Brotherhood of the Snake

"Brotherhood of the Snake" completes the full dozen and it goes without saying that twelve full-lengths are a respectable performance, at least in terms of quantity. Better still, Testament have enriched the thrash metal movement with many jewels - but they also produced a lot of bullshit, stylistic infractions included. Every now and then, their outputs sounded pretty uninspired and tired. But the stamina of the formation (of damnation) is beyond doubt and just like a cat, they seem to have nine lives (or even more). Accordingly, the here reviewed album has some truly energetic songs. "Stronghold", for example, starts with a rebellious riff and its rapid verses deliver simply good, straight Testament stuff. The chorus picks up the opening riff and the part after the second chorus adds a melodic element without giving the song a totally new direction. The typical trademarks, Chuck's well-known vocals and substantial solos, are not missing as well. Ten tracks of this quality level and there would be no doubt that these brothers worship a snake that loves to bite and to spread its venom.

There are more songs that boast with a more than solid dose of currishness. "Centuries of Suffering" decorates itself with more or less the same components which make "Stronghold" to a great track. It mirrors a remarkable level of aggression and even though I must admit that there are also pieces among the remaining material which do not explode in the same way, I am pleasantly surprised by the power the album develops. Of course, the combination of names like Testament and Nuclear Blast guarantees a proper recording budget and professionals like Eric Petersen and Chuck Billy are able to make good use of the financial resources. The album sounds direct, tight and clear while avoiding sterility and lifelessness. There is nothing to complain in terms of the technical execution, while the material itself is also good, but not absolutely flawless. Testament have not been completely successful in giving each and every track its own individuality. This is no big deal, because all of them have something to offer and no slack acoustic sequences show up in order to dilute the material's vehemence. Nevertheless, the album lacks points of reference. Once again, this is rather an aside than a serious problem. So let's have a look on this from another perspective: Testament, a band that has always been prone to mix in some ill-defined fillers, delivers ten crispy neckbreakers without confronting the audience with the whole spectrum of its skills and its shortcomings.

Is the twelfth album of a band, regardless of its name, still exciting? Well, what's the alternative? Suicide is no solution, if I am not mistaken. Instead, I wish that comparable alliances such as Forbidden, Lääz Rockit, or Vio-lence would be still alive. A kingdom for a new "Through Eyes of Glass", "Forced to Fight" or "Bodies on Bodies"! So welcome this album that avoids ballads and perpetuates the story of a legendary group from the Bay Area. Do not overestimate the attribute "legendary" or be aware of the fact that all legendary units have also released a lot of dubious albums ("Force of Habit", "God Hates Us All", every Flotsam and Jetsam album after "No Place for Disgrace" or "Leave Scars"). But appreciate the fact that Testament still (or better: again) perform more or less pure thrash metal, not in its wildest, but in a reliable configuration. Therefore I am now waiting for the band to complete a baker's dozen next.