Impressions/Thoughts:
After four years, Testament
just released their 11th studio album Brotherhood of the Snake.
Since their studio album The Gathering in 1999, they have had
a string of great albums which were produced. Their album Dark Roots of the Earth released
in 2012 is one of my personal favorites. After about 33 years of
playing Heavy Metal music, Testament
is still going as strong as ever.
During the week leading up to the release of their most
recent album, Testament made a short
video series which was released on social media where they talked about each
song. There were 5 videos featuring guitarist Eric Peterson and vocalist Chuck
Billy. Each of these videos included sound bits and discussions about two
their songs featured on this album.
The Music:
The album opens with the title track “Brotherhood of the Snake”. It starts off with a punch, that
includes a combination of a fast riff and percussive power. After the second
chorus, the riff slows down and becomes epic. This is a high-energy song that
grabs you when it starts. It’s a great opening to the album.
“The Pale King” is significantly faster than the first track. The song really changes throughout the song as it seems to never return to the same chord progression. The lyrics “Anu have mercy on my soul” sounds like some deep voiced spoken word. The song doesn’t have a certain style that defines it. It goes from Thrash to some Black Metal sounding stuff; the song mixes a variety of different metal genres.
“Stronghold” continues
with a similar speed to the last track. This song is one of the more
politically charged pieces on the album. The chorus is very in your face, with
the last line having both lead and backing vocals shouting out. “Stronghold” is another percussive song
and I love drummer Gene Holgan’s
double bass.
“Seven Seals” has
a distinct intro which leads into a charging main riff. After the lyrics end,
the song opens up into a shred fest for guitarist Alex Skolnick, where he actually ad-libs some vocals. With the
different progressions in the song, I kept thinking that the song is going end and
then it picked up again and kept me hooked.
“Born in a Rut”
is a slower song that goes more towards the groove metal side of music. When
its main riff kicks in, your head wants to move along to the beat. From the
lyrics, I is see that this song has a sad but unapologetic theme. I believe
that the subject matter of this song will resonate with many people. As the end
of the song nears with the beating of the drums, I can imagine during a live
performance that the audience would be chanting to the beat.
“Centuries of
Suffering” starts with a short drum fill and then jump right into the riff.
It’s a very thrashy song that makes me want to start a mosh pit. The vocal
delivery is more monotone than the previous songs. “Centuries of Suffering” thematically is about the thousands of
years of bloodshed by the human race through war. That has progressed from the
use of sticks and stones to nuclear weapons. Near the end, the riff changes up
which adds a different flavor to the overall piece.
Track number seven, “Black
Jack”, has a catchy riff and a very good thrashy feel to it. In the
midsection, the song has a great shred fest with guitarist Eric Peterson. The song is more centralized on the instrumentals
then the words, but the lyrics have a good message about how life is a gamble.
Its a fast and hectic song that emulates the feeling of being in a Vegas
casino.
“Neptune’s Spear”
starts off with this really heavy chord progression. This is another song with
a riff that builds up, this progression makes the riff all the more intriguing.
The piece has a very steady beat throughout the song. Alex Skolnick has a great solo that add so much to this song; it’s
a definite highlight for this track. The song has a very military centric
theme, as the basis of the song is about the military operation “Neptune’s Spear” which was about SEAL Team Six taking out Osama Bin Laden. The song closes with the sound of helicopters which is a
great way to close this track.
“Canna-Business” starts
off with an old-school sound and then picks up the pace into a more modern
sounding chord progression in the riff. The song address a current topic of
legalization of marijuana and the business spawned from that. The song is short
and sweet, but you have listen to this song a few times in order to appreciate
the full experience of it.
“The Numbers Game”
has an opening riff that sounds very militant, almost like marching. The main
riff of this song is one of the heaviest on the album, with the drumming
sounding like gunshots. In the middle of the song, the instrumentals follow along
with the drums making for a very percussive section. The guitar solos wail as Skolnick and Peterson soar over the instrumentals. The theme starts off as if
being the executioner on death row, but progresses into that person being a
serial killer. The song closes the album, saving the heaviest for last.
Verdict:
Guitarists Alex
Skolnick and Eric Peterson have
some great solos on this album. The overall instrumentals are great, especially
the percussion. This album displays the capability of this band and their
staying power. The album covers themes from ancient societies to the current
political area. The band features the deep growling voice of Chuck Billy that has a rhythmic sync
with the percussion. This differentiates them from the sound from many other
bands.
Brotherhood of the Snake is a very heavy album. From the beginning
to the end of the album it bleeds Thrash Metal. While listening to many of the
songs, I envisioned a mosh pit going along to the music. If you love Thrash Metal,
with some serious intensity, then you will love this album. Go check it out!
Top 6 Songs:
1) “Neptune’s Spear”
3)
4)
5) “Born in a Rut”
6) “Black Jack”
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| From left to right: Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, Steve DiGiorgio, Chuck Billy & Gene Hoglan |
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