ALBUM REVIEW: Exodus, “Persona Non Grata"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 19/11/2021
Label: Nuclear Blast

“Persona Non Grata” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
 1. Persona Non Grata
 2. R.E.M.F.
 3. Slipping Into Madness
 4. Elitist
 5. Prescribing Horror
 6. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
 7. The Years Of Death And Dying
 8. Clickbait
09. Cosa Del Pantano
10. Lunatic-Liar-Lord
11. The Fires Of Division
12. Antiseed
 
 
The Review
 
Exodus are back. Gary Holt is back in the fold full time and the rest of the band are present- with Steve “Zetro” Souza still at the mic. Tom Hunting laid down his drum parts before his battle with cancer (get well soon) while Lee Altus and Jack Gibson round out the line-up.
 
I've never made a secret of the fat that I favour Rob Dukes as THE Exodus front man, but no one (including me) can deny that “Zetro” has a fine voice for thrash and is viewed by most as the definitive Exodus vocalist. “Blood in Blood Out” was a fine reunion record, but a little front loaded and missing some of the spite of the Dukes years. 
 
“Persona Non Grata” comes after several years of Holt moonlighting with Slayer and a global pandemic. You'd expect, then, that the creative juices would be well and truly flowing as the band members focus on Exodus (and Heathen) full time.
 
The title track is up first and is a speedy thrasher- but it is too long. Much like some of the Dukes era material, it needed editing. It's vicious and speedy but it does, well, go on... “R.E.M.F” and “Slipping Into Madness” are more concise and thus more effective, with the latter being a convincing addiction tale that you can't help feel might be hitting close to home for a few or all of those playing it.
 
Exodus slow things down occasionally, too. “Prescribing Horror” is an example- and an effective one.  The advance track “The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)” is simply vintage Exodus; a short, sharp cut that is made for the pit. It's magnificent, prescient in theme and has everything great about the band in three minutes.
 
As the album progresses, it takes shape. This is similar in approach to “Blood In, Blood Out”. It's occasionally speedy, always aggressive but its bark is a little stronger than its bite on some tracks. There is a lot of fairly mid-paced material over the course of the hour long playing time which is not something that the band necessarily excel at. Much like Iron Maiden, Metallica and some of the other classic thrash acts (even my beloved Overkill): editing is needed. Some tracks could say what they have to say in less playing time and also there is nothing wrong with delivering the best ten tracks rather than stretching material a little thin over twelve tracks.
 
It's churlish, but sometimes less music really is better than more. Exodus are better on razor sharp songs like “Clickbait” than they are on the blunt force of “The Years of Death and Dying”. It makes the album a little frustrating as my attention wandered a little from track to track- even if the production, lead work and performances are all great. There is a cool instrumental in the form of “Cosa Del Pantano” and it is a welcome detour into a different sonic sphere prior to the lengthy but effective “Lunatic Liar Lord”- which is as heavy as lead  and benefits from the thrashy pacing- and classic Exodus time changes. It's an example of the band doing an epic thrash track well but it loses momentum through the middle and outro sections.
 
“Persona Non Grata” is available HERE
  

Band info: facebook

REVIEW: Speedclaw, "Beast In The Mist"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 01/06/2018

Label: Shadow Kingdom Records

The sound over the six tracks comes on like a revved up version of early Saxon and Dio crossed with “Fistful of Metal” era Anthrax and “Bonded By Blood” era Exodus. The production is 80's to the max, the performances strong and the band sound hungry and dangerous

“Beast In The Mist” CS//CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Prelude

2). Beast in the Mist

3). Faster Than Hell

4). Rising of the Claw

5). Aggression Strikes

6). Evil That You See

The Review:

Croatian Speed Metal! Speedclaw are probably Croatia's finest exponent of the genre... and maybe one of the best in the world. The sound over the six tracks comes on like a revved up version of early Saxon and Dio crossed with “Fistful of Metal” era Anthrax and “Bonded By Blood” era Exodus. The production is 80's to the max, the performances strong and the band sound hungry and dangerous. The instrumental “Prelude” opens proceedings before the title track rips out of the speakers with a vengeance. “Faster Than Hell” lives up to the title's promise. Widdly lead work abounds as riffs come thick and fast.

The latter three tracks deliver more of the same- pleasingly- and the band don't let up. Ranger have got some serious competition here as this is pure metal of the highest quality; nostalgic, referencing what went before and the band makes sure to put their own stamp on things. If anything, “Rising of the Claw” and “Aggression Strikes” go closer towards out and out extreme thrash metal, but that is no bad thing. Better to press the pedal to the metal than ease off down the back stretch!

