Tremonti – All I Was
17th July 2012
Texas Hippie Coalition – Peacemaker
7th August 2012Testament – The Dark Roots of Earth
Label: Nuclear Blast / Release date: 27th July 2012
Long gone are the days when Testament used to release albums less than a year apart. It has been more than four years since the release of the band’s previous album, The Formation of Damnation – an album that marked a victorious return to the scene after a long hiatus.
The new album from Testament once again features the core of the classic lineup. Unfortunately, drummer Paul Bostaph (ex-Slayer, ex-Exodus), who joined the band for the last album, is absent due to a serious injury. The Dark Roots of Earth picks up where the previous album left off, which is quite logical considering the critical and commercial success of The Formation of Damnation.
The sound on both albums is quite similar – clean and powerful, with a somewhat compressed mix, though not so much that the individual elements feel out of place.
“Rise Up” opens the record at mid-tempo with a classic Testament riff and a chorus that’s sure to work well in a live setting. First single “Native Blood” follows, filled with melodic hooks and even some blast beats. This song is also the first of six tracks co-written with Del James. The title track is epic in structure and stands as one of the album’s highlights, followed closely by another standout, “True American Hate” — a potent and flawlessly constructed song. “A Day in the Death” features Lamb of God’s Chris Adler on drums, while “Cold Embrace” comes uncomfortably close to “The Legacy,” a ballad from their 1990 Souls of Black album. Thankfully, they avoided the mistake made with “The Legacy,” where a different production style was used in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album sees a noticeable drop in quality — there’s not much more to say on that.
Alex Skolnick delivers a fantastic lead guitar performance and, in many ways, overshadows everyone else with his unique sound and impeccable balance between melodic phrasing and technically demanding playing. His solos not only support the songs but often take them in new directions – never feeling forced or out of place. He is truly one of the finest lead guitarists in the thrash metal genre.
Gene Hoglan, who replaced Bostaph on drums, does a solid and professional job. A glance at his résumé (Fear Factory, Death, Strapping Young Lad, and Testament’s own 1997 album Demonic) speaks volumes about his technical ability. Still, I personally find Bostaph to be the drummer who fit the band best – especially in a live setting – among Testament’s long line of talented drummers.
The limited edition of the album includes four bonus tracks. These include three covers: a strong rendition of Queen’s “Dragon Attack,” and a moody, well-arranged version of Scorpions’ “Animal Magnetism,” where both Skolnick and Peterson shine. The third cover is Iron Maiden’s “Powerslave.” Unfortunately, this one falls flat – it’s a near carbon copy of the original. Chuck Billy is no Bruce Dickinson, of course, but his slight twist on the chorus melody is actually the only refreshing thing about the track.
The final bonus track is a slightly extended version of the album song “Throne of Thorns.” Its resemblance to “Powerslave” makes the decision to cover that exact song feel even less inspired.
The Formation of Damnation marked a brilliant return for the band and stands as one of their strongest releases. The Dark Roots of Earth is a good album, but the songwriting is noticeably weaker, and a few tracks feel like filler – despite the album only featuring nine songs. The edge and hunger of the previous record are also less present here. Still, if you’re a fan of good old thrash metal, you should definitely grab this record at the first chance you get.
