Dark Roots of Earth

I don't normally continue buying all the metal cds that I used to. I had to have this one though because they covered Queen's Dragon Attack. They did a good version.

I ordered the deluxe version on September 6 from Santiago, Chile, and when I got back home on September 11, I found that the parcel had already been delivered. Thanks for that, Amazon!It's been less than 24 hours that I've had Testament's new album in my hands, and I've already listened to it six times. I can't put it down! Yet another impeccable delivery from the mighty Testament. I had the chance to catch them live with Anthrax in April 2012 when they played the Metalfest in Santiago. I had seen them many times before in the U.S. and Europe, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear them play so tight after so many years of touring. Dark Roots of Earth reminds me of that recent show. The band sounds like a well-oiled machine, and their individual talents shine brightly. Undoubtedly, Greg and Alex's return to the band is a key factor that has helped the band come full circle. Chuck and Eric are always reliable and make-up 50% of the recognizable Testament sound. Greg's bass lines are imaginative, well recorded, and provide a fullness that few bands have these days. Gene Hoglan is his usual genius in this album. Following in the steps of a long line of amazing drummers who have manned the skins in the band over the years (including Gene himself), I hope this time he'll stick around. Testament is the best complement to his talent and style as he is for the band's abundance of musicality. Last but not least, Alex demonstrates once again why he is by far the best guitarist of the genre, and he adds by himself the remaining 50% of the Testament sound. As a whole, the band sounds like both an old-school and a fresh band filled with creativity and effortless musicianship. Every song in the album could be a single, yet not one of them is radio-oriented. Testament has managed to retain their take-no-prisoners attitude regarding their music without compromising or following trends (take a hint, Metallica!). The deluxe version is awesome; I highly recommend it. Money well spent!

this is possibly one of the best newer thrash cd released this year or in a few,I hear exodus may have something cooking after gary's done in slayer(damn he's great in slayer,I love jeff's playing but gary can replace him permently today an nothing will change the sound)over kill's new on is good but not the best,megadeth sounds klike rest meets countdown B+ anthrax's new cd is different i can't get it and kreator is releaseing great cd buy they don't have a new feel to them.death angel their ok in my book but they were done in 93,forbbidden lost it years ago,slayer kills with ever cd but it will be a while testament owns the floor for now.this cd sounds like it should have been written aroundthe new order(pure thrash) and before low(thrash with death high lights)maybe closer to between gathering and formation both more thrash and newer tone and fresh thrash styleings.they show they can crush still after 10 cds and close to 25 + years alex is still at home but they lost paul bostoph(injured again)but gene hoglan is back foranother round(this guy is a drum legend but not since dark angel broke up has he stayed with a band for 2 cd in a row)with an extensive resume gene pounded skins with dark angel,tenet,death,strapping young lad,fear factory,the demonic cd with testament,dethlok,devon townsend,ect. this drummer is one of the masters and this time he is on an ablum that is worthy of his talents because demonic was in my oppion testament lowest point the only song on that cd that should have seen the light of day was demonic refusal,the rest was scrap.this is to be one of testaments classic cds if your a fan this cd is a must it rips not a weak track on it soild start to end.

.... because "its one more". this has got to be one of the best albums all year and will probably be one of the best of the decade! if you don't fully fall in love with this album the first time you listen to it, you are not "metal enough" and don't deserve it.quick recap of the stand outs.....rise up - this song will melt the speakers right out of your car. chuck's voice when he screams "Waaaaar" is just crazy, nasty, metal at its best.native blood - great song. the riffs are awesome.dark roots - the music is great but chuck's vocals and lyrics really put this song over the top.true american hate - will this be the new "over the wall"? incredible song. drumming is awesome!a day in the death - more great riffs from alex and ericcold embrace - eerie song that gets really heavy. chuck does some interesting vocals here.man kills mankind - a great "anthem"... you will be singing this one... such a great song for track 8... no filler on this album!throne of thorns - another killer, a galloping master piece... your speakers will be dust after this oneLast Stand for Independence - another great song thats at the end of the album !dragon attack - interesting coveranimal magnetism - dark, dark, darkpower slave - the guys hit this one out of the park... what's better than testament doing a maiden song... i can die now

