Next year marks thirty years since Testament's recorded debut, the heavily lauded
The Legacy. The metal environment they entered back in 1987 was exploding in popularity, and they arrived as their contemporaries were making the most important and enduring music of their genre. They've been no slouches either, but they've been comparably overshadowed over the decades by the "Big 4", bands who've stayed popular but not always stable. Through it all, a couple of slight missteps aside, Testament has simply gone about the business of making the best records they can; eleventh album
Brotherhood of the Snake is no exception. While it's can't boast the same consistency of their last two (2008's
The Formation of Damnation and 2012's
Dark Roots of Earth, both very solid records) and the scope has been scaled back somewhat, there's still plenty to enjoy here. In an era where metal bands are fighting more and more desperately to maintain relevance and popularity, Testament just put their heads down, stayed true to themselves and banged out another quality record; sometimes, that's all we need.
October 28, 2016 • Nuclear Blast
Highlights
Brotherhood of the Snake • The Pale King • The Number Game
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