We love Testament so much we flew out to Germany just to hear the new record. Our Features Editor Amit Sharma visited Nuclear Blast HQ to wrap his ears around their tenth studio album Dark Roots Of Earth and judging from what he’s been telling us, it’s a fucking scorcher!
1. Rise Up
Let’s not beat around this big hairy beast of a bush – the question on everyone’s minds right now will be “Is it as good as Formation Of Damnation?” and Testament answer this straight off the bat with juggernaut riffs and well-defined bursts of heavy metal mastery. Praise the fucking gods, the thrash titans have returned.
2. Native Blood
Songs like Native Blood truly encapsulate what Testament do best. Everything from the apocalyptic sized riffs to the pounding rhythms conjure the pure sonic aggression we all know and love. The delivery is precise and calculated – in true Testament style it’s very heavy but always very focused. Despite burning around the fretboard at blistering speeds, Alex Skolnick’s arpeggios remain perpetually musical and highly articulate.
3. Dark Roots Of Earth
The title track starts with the cleaner dimensions of open picked chords, sounding as dark and brooding as Slayer did on that second riff in Seasons In The Abyss. But Testament lure the listener into a sense of false security, and Dark Roots Of Earth quickly mutates into a hook-laden, fist-pumping slab of neck-thickening brutality. The backing gang vocals will make this the thrash anthem of 2012.
4. True American Hate
We don’t know what’s rattled Chuck Billy’s cage but he has never sounded so pissed off. The combination of his throaty vocals, Gene’s relentless blastbeats and the Skolnick / Peterson guitar partnership make this a call-to-arms purpose built for thousands of metalheads to gather in a field and bang heads.
5. A Day In The Death
It’s no secret that Testament have always been masters of pace, but the sharp snappy rhythms here are devastatingly destructive. The gritty bass tones that open this song effortlessly expand into pummeling choruses and half time grooves. The brain bursting heaviness and facemelting accuracy of the later riffs revisit the death metal brutality they explored on Demonic. This track ends with a brain busting harmonic minor solo from Alex Skolnick, loaded with Egyptian mysticism and finger twisting virtuosity.
6. Cold Embrace
A bluesy guitar solo by Eric Peterson starts Cold Embrace, reminding us of Tony Iommi’s jazzier licks on Planet Caravan. Off to a good start then. The slower grooves and acoustic layers take things down a notch, providing the listener with an opportunity to simmer and reflect after the initial assault.
7. Man Kills Mankind
Man Kills Mankind is a straight up, no frills rager that serves as the perfect wake-up call to the evil slumber of Cold Embrace. It sounds modern and slick in the way the tracks off Megadeth’s Endgame did, thanks to the Andy Sneap production job. No complaints here.
8. Throne Of Thorns
There is a storm brewing before the rhythm guitars come crashing in and melt our ears into a pool of bloody mess. Chuck’s spoken word parts add touches of dark spiritualism and brooding menace to this crunchy bastard of a headbanger.
9. Last Stand For Independence
This album closer lacks unsurprisingly lacks very little, and the epic drum fill before the band come together is undoubtedly earth shattering. The legato riffs carry an almost Eddie Van Halen flavour to them, especially with Alex Skolnick’s whammy bar tricks thrown into the mix. We’ve only listened listened to it once… but it seems like Testament have done it again!
Dark Roots Of Earth is out July 26. Testament play Bloodstock Festival this August.
http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/featur...ent-dark-roots-of-earth-track-by-track-guide/
1. Rise Up
Let’s not beat around this big hairy beast of a bush – the question on everyone’s minds right now will be “Is it as good as Formation Of Damnation?” and Testament answer this straight off the bat with juggernaut riffs and well-defined bursts of heavy metal mastery. Praise the fucking gods, the thrash titans have returned.
2. Native Blood
Songs like Native Blood truly encapsulate what Testament do best. Everything from the apocalyptic sized riffs to the pounding rhythms conjure the pure sonic aggression we all know and love. The delivery is precise and calculated – in true Testament style it’s very heavy but always very focused. Despite burning around the fretboard at blistering speeds, Alex Skolnick’s arpeggios remain perpetually musical and highly articulate.
3. Dark Roots Of Earth
The title track starts with the cleaner dimensions of open picked chords, sounding as dark and brooding as Slayer did on that second riff in Seasons In The Abyss. But Testament lure the listener into a sense of false security, and Dark Roots Of Earth quickly mutates into a hook-laden, fist-pumping slab of neck-thickening brutality. The backing gang vocals will make this the thrash anthem of 2012.
4. True American Hate
We don’t know what’s rattled Chuck Billy’s cage but he has never sounded so pissed off. The combination of his throaty vocals, Gene’s relentless blastbeats and the Skolnick / Peterson guitar partnership make this a call-to-arms purpose built for thousands of metalheads to gather in a field and bang heads.
5. A Day In The Death
It’s no secret that Testament have always been masters of pace, but the sharp snappy rhythms here are devastatingly destructive. The gritty bass tones that open this song effortlessly expand into pummeling choruses and half time grooves. The brain bursting heaviness and facemelting accuracy of the later riffs revisit the death metal brutality they explored on Demonic. This track ends with a brain busting harmonic minor solo from Alex Skolnick, loaded with Egyptian mysticism and finger twisting virtuosity.
6. Cold Embrace
A bluesy guitar solo by Eric Peterson starts Cold Embrace, reminding us of Tony Iommi’s jazzier licks on Planet Caravan. Off to a good start then. The slower grooves and acoustic layers take things down a notch, providing the listener with an opportunity to simmer and reflect after the initial assault.
7. Man Kills Mankind
Man Kills Mankind is a straight up, no frills rager that serves as the perfect wake-up call to the evil slumber of Cold Embrace. It sounds modern and slick in the way the tracks off Megadeth’s Endgame did, thanks to the Andy Sneap production job. No complaints here.
8. Throne Of Thorns
There is a storm brewing before the rhythm guitars come crashing in and melt our ears into a pool of bloody mess. Chuck’s spoken word parts add touches of dark spiritualism and brooding menace to this crunchy bastard of a headbanger.
9. Last Stand For Independence
This album closer lacks unsurprisingly lacks very little, and the epic drum fill before the band come together is undoubtedly earth shattering. The legato riffs carry an almost Eddie Van Halen flavour to them, especially with Alex Skolnick’s whammy bar tricks thrown into the mix. We’ve only listened listened to it once… but it seems like Testament have done it again!
Dark Roots Of Earth is out July 26. Testament play Bloodstock Festival this August.
http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/featur...ent-dark-roots-of-earth-track-by-track-guide/
