Testament Aren't Slowing Down For Anyone

When you think of the much-lauded and scrutinized Big Four of metal, you think of a group of bands who have solidified themselves as the cornerstones on which all heavy metal is built.  You've got Metallica, whose influence on the genre is well documented.  However, most of their output, and especially all of their albums from the last 20 years or so, have been divisive and/or frustrating affairs for metalheads.  Then, there's Megadeth who, though doing well by their devoted fans these days, went through a borderline embarrassing five-year period that started in the late 90's with the epic genre-hopping fail Risk.

When you think of Anthrax, you think of the lovable outsiders who never took themselves as seriously as their peers, but could bludgeon you with a nuke of a riff when need be.  But, they've had their share of drama, not the least of which being the six-year ordeal of releasing their last album.  And as for Slayer?  Well, they've arguably held up better than the other three, certainly so in the consistency department; but still, there's that trio of albums (Diabolus in Musica, God Hates Us All, Christ Illusion) had leaned a bit toward the nu-metal and don't quite hold up with the classics.

Why am I blabbering on about the Big Four?  Probably because Testament have a new album coming out that suggests there's room for a fifth.

Listen to a pair of tracks from Dark Roots of Earth and tell me if these guys should be embarrassed even the slightest just shy of 30 years into their career:





If that's not the sound of a band cementing a legacy, I don't know what is.  Dark Roots of Earth is out July 31 on Nuclear Blast.