Dark Roots Of Earth is the tenth full-length studio album by the legendary San Franciscan Bay Area Thrash Metal band Testament. It was released on Nuclear Blast in the summer of 2012, following up 2008's critically acclaimed The Formation Of Damnation album. Like that album and indeed also its 1999 predecessor, The Gathering, the album was produced by the famous British producer Andy Sneap.There was a bit of background intrigue regarding the album's drummer in as much as that although the excellent and underrated Paul Bostaph was still a member of the band just before the time of the album's writing, due to an injury, the drums on the album where actually played by another former Testament band member (and member or contributor with dozens of respected and influential bands) Gene Hoglan. Consequently the album has quite a different feel, as far as the drumming goes, to The Formation Of Damnation.Interestingly, the band also worked with Lamb Of God's Chris Addler on this record, but his tracks didn't end up on the standard version of the album, although his version of the track `A Day In Death' can be bought separately online.Stylistically speaking, Dark Roots Of Earth very much continues in the path set by the previous two Testament albums, mixing elements of their classic Thrash sound with some elements of their more Death Metal influenced mid period, toned down. The result is an album that has songs with the occasional use of Death-vocals like 1997's Demonic album, sharing song-time with melodic singing and guitar harmonies like 1989's Practice What You Preach album, as well as the somewhat controversial new usage of Blast Beats. This pretty much creates a best-of-both-worlds scenario for fans of the band's entire catalogue.The main body of the album however is made up of speedy double-kicks, chugging low-pitched guitars and mostly shouted vocals, punctuated frequently by Alex Skolnick's and Eric Peterson's creative leads and solos. So, effectively it pretty much embodies the classic Bay Area Thrash sound, but in a way which still comes across as fresh and modern primarily through the excellent production job and the surprising amount of melody in the songwriting.There are also a couple of tracks, including the Title Track and the semi-ballad `Cold Embrace' which try other ideas and styles as well, which adds a touch of variety to the album, breaking up the stream of faster pounding numbers and allowing it to flow well from beginning to end.Highlights include the catchy opener `Rise Up,' the catchy single `True American Hate' and the aforementioned semi-ballad `Cold Embrace.'At the end of the day, its going to be down to personal preference how much you enjoy the album and where it fits in the band's catalogue. Some people will find it a little too modern and some people won't find it light and melodic enough. Some people would prefer if Louie Clemente or Paul Bostaph had been on it and some people just don't like modern production at all. If any of these things sound like how your mind usually works then this might be one to skip but it's definitely a personal-preference issue if you dislike the record rather than any inherent lack of quality.What can't really be argued is that the band have put in a tremendous amount of care and effort into crafting this album and care has been taken to mix old-school and modern styles to keep things fresh. It isn't just formulaic and it isn't just phoned-in and I personally enjoy it a great deal. Due to the album's very high anticipation level and all the excitement surrounding it, I'm not sure at this point if the album will retain all of its potency with the passage of time or how much respect the fans will give it two or three albums down the line, but it certainly leaves an incredibly strong first impression right now and is far, far from a disappointment or let down.Overall; Dark Roots Of Earth is an excellent and enjoyable fifty-minute album. Fans of Testament should check out the album, especially if they already enjoyed the previous album; fans of Thrash should check out the album, especially if they like the excellent renaissance its been enjoying in recent years as classic bands either reform or release their best albums since the eighties and in fact, fans of Metal in general who for some reason haven't yet explored Testament should consider at least checking out this album if they have the time and money to take a shot on it.***If you chose to get the special edition version, you can enjoy four bonus tracks, including an extended version of `Throne Of Thrones,' as well as the Queen cover `Dragon Attack,' the Scorpions cover `Animal Magnetism' and the Iron Maiden cover `Powerslave.'Furthermore, you get a DVD featuring a 29-minute making-of documentary, although the band did give away most of the footage in free webisodes prior to the album's release.There is also a 9-minute `Gear Tour' from the guitarists where they take you through the pick-ups and pedals and that sort of thing.Finally there is a 20-minute live concert from the Avalon Ballroom, Santa Clara California, February 19th 2012. The track listing is: 1. Practice What You Preach 2. Over The Wall 3. Souls Of Black 4. Disciples Of The Watch.It is a multi-camera shoot and a fairly energetic performance from the band in front of an enthusiastic crowd (they have fun and you even hear the 'Breaking The Law' riff at one point), although the sound quality isn't incredible and the vocals and guitar are fairly low in the mix. Despite these sound problems it is still fairly enjoyable, and watching Skolnick's guitar solos close up should be interesting for guitarists. Basically, it is a nice enough bonus feature but isn't of the same production value as their Live In London DVD.The packaging of this special edition version is in an elaborate glossy book-style presentation, with the pages stuck into the case's spine and the discs held inside a `page' each. And overall the whole thing is worth the extra money if the price difference is small enough and you haven't already got a copy of the album***

