Album Review

Testament - Dark Roots Of EarthTestament - Dark Roots Of Earth

I knew from the very minute that “Dark Roots Of Earth” cropped up on my list of downloadable promo releases that I was in for a few hours of musical bliss, that’s based on the simple fact that I’m yet to stumble across a bad Testament album in their lengthy back catalogue within their almost 30 year career as a band. It’s no wonder they are credited as one of the greatest and most popular thrash metal bands of the 80’s and of all time for that matter, this latest effort puts their album count into double figures as this makes album number 10; 10 albums and almost 30 years of touring and they’ve still survived, newbie’s please take note.

Band’s these days are seemingly all about long winded introductions building up to their material; I don’t know about the rest of you but some smaller ones are alright at times but the majority of them and the longer ones just piss me off, evidentially this is not the veteran way as the opening track on this record “Rise Up” hits you in the face like a house brick, thick tone, high octane pace and Chuck Billy’s raw vocals doubled up with his demonic roars juicing up the heavier metal side of their style. Possibly my favourite track off the entire album is the second track “Native Blood”, it’s got a wicked memorable chorus line and it sound’s sinister as shit, that alongside “True American Hate” provide an excellent contribution to keeping thick heavy thrash alive.

There’s much more though to the band than just heavy metal even though they aggressively excel at that, they are experimental musicians after all which is why tracks like “Cold Embrace” and “Dark Roots of The Earth” take pride and place on the album; much slower pace, with more technical fitting riffs and Billy exposing and exploiting his tremendous vocal range to really put a stomp on the differing material. At the end of the record as well there are a few cover songs, I don’t think that they are actually on the normal edition of the album and if this is a special edition thing and it costs more than standard I wouldn’t really waste your money, they aren’t exactly the greatest cover songs ever, not bad but nowhere near worth spending money on.

10 fucking albums, a 30 year fucking career and they’re still rolling them off with the greatest of ease with the highest quality material around and if I may say so myself possibly some of the absolute highest quality material they’ve ever released themselves. Like a fine whiskey they seem to be becoming more and more superior with age, by that note in another 30 years they’ll be producing music that causes actual brain explosions, and quite frankly I hope I’m around for that because I love this album and am ready for another already!

4.5/5

Review by James Webb

 Band Members

Chuck Billy
Eric Peterson
Alex Skolnick
Greg Christian
Gene Hoglan
 Track Listing
1. Rise Up
2. Native Blood
3. Dark Roots Of The Earth
4. True American Hate
5. A Day In The Death
6. Cold Embrace
7. Man Kills Mankind
8. Throne Of Thorns
9. Last Stand For Independence
10. Dragon Attack (Queen Cover)
11. Animal Magnetism (Scorpions Cover)
12. Powerslave (Iron Maiden Cover)
 Band Related Links
Testament Facebook
 Review Score Code
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
- What Was That?