Album Type : 2
Disc Full Length
Date Released
: 11/10/2013
Label :
Nuclear Blast
The Dark
Roots of Thrash, album track listing :
CD 1
1. The Star
Spangled-Banner (Intro) 2:37
2. Rise Up
4:18
3. More Than
Meets the Eye 4:25
4. Burnt
Offerings 6:36
5. Native
Blood 5:14
6. True
American Hate 6:22
7. Dark Roots
Of Earth 5:41
8. Into the
Pit 3:25
9. Practice
What You Preach 5:23
CD 2
10. Riding the
Snake 4:27
11. Eyes of
Wrath 5:49
12. Trial By
Fire 4:40
13. The
Haunting 4:45
14. New Order
5:04
15. Do Not
Resuscitate 4:23
16. Three Days
In Darkness 7:13
17. Formation
Of Damnation 6:47
18. Over The
Wall 4:47
19. Disciples
Of the Watch
The Band
:
Chuck Billy |
vocals
Eric Peterson
| rhythm & lead guitars/back-up vocals
Alex Skolnick | lead & rhythm guitars
Greg Christian | bass
Alex Skolnick | lead & rhythm guitars
Greg Christian | bass
Gene Hoglan |
drums
Review :
Testament return
with this live record, released as a bolt on/companion piece to the
DVD of the same name. You get nineteen tracks, spread across a very
generous playing time of expertly recorded live show. Much like
Kreator's “Dying Alive” opus of this year, Or Exodus' “Shovel
Headed Tour Machine” of a few years ago, the package is sprawling
and comprehensive representing the Testament live experience in both
audio and visual form. Nuclear Blast truly deliver the goods with
this type of thing. The review that follows is purely for the audio
side of this release.
From the intro of
“The Star Spangled
Banner” the record
represents the live “experience”; you get intro tapes, between
song banter, and the kind of professionalism that particularly bands
from the US bring to the live arena. Testament have undergone a carer
renaissance over the last five or six years, begun by their rather
good “The Formation of Damnation” album. Their status as one of
the main thrash bands has never been in question, unfair though it is
that they are never ranked among the so called premier league of the
Big Four. In reality, Testament, Overkill and Exodus have ALL made
albums that are far superior to the majority of output from the Big
Four in the last decade. That Testament have never quite reached the
dizzy heights of those bigger bands is both a travesty and
explainable by the fact that they were slightly late to the party.
Fate is a cruel mistress.
No matter, all
real metal fans out there will always mention the three American
bands I have just referenced in the same breath as their richer
counterparts, just as the Deutsch Big Three will always get respect.
“Rise Up”
kicks things off with a latter day anthem of quality, demonstrating
as it does much of what is great about Testament: songs, riffs,
restraint as well as aggression and, of course, Chuck Billy's superb
vocals. He excels himself throughout this release. He is certainly
the most versatile thrash vocalist- he can do it all; sing, growl
gruffly deliver understandable lyrics without losing the melody. Big
man, big stage presence, big voice. “More
Than Meets The Eye”
again brings the recent thunder while “Burnt
Offerings” slams home
the first of the classics. The performance is spot on; raging and
tight at the same time. Think the sound of the re-recorded classics
album “First Strike Still Deadly” and add in extra adrenaline and
you have the right idea.
“Native
Blood”- one of the
highlights of “The Dark Roots of Earth” record- is played with
aplomb as Billy celebrates his Native American heritage. Gene Hoglan
is on excellent form (or should that be business as usual?) his
playing is metronomic, relaxed and very, very metal. I have followed
his playing since I heard him on Death's “Individual Thought
Patterns” record- I delved back through the Dark Angel discography,
went through his work with Fear Factory and of course his work with
Testament on “Demonic” (although SYL never interested me.
Sorry!). Hoglan is thus, in my estimation, one of the best drummers
in metal.
“True
American Hate” gives us
more aggressive thrash with blast beats thrown in for good measure
and of course lock tight guitar from the dexterous Alex Skolnick and
Testament's real guitar hero Eric Peterson (for he is the main writer
of riffs). Their last opus' title track is brought out prior to the
classic “Into The Pit”
which many may remember as lending its title to the more extreme
segment of Headbangers' Ball all those years ago. Greg Christain's
bass is well mixed and his playing excellent- noticeable when it
needs to be, underpinning the rest of the band when it doesn't.
It is true that
not all of Testament's albums have been consistent; “Practice
What You Preach” being
the first to have that particular criticism levelled at it, but the
title track makes a welcome appearance here and serves as a reminder
that ALL Testament records have their share of worthwhile moments.
All this and the halfway point has not even been reached! “Riding
The Snake” is most
welcome to these ears- “The Gathering”: Testament's best?
Discuss- and its heady mix of thrash and death styles delivers the
very best of what Testament has to offer in my view.
“Eyes of
Wrath” furthers the
argument put forward above with Hoglan handling Lombardo's drum
tracks expertly. “Trial
By Fire” keeps the
even-older-old-schoolers happy with its melodic and creepy intro that
precedes the main course pyrotechnics. “The
Haunting” keeps the
vibe sinister and goes to prove the thought put into the set list and
track listing- tracks are paired well with the show running
seamlessly from era to era while maintaining an ebb and flow to keep
the listener interested. “New
Order” represents their
excellent second release before the lead off from “The Gathering”
(“DNR”) lays your speakers to waste. When Testament really
thrash, there are few who can match them!
The final four
tracks are appropriately a BIG four: “Three
Days in Darkness”, “The
Formation of Damnation”, “Over The Wall”
and “Disciples of the
Watch” are all
classics. The latter two mentioned are just brilliant- but I never
could resist the riffing of “Over
The Wall” (it was one
of the first Testament songs I ever heard, on vinyl no less). As the
crowd fades you will be left thinking just how good a live band
Testament are and just how strong their catalogue is across four
different decades. Yes, the rather good “Low” and “Demonic”
albums are sadly not represented here and some may lament the lack of
Bostaph/Clemente/Dette/Lombardo or even Nick Barker (if you do, you
are splitting hairs in my humble opinion) but there can be no doubt
that this is classic Testament. Much like Overkill and Exodus, the
band deliver live, remain a classic band and continue to release high
quality and relevant metal albums. Surely, you cannot ask for
anything more than that?! Pick up this two CD/Two vinyl set or the
whole package with the DVD and see or hear for yourself.
Words by :
Richard Maw
For more
information :