The impressive EP/mini album closes with “Evil That You See”, which sees the NWOBHM influences come back to the fore. The name of the band tells you almost all you need to know here. Surely a candidate for a Fenriz endorsement (if he hasn't done so already) and high time the band gets offered a slot at Live Evil in London. Raging stuff.

“Beast In The Mist” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Testament - "Live At The Fillmore", "Demonic", "The Gathering", "First Strike Still Deadly", "Live At Endhoven '87" (Reissues)

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Reissue

Date Released: 26/01/2018

Label: Nuclear Blast

When at their best, as on “The Gathering”, there are few thrash bands who are their equal.

"Live At The Fillmore" (1995), "Demonic" (1997), "The Gathering" (1999) (remastered by Andy Sneap) "First Strike Still Deadly" (2001), “Live At Eindhoven '87" (2009)

The Review:

Testament's career is generally viewed as being a little behind the pace of the Big Four, but not by too much. Cursed with a late start via their debut of “The Legacy”, they followed it up impressively with “The New Order”, got a little more catchy on “Practice What You Preach” and then... lost their way a little chasing Metallica and then Pantera's coat tails. The records they released in the first half of the 90's were thus a mixed bag- great moments, weaker moments, thrash, no thrash and so on.

These welcome reissues, then, remind us of what a potent force Testament returned as via a shot of more extreme metal and an iron will. These reissues cover a couple of live albums- from 1987 and 1995 and then their studio output from 1997 into the new millennium. Let's be clear, Testament at their lowest ebb were still one of the best metal bands around, and so if “Live at The Fillmore” catches them on tour after the release of the album “Low”, it cherry picks the best tracks from their career to that time. It's a solid and punchy listen- if maybe lacking the “lightning in a bottle” x-factor that, say, “No Sleep Til Hammersmith” has. It works as a fine live best of- most of the best album tracks are represented. 1987's “Live at Eindhoven” catches the band at the very start of their international career and the performances are rough, ready, energetic and fiery. Both releases are really for fans only. For me John Dette being on drums makes “Live at The Fillmore” superior for me. He is one of the very best drummers in thrash. He played with Anthrax, filling in for the equally majestic Charlie Benante and he absolutely blew Paul Bostaph away- who must have been having an off night!

1997's “Demonic” is a superb and surprisingly extreme listen. Chuck Billy introduced some very extreme elements to his vocals to excellent effect and the overall impression is of a band revitalised and out-heavying the competition (Metallica and Megadeth were at career low points musically at this point, Anthrax were effectively inactive and Slayer were coming off the back of their worst studio album). Eric Peterson was firmly at the helm as usual, with Chuck ably upping his game and the mighty Gene Hoglan stepping in on drums. While Alex Skolnick was not present, Greg Alvelais proved a worthy replacement with Greg Ramirez rounding out the studio line up. The death metal influence is strong and the record finds the band doing what they want to do- trends be damned. Great performances all around and impressive writing; what a great come-back record! It also sounds great- tight and clear with lots of weight to the production.

However, with “The Gathering” in 1999, the band hit an all time high. Dave Lombardo delivers a masterclass in thrash metal drumming (thanks Aaron!) and all the material is top notch. From the massive opener “DNR” to “Hammer of The Gods”, this is a thrash tour de force from a time when no-one was releasing such records. There are some classic tunes on here- “Riding The Snake”, “3 Days in Darkness”, “Legions of The Dead”. Every track is prime Testament and is right up there with “The Legacy” and “The New Order”- with much better production. The fact that it is, in my view, Testament's best makes it one of the best thrash albums of all time. Chuck proves on this one that he is one of the best and most versatile vocalists in metal, while the chemistry between Peterson and Lombardo is sublime. Steve Digiorgio helping out on bass really helps the cause too- metal royalty! As a final boost, Andy Sneap's production is excellent.

“First Strike...Still Deadly” rounds out the studio releases and is one of my favourite Testament records. Whilst some fans may moan about the band re-recording their earlier classics and the clinical sound, I loved this at the time of release and still do. The sound is excellent, the performances are uniformly good (John Tempesta on drums this time around) and the song choices are stellar. Having Steve Zetro Souza come back for a couple of very early compositions is a nice bonus and overall I would recommend buying this over and above the first two studio albums! That may well not be a popular view, but there it is.