I have always liked Testament, and yes I am old enough to have been around when the Legacy was released - which i bought, it was brilliant and me and my boyhood buddies enjoyed thrashing to this along with other masterpieces of the time, Ultra Violence, Eternal Nightmares, Pleasure to Kill to name a few, it was exciting times for us Thrashers, time sadly never stops, New Order and Practice were solid offerings but they didnt stir me like Legacy, and after that the thrash bus crashed, Testament to Testament cos they kept going with decent albums but what with line up changes bands including these guys kind of lost some identity, probably the fans getting older has something to do with it also, that was until 1999 and with the Gathering Testament had me all excited as if it was 1987 again, anyways, unless you have been living at the bottom of the sea for the past 10 years you will know we are enjoying a new lease of Thrashy goodness, Testament werent originally on the new wave but then cam Formation, it was good but not great, im glad to say that Dark Roots is classical, its not instant, not by any means, but is very much a grower, now it has grew and grew and grew, absolutely brilliant

I had the privilege to listening to this back in may for the website i write for. But now i've had time to properly digest it i can say i love it even more!I've always been a Testament fan, i think they deserve to be alot bigger then they are, and they are rightly regarded as the only band of their age that have improved with age! and chuck billy in this writers eyes is one of metals top 5 vocalists.Anyway on to the album, Alot of people are saying it's their best since blah blah blah, it's a pointless statement because Testament have never made a bad album, (some bring up the ritual but listen to it, it's hardly loaded is it?)where does this stand in their catalogue? well it's a more balls out version of their last effort "The formation of damnation" but there's still some mid paced songs such as the title track and "a day in the death" and there's a return of the ballad in "cold embrace"But the rest of the album absolutely shreds! opener "rise up" and single "native blood" are instant classics.Chuck Billy gives a career best performance, Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson are as tight as ever, the human drum machine Gene Hoglan makes a return on the drums and does a fine performance. this edition comes with 3 cover songs and a slightly extended version "Throne of thornes" the one worth taking note of is their cover of iron maiden's powerslave with they completely make their own! you also get a dvd with the making of the album some live tracks and a few other extras, and the artwork is beautifully presented well worth your money!if your new to the band get this and if you like it get their debut "the ritual" and work your way through

Loved all the early Testament albums, then went off them a bit,after some average releases.However, this is an unbelievable return to form.I didn't like the James Murphy era and my favourite albums are all with Alex Skolnick on guitar.So it's great to listen to the brutal riffing of Peterson and Skolnick, plus the pounding drum work of the returning Gene Hoglan.The vocals of Chuck Billy are just ferocious.It's non stop, headlong, full in your face metal/thrash from the off, (a bit of a pause ensues with Cold Embrace, my least favourite song), but all tracks are awesome.One of the best metal albums EVER - trust me.Very highly recommended!!

Absolutely amazing package - the CD itself contains some of the best tracks Testament have recorded since Practise What You Preach - the production is top notch and the addition of Hoglan again on drums is killer! Skolnick is back to his ferocious best adding his trademark bluesy-licks and scalular runs with sweeps and wicked vibrato!The DVD is an excellent watch and the guys come across as genuine, level headed musicians with a real passion for what they are doing.One of the best CD's of the Year, bar none!