TESTAMENT
“TITANS OF CREATION”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Testament are a thrash metal band from the USA forming in 1986 under the name Legacy, changing their name to Testament soon after due to another band with the same name. Testament, along with Death Angel and Exodus, emerged from the burgeoning Bay area thrash metal scene, a scene that was started a few years earlier by Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer – the “Big 4”. Testament etched their name into thrash metal history with the release of their debut album ‘The Legacy’, in 1987 and have consistently hit the mark with every album released since – including their exceptional 2016 album ‘Brotherhood Of The Snake’. The band toured extensively over the next two years, traversing the globe twice with bands such as Amon Amarth, Sepultura, Annihilator and Death Angel. Testament also opened for Slayer on their final tour of North America.

The Testament story is far from over…with the titans of thrash returning in 2020 with their latest creation, their thirteenth album, the colossal ‘Titans Of Creation’. And what an album it is – even before I begin my review, I will state here and now that Testament are a favourite band of mine, and have been ever since I first heard their song ‘Burnt Offerings’ in 1987 – and then I went out and bought their album ‘The Legacy’. Testament have never failed to thrill me with every album released since then, and with their latest offering ‘Titans Of Creation’, they have excelled in thrilling me more than ever before. The new album is some of the best thrash metal you’re ever likely to hear this year, and if come the end of the year, it’s not in contention for Album Of The Year – why the fuck not? So what do you get with ‘Titans Of Creation’ – twelve songs over one incredible hour, that’s what! Opening with the six minutes plus ‘Children Of The Next Level’, Testament hit the ground running. This is classic sounding Testament, Chuck Billy’s gruff and throaty vocals as menacing as ever, with scorching guitars and thundering drums this is gonna be a neck muscle workout to end all workouts.

The album moves swiftly on with the savage ‘WW III’. An aggressive thrash metal assault ‘WW III’ is a fierce thunderstorm, whipping up a furious frenzy that’ll decimate all towns and villages in its path. Testament have never rarely moved away from their thrash metal roots, but in the shape of ‘Dream Deceiver’, they take a detour through the power metal genre. Adding a layer of the melodic power metal style, ‘Dream Deceiver’ remains as heavy as fuck, but will appeal to fans of the thrash and power metal genres. First song released off the album ‘Night Of The Witch’ is a fast, furious and aggressive slice of thrash – the kinda thrash that is Testament. This is what they do, and they do it fucking well. Stand aside all pretenders to the thrash metal crown, Testament wear it proudly and are not yet ready to give it up. Slowing the pace and dropping the aggressive trait, ‘City Of Angels’ foot stomps in very heavily, adopting a mid tempo pace. Chuck Billy is equally adept at the thrash metal snare, growl, rasp and menacing styles of vocal delivery. Pace and aggressiveness return with ‘Ishtars Gate’, pounding and pummelling the senses with no mercy as it swaggers on its way. Testament have no equal when it comes to the measures of aggressiveness and heaviness they put into their style of thrash, making them truly a unique breed. Fiery and fierce, ‘Symptoms’ cuts a savage path through the land, thundering heavily over anything that stands in its way. The heaviness of ‘Symptoms’ is heavier than the heaviest thing you can imagine – and then it’s triple that heaviness. Lesser mortals reach for the pain relief tablets, the rest of us let’s carry on with the savage battering that Testament are delivering…

…and deliver they still do – ‘False Prophet’ a major highlight of the album. Up tempo, full of energy and pace, high on aggression, this is Testament at their best. For fucks sake, Testament have been at their best since they formed over thirty five years ago, and have stood tall and proud throughout their entire career. ‘The Healers’ maintains the albums overall aggression fuelled stance, providing the head bangers of the world yet another opportunity to hospitalise themselves with neck damage due to the amount of seriously savage head banging that this album invokes. Picking up the pace to become a thunderous roar, ‘Code Of Hammurabi’ is fast and furious high velocity thrash, reminiscent of old Testament. The band have always indulged in the fiery thrash metal attack, making mosh pits go wild with frantic abandon. And the pace gets even quicker with the ‘Curse Of Osiris’. The fastest song on offer, ‘Curse Of Osiris’ is simply breath taking. The blistering speed is phenomenal, Chuck Billy’s vocals frenetic, and the head banging that ensues is so violent that heads may just be banged right off their fucking shoulders. The album ends with the two minute atmospheric and shuddering instrumental ‘Catacombs’. A strange placement for this one, as it resembles an album opener, rather than an album closer. Or did Testament write ‘Catacombs’ as a concert opener! Either way, it doesn’t detract from what has just prevailed – one of the best hours of thrash metal I have ever listened to. Testament are a great band and have produced (another) great album. Highly recommended.

Overall, a superb album from titans of thrash Testament, still proudly flying the thrash metal flag. A definite Album Of The Year contender.

TRACKLIST

Children Of The Next Level
WW III
Dream Deceiver
Night Of The Witch
City Of Angels
Ishtars Gate
Symptoms
False Prophet
The Healers
Code Of Hammurabi
Curse Of Osiris
Catacombs

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