The verdict on this set of re-issues? Three essential releases and two live albums of good to great quality. Testament are usually mentioned in the same breath as Exodus and Overkill as being just outside the Big Four, but that is not to say that they don't knock all of Anthrax's work plus half of Slayer's, Megadeth's and Metallica's discography into a neatly cocked hat. When at their best, as on “The Gathering”, there are few thrash bands who are their equal. After an extended break while Chuck Billy dealt with cancer, Testament returned and to date have released three great studio records from 2008 onwards. A classic band.

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Possessor - "The Ripper"

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: Full length

Date Released: 24/11/2017

Label: Wicked Lester Records |

Graven Earth Records

"The Ripper" is one of the most pleasing releases to wrap 2017 and open up 2018. Possessor's massive sound and brutal composition make it one of the more intimidating listens on the scene, and one you should get to know now, if you aren't already down.

“The Ripper” CD//CS//DD track listing

1. Conjure and Possess

2. Guillotine

3. Wet Cemetery

4. The Slime        

5. Whitechapel Murders

6. Lava 

7. Notting Hell

8. Hacksaw

9. Earth Shaker

The Review:

London's thrash marauders Possessor have been at this for awhile, and get fans excited by its mutated form of garage, hardcore, thrash and even a splash of doom from moment to moment. The three-piece managed to carve its own lane in English metal through efforts like its 2016 album "Dead By Dawn," 2015's "Stay Dead" EP and many more. To its credit, Possessor has garnered, through this time, much critical acclaim for its distorted sludge and classic-metal influenced roar.

A band this busy – Possessor has offered nine records since 2014 – always raises eyebrows. Is there potential for burnout, or whiling through all one's creative juices? "The Ripper," an ambitious nine-song album with miles of fire to it, generates a number of these questions, undoubtedly.

So where is a band that gets high regard and seems to have a lot more in the tank to do when music itself is evolving constantly? In the case of Possessor, which melds enough traditional metal to offer a timelessness to its sound, there is an inherent advantage here, since it is not wedded to trends. "The Ripper" starts with "Conjure and Possess," a double-down of guitars and monster riffs that make it clear that Possessor is taking no prisoners. Again, there's an approach that seems to defy our almost innate desire for something wholly new. We're in a moment of so many metal consolidations – black metal with everything, hardcore and more subgenres are blended all the time – that fans almost start to expect it. Bands like Mastiff and Possessor seem to instead revel in straight-ahead metal. There are a list of gifted influences you hear on the opener and its followup, "Guillotine," including Pantera, Megdeth and Exodus among them. A few critical ears might feel this could be considered derivative or even a bit too 1990s. "Wet Cemetery" delivers a bit of grunge-style punk that still stands out for its heaviness. However, Possessor does something that is much harder to pull off than it seems. Songs like "Whitechapel Murders" and "Earth Shaker" come across as inspired by influences, rather than mimicking those acts. Herein Possessor make a far greater return than maybe even at first glance.

If you enjoyed the band's earlier work, like its driving and ferocious album, "Electric Hell," there's a lot on "The Ripper" to please you. The music thrashes hard while being enjoyable for new fans. Cuts like "Hacksaw" are some of Possessor's better songs.  "The Ripper" is one of the most pleasing releases to wrap 2017 and open up 2018. Possessor's massive sound and brutal composition make it one of the more intimidating listens on the scene, and one you should get to know now, if you aren't already down.

"The Ripper" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Exalter - "Persecution Automated"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/11/2017

Label: Transcending Obscurity Records

Aggressive and fairly primitive with some elements of the more extreme death metal sub-genre. Themes of oppression, injustice and warfare abound- classically thrash all the way. This is Flawlessly executed metal.

“Persecution Automated” CD//DD track listing:

1). Intro

2). Holocaust Ahead

3). Reign of the Mafia State

4). World Under Curfew

5). The Dreaded End

6). Slaughter Cleanse Repeat

7). Incarceration

8). Grip of Fear

9). Pathology of Domination

10). Clandestine Drone Warfare

The Review:

Bangladeshi headbangers Exalter return with this razor sharp slice of thrash. Following up the excellent EP, “Obituary For The Living” was never going to be an easy task, but the band have done it in style. With the album kicking off with an intro and an instrumental, you know there is no sell out for more commercial territory. You are getting thrash, plain and simple.

