Right at the end of “Titans Of Creation” is “Catacombs”. A two minute long, almost classical thing that ends as if its leading into something.
The significance of this I don’t know, but to me it means simply: “to be continued…..” this thrash journey is nowhere near done.
It also indicates something else to my mind. Most bands would have had this at the start of the album, for Testament to end, as you might say “on that bombshell” is to show a band that does things a little differently to their peers.
Leaving aside the glib line of “do they have any peers?” it is also true to say that Testament along with Exodus stand tall amongst the old guard if you will, in representing this music better than anyone.
On “….Creation” – their first album for four years – it is striking how menacing they sound, but also how they are not content to just stick to the formula. This is a band that is always looking forward. Take “Night Of The Witch” for example. It crushes, but that’s a given, but here, Eric Peterson – the bands founding guitarist – supplies the type of Death Metal vocals that he does in his “other” band, Dragonlord. The results are spectacularly heavy too.
The lyrical themes are interesting, throughout, but never more so than on “Children Of The Next Level” which sees frontman Chuck Billy spit bile all over the infamous Heaven’s Gate cult that engaged in a mass suicide in the 90s.
“WW III” carries on the apocalyptic theme – and it would sound amazing in a moshpit too, by the way, and “Dream Deceiver” has one of those openings that make you long for gigs just so you can throw your fists in the air.
Everyone here seems like they are on top of their game. The guitar pair – completed by the brilliant Alex Skolnick – is as good as there is, but the rhythm section, Gene Hoglan and Steve Di Giorgio
(on drums and bass respectively and both with multiple spells in the group are in rare form.
Their work propels the likes of “City Of Angels” – about the brutal so -called Night Stalker attacks – and “Ishtars Gate”, which has real Eastern flavours and form, really, the engine room of the record if you will.
Whether by accident or design, the longer more involved songs are all in the first half. The second section deals with sledgehammer grooves (“Symptoms” – which is thrash goes sludge) or a proper gallop (“False Prophet”) before ripping everyone a new one with the riffing on “The Healers”, which honestly, sounds like Corrosion of Conformity with everything turned to the red.
Andy Sneap, who doesn’t need anymore bonus points around here, because he’s a member of Hell, is also surely, the best mixer of the metal sound around, and this thing sounds like a million dollars – it wouldn’t work if it doesn’t, and it is really top draw.
There’s a kind of malevolence about “Code Of Hammurabi” and “Curse of Orisis” just gets its head down and – well, for the sake of a better a phrase – thrashes like a maniac, before adding some Death metal tastes, you know, just to stop getting too formulaic, that would never do.
The best thrash record since, well, Testament’s last one? Very possibly. What I will say with huge certainty is this: if ever something was created that was greater than the sum of its parts, its this. There is just something special when the best thrash band currently making music gets together – deal with it all other bands – and this hour is your proof.
Utterly remorseless, and totally glorious.
Rating 9.5/10
