio
are, they aren’t the primary reason why people listen to Testament. The band’s
three longtime members have all stepped up to the plate on “Brotherhood of the
Snake”. Despite early comparisons from the band to “The Gathering”, this album
is much more classic Testament. Chuck Billy mostly uses his throaty singing
voice, with the occasional death metal growls. The deeper vocals don’t dominate
any particular song, and are used to add brutality at just the right moments.
Eric Peterson’s riffs are as potent as ever
(especially on faster tracks like “Stronghold” and “Centuries of Suffering”),
but where he has really stepped up his songwriting is in his use of harmonies.
Never before has a Testament record seen such frequent use of harmonized
guitars, and the result is that “Brotherhood of the Snake” feels like the most
progressive and diverse Testament record, even if it isn’t exactly a prog metal
record. “Neptune’s Spear” features the most impressive and lengthy section, where
the lead guitars wander for several minutes and show the band exploring new
territory. And then there’s Alex Skolnick. If there’s one member of Testament
you could always rely on to get the job done, it would be Skolnick. His
shredding is as good as ever. There isn’t much more to say about his
performance because he’s always on-point, but this record definitely features some of his most jaw-dropping work.
Though Testament comprises 5 incredible
skilled musicians, what matters most is always songwriting, and “Brotherhood of
the Snake” absolutely delivers in this regard. The best songs tend to be speedy from start to
finish, which is why “Stronghold”, “Centuries of Suffering”, and “The Number
Game” stand out as highlights, but even the songs that could be considered
slower have their more upbeat moments, in addition to plenty of the classic Testament groove ("Born in a Rut" being the best example). If there is one element of Testament’s
songwriting that can be easily criticized, it would be the lyrics. Both “The
Pale King” and “Canna-Business” come to mine as low points, but even weak
lyrics can’t bring down an otherwise killer record (this is thrash after all!).
While I wasn’t initially all that excited for “Brotherhood of the Snake” due to
how many great thrash albums have come out this year, it is clear that
Testament can stand alongside any other band playing thrash in 2016. Time will
tell if this album holds up as well as their previous work, but “Brotherhood of
the Snake” has all of the ingredients are a great thrash record!
Highlights
"Stronghold"
"Centuries of Suffering"
"Neptune's Spear"
"The Number Game"
Final Rating
4.7/5 or 94%.
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