With many of the old school bands having introduced melody to unacceptable levels, it is nice to hear Exalter pressing forward with vicious riffs, barked vocals and straight forward aggression. This is thrash that is, I would say, a melding of Exodus, Sepultura and Sodom. Aggressive and fairly primitive with some elements of the more extreme death metal sub-genre. Themes of oppression, injustice and warfare abound- classically thrash all the way.

The likes of “World Under Curfew” will get necks snapping everywhere and when the band drop to mid paced territory for riffage on “The Dreaded End” for instance, they do so solidly and convincingly. Naturally, the band always favour pressing the pedal to the metal, whether it be on “Reign of The Mafia State” or “Slaughter Cleanse Repeat” they do so with full conviction. The band keep things sharp and focused throughout- this is a record made of songs that beg to be played live- with songs not outstaying their welcome and deft use of time changes and riffs- “Grip of Fear” being a prime example.

When the final two tracks have played out and the vicious “Clandestine Drone Warfare” has concluded, the final verdict is easy to reach: the record won't change the world and or even the thrash genre, but it would make a fine soundtrack to any one of the subjects that the band write about it- and in thrash metal, there can be no higher compliment than that. Flawlessly executed metal.

“Persecution Automated” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Warbringer - “Woe To The Vanquished”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 31/03/2017

Label: Napalm Records

Simply put, all the ingredients of the good side of thrash are here: big riffs, great production, soaring leads and aggressive vocals. It's a beast of a sound and the band will keep fans of Exodus, Testament, Death Angel et al happy all year. If you want some thrash, this one comes recommended.

“Woe To The Vanquished” CD//DD//LP track  listing:

1 Silhouettes

2 Woe to the Vanquished

3 Remain Violent

4 Shellfire

5 Descending Blade

6 Spectral Asylum

7 Divinity of Flesh

8 When the Guns Fell Silent

The Review

Warbringer return after their slick 2013 tour de force of “IV: Empires Collapse”, with this more extreme and gnarly effort. Bay area thrash is on the table here; this is for fans of Exodus and Death Angel.

There are blasts as well as thrash pacing (the title track), leads that sound very much out of Alex Skolnick's play book and an overwhelming feeling that you have heard this type of thing before... but that doesn't mean that you don't want to hear it again! Highlights are plentiful; the title track, “Remain Violent”, “Divinity of Flesh”...There is even an epic album closer in the shape of “When The Guns Fell Silent”.

As noted above, this is not as slick and, well, 'album-like' as its predecessor, but it is a feral collection of thrash songs played in the modern style, with every reference point harking back to the glory days of 1985-1990. It's violent and fun, that's for sure, whether it has the sticking power of “IV…” remains to be judged over time.

Simply put, all the ingredients of the good side of thrash are here: big riffs, great production, soaring leads and aggressive vocals. It's a beast of a sound and the band will keep fans of Exodus, Testament, Death Angel et al happy all year. If you want some thrash, this one comes recommended.

“Woe To The Vanquished” is available everywhere now



FFO: Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, Havok

Band info: facebook



ALBUM REVIEW: Terrifier - "Weapons of Thrash Destruction"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 20/01/2017

Label: Test Your Metal Records

“Weapons of Thrash Destruction” DD track listing

1. Reanimator (5:24)

2. Deceiver (5:15)

3. Nuclear Demolisher (4:26)

4. Violent Reprisal (4:17)

5. Skitzoid Embolism (4:08)

6. Drunk as Fuck (4:12)

7. Bestial Tyranny (6:13)

8. Riders of Doom (1:40)

9. Sect of the Serpent (6:44)

The Review:

Furious thrash metal for all fans of Exodus... and other furious thrash bands! Coming out of Vancouver, these boys know exactly how to deliver the kind of primeval thrash metal that Baloff and the boys made thirty years ago. The artwork is pleasingly Repka, the songs are fairly long (five minutes plus is not unusual) and the riffs come thick and, yes, fast.

A track by track here is largely unnecessary, so instead it suffices to say that if you listen to opener “Reanimator” and you are not inspired, the rest of the record won't win you over. The record races by at an astonishing clip as the band mine the book of metal song titles for cues. It's all here: there is a deceiver, there is violence, doom, serpents and tyranny.

If you enjoy Exodus, Nuclear Assault and the more gnarly end of the thrash spectrum there is bucket loads for you to enjoy here. The stand out for me is “Violent Reprisal” (it has everything), but really I could not argue with any one track being picked out. It is of consistently good standard and is guaranteed to get your neck snapping. Shamelessly non-progressive, shamelessly violent, pre-occupied with nuclear war, Arnie films and all the other standard grist of the thrash mill, this record is great violent fun, plain and simple. If you want thrash, you will get it here.

