TESTAMENT – Titans of Creation

Bay area legends Testament are back with their 13th album Titans of Creation. The album was nearly three years in the making due to a rigorous touring schedule and other band member commitments. “The days of writing an album all together in one room are far gone.” Testament credits modern recording technology (and Andy Sneap) for taking each member’s contributions and tying them all together in one cohesive presentation.

“Children of the Next Level ” kicks things off with a tale of one of the biggest headlines of 1997. The punishing track recalls the Heaven’s Gate cult and is full of the pounding drums and heavy guitars Testament is known for. Chuck Billy’s famed growls would bleed the throats of amateurs. Frantic guitar riffage and drummer Gene Hoglan’s double kick gallops keep the intensity flowing on “WW III.” “Dream Deceiver” harkens back to Testament’s early days with more melody in the chorus and a focus on Alex Skolnick’s and Eric Peterson’s fiery solo work. Not as intense, but just as powerful as the preceding tracks, Billy summons an evil sorceress that attacks a weakened sleeping mind.

Peterson has a story of his own to tell on “Night of the Witch” as he takes over vocal duties for this multi-tempo thrasher. He was inspired by the 2015 horror movie The VVitch: A New England Folktale. Billy backs him up with tremoring bellows. “City of Angels” takes a darker tone with its chant like lyrics mixed in. It’s just as brutal and sadistic as its focus of attention, serial killer Richard Ramierz. The rhythm section demonstrates their chops during the extended interludes.

“Ishtar Gates” is driven by Steve DiGiorgio’s chunky bass lines. It’s a Metal riff show on the Skolnick penned “Symptoms.” Billy delivers his vocal with equal parts frustration and anger that is necessary to express its subject of mental health irritations properly. The opening riff on “The Healers” is reminiscent of classic 1980s riffage, but refuses to be defined by any one genre. Revenge is sweet on “Code of Hammurabi,” and Billy sounds fired up about it.

Testament are greater now than they ever were and Titans of Creation solidifies that. Their intensity, power, and mastery is unrelenting. There aren’t too many bands in the biz for 30+ years that can say the same.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!

Tracklist

1. Children of the Next Level
2. WW III
3. Dream Deciever
4. Night of the Witch
5. City of Angels
6. Ishtars Gate
7. Symptoms
8. False Prophet
9. The Healers
10. Code of Hammurabi
11. Curse of Osiris
12. Catacombs