“Weapons of Thrash Destruction” is available to preorder/buy here

Band info:  facebook || bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Sodom - "Decision Day"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 26/08/2016

Label: Steamhammer

This is highly recommended for anyone who likes the gnarlier end of metal from Motorhead to Venom to Exodus to early Sepultura to Ravens Creed and so on. Nasty. And great!

“Decision Day” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. In Retribution (06:14)
02. Rolling Thunder (04:22)
03. Decision Day (04:03)
04. Caligula (04:01)
05. Who Is God? (04:35)
06. Strange Lost World (04:59)
07. Vaginal Born Evil (05:15)
08. Belligerence (04:00)
09. Blood Lions (03:17)
10. Sacred Warpath (05:34)
11. Refused To Die (04:27)
12. Predatory Instinct (04:44) (bonus track for vinyl and iTunes edition)

The Review:

From their early days when they played a kind of primitive black metal akin to Venom/Hellhammer, to the seminal albums of the late 80's, Sodom have occupied a rather special niche. They remain part of the German Big Three (arguably four, if you count Tankard) with Kreator and Destruction. Truthfully, I have never gone through Sodom's back catalogue in the same way as I have Kreator's, but that may now have to change.

“Decision Day” represents another quality release in the Sodom discography. You get eleven tracks of feral thrash. From opener “In Retribution”, through the title track and beyond, this is evil and dark music from masters of the genre. The technique is most certainly there these days, with Tom Angelripper backed up very impressively by Bern Kost and Markus Freiwald. Keeping to the power trio format has been the band’s strength over the years: think of them as a thrash Motorhead. You know what you want, what you are getting and what the band will inevitably deliver.

There are surprising moments of melody to go with the bombast- a lead break here, a tempo change there- it all adds up to a record that is well rounded and impressively adrenaline fuelled. The bass sound, as heard on “Caligula” is also mightily impressive. Sodom have kept the somewhat inventive/bizarre phrasing from earlier albums with titles like “Vaginal Born Evil" and have certainly kept their anger intact. This is metal of the old school variety- when it was still dangerous and a bit... well, scary.

It is on the most focused and succinct tracks which the band really shines- “Blood Lions” being a prime example- but the album is such that there is nothing spare here, nothing wasted. The song lengths are fairly uniform- around four minutes, although sometimes on either side of that and this is indicative of the fact that Tom and crew have their style down and write in a particular way as pertains to structure and changes. Ultimately, this is a huge strength: the band know exactly how to do this and they do it very well.

By the time “Refused To Die” rolls around, the album has proven to be very much a heads-down-see-you-at-the-end thrash fest. This is highly recommended for anyone who likes the gnarlier end of metal from Motorhead to Venom to Exodus to early Sepultura to Ravens Creed and so on. Nasty. And great!

“Decision Day” is available now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Kreator, Destruction, Slayer, Venom

ALBUM REVIEW: Ghoul - "Dungeon Bastards"

By: Rick Ahmed

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 29/07/2016

Label: Tankcrimes 

So many bands try to do what Ghoul is doing and just can't fucking get it right. This is a perfect storm. Superior song writing, technical prowess, and an awesome aesthetic.

“Dungeon Bastards” CD//DD//LP track listing:

01. Ghetto Blasters
02. Bringer of War
03. Shred the Dead
04. Dungeon Bastards
05. Ghoulunatics
06. Blood and Guts
07. Word is Law
08. Death Campaign
09. Guitarmageddon
10. Abominox

The Review:

My introduction to Ghoul was 2007's “Splatterthrash”. I instantly fell in love with their take on thrash. Everything about it was perfect; the guitar tone, the riffs, the melodies, and especially lyrics. It was glorious. I kept my eye on them throughout the next few years; none of their other releases really caught my ear though. When the pre-order for “Dungeon Bastards” came up in my facebook feed with the bad ass Mark Richards' illustrated cover, green splatter vinyl, and fold out drinking game, I said fuck it. Even if this album sucks it's worth the cool ass packaging.

This album does not suck. This is probably the best metal album of 2016. No bullshit. It blows my mind how few bands can't make an album with 2 good songs, but these freaks managed to come up with 10 rippers. This is actually better than “Splatterthrash”.

The first song “Ghetto Blasters" begans with a sample from what I'm assuming is an old sci-fi movie. The Last line being, "The people blindly followed a man who would become a tyrant." which is creepy as fuck considering the outcome of our last election. The sample fades out and the thrash fucking metal begins. The urge to bang ones head is quite strong on this first track, which is basically one riff on repeat with a tasteful lead over a few measures. Which is perfect, think Exodus type thrash if you must.

Song two "Bringer of War" opens with a solid blast and a riff that wouldn't be out of place on Carcass' “Heartwork”. The higher pitched vocals also bear a resemblance to Jeff Walker, which I'm not complaining about. The thing is, it never gets old with Ghoul, as they have a second guttural vocalist, as well as gang vocals, and a cast of characters they introduce throughout the album.

Like I mentioned earlier, every song rules. "Shred the Dead" is a solid thrasher. "Dungeon Bastards" starts with more Carcass feels. My personal favorite song "Ghoulunatics" has an awesome guitar melody, as well as a sick thrash breakdown at about 2:41. A bonus is that it seems to be about idiots like me, "an army of losers, the worst of the worst, to march to our orders and buy all our merch". As for the rest of the album, the hits keep coming. Just listen to the damn thing already!

So many bands try to do what Ghoul is doing and just can't fucking get it right. This is a perfect storm. Superior song writing, technical prowess, and an awesome aesthetic. My only fear is that people won't care to look past the masks and theatrics. These guys should NOT be written off as another gimmick band. That's what everybody did with Gwar, who also made amazing albums, but were under appreciated as anything more than a spectacle. That would be a damn shame as these dudes have the ability to churn out quality thrash!! LONG LIVE GHOUL!!

“Dungeon Bastards” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

FFO: Impaled, Carcass, Exhumed, Gwar

ALBUM REVIEW: Testament - "Brotherhood of the Snake"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 28/10/2016
Label: Nuclear Blast

In simple terms, this is an excellent thrash album which reaches the heights of Testament's classic records. With ten tracks of quality you cannot lose. This is vicious and state of the art. Highly recommended.

“Brotherhood of the Snake” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Brotherhood of the Snake (4:14)

2. The Pale King (4:51)

3. Stronghold (4:00)

4. Seven Seals (5:39)

5. Born In A Rut (4:59)

6. Centuries of Suffering (3:34)

7. Neptune's Spear (5:26)

8. Black Jack (4:22)

9. Canna Business (3:52)

10. The Number Game (4:38)

The Review:

Testament are the band most often mentioned as the band just outside of the Big Four of thrash (I think Overkill is up there as well). Certainly, they are the band that Metallica could have been had they stuck to their roots and guns- if Lars wasn't involved, anyway.

With Gene Hoglan on drums, the musicianship here exceeds anything that Ulrich has even thought about in the last twenty five years. Sure enough, Hoglan blasts off on the title track as Peterson supplies brutal riffage. Testament 2016 is on top form. They have been building up a head of steam for the last decade; “The Formation of Damnation” was a very good record, as was “The Dark Roots of Earth”. This is even better. It is a feast of thrash all the way through. It blows away their tepid early 90's records. It is up there with career high points (the two most recent albums certainly count) such as “The Legacy” and “The Gathering”. Track after track, this is a relentless beating.

It is fantastic to hear that the Bay Area thrash bands that matter have still got it. With Exodus coming off a decade of really solid albums, Testament are also vying for the West Coast crown. To be fair, Death Angel are also on the form of their lives at the moment too. It is a good time to be a thrash fan. Skolnik produces lead pyrotechnics as per, while Chuck Billy remains one of the best thrash vocalists (and certainly the most versatile). “The Pale King” is a stormer, “Stronghold” is a muscular beast, “Seven Seals” sounds absolutely vintage in content and delivery, “Born In a Rut” is catchy and menacing... the album is only half way and already it is a winner.

The latter half of the album is just as vicious- it kicks off with a real banger in “Centuries of Suffering” and does not let up form there. The material here is concise and epic sounding- no mean feat- while the band are playing with some real fire in their bellies. As “Neptune's Spear” and “Black Jack” sprint past, the album is nearly over. It is an engaging listen and an easy album to listen to all the way through, too. “Canna Business” expresses thoughts that many readers will agree with and “The Number Game” is an excellent closer.

In simple terms, this is an excellent thrash album which reaches the heights of Testament's classic records. With ten tracks of quality you cannot lose. This is vicious and state of the art. Highly recommended.

“Brotherhood of the Snake” is available everywhere now

Band info: facebook

FFO: Metallica, Exodus, Death Angel, Overkill