LORDS CREATION
2020 STARTED OFF WELL ENOUGH, BUT IT UNRAVELED SEEMINGLY overnight — by early spring, we found ourselves crushed under the weight of unprecedented distress and uncertainty, trapped in a world fraught with as much disease as dis-ease. By the time April came limping into view, there wasn’t much anyone could put their faith into — that is, unless you’re a fan of classic American thrash metal. When Testament unleashed its 13th studio album, Titans of Creation, on April 3, it gave Gen-X metalheads a reason to rejoice — a reason to celebrate during a time of great discomfort. It also served as a bludgeoning reminder that Testament is still at the top of its game 33 years after the release of its debut album, The Legacy.
And that’s really what the metal community has come to expect from Testament through all these years — that the thrash veterans from Berkeley, California, will be there when they need it most, no matter what. Since first emerging from the Bay Area in the mid-Eighties, Testament have been through an abundance of turmoil and disruption, including a dizzying number of lineup changes and singer Chuck Billy’s bout with cancer in 2001 — yet here in 2020, the band sounds better than ever.
“Our dark times were definitely dark,” says guitarist Eric Peterson, “but through ruin comes creation. Somehow we’ve always been able to keep it going.”
Titans of Creation is the sound of a band in peak form. Songs like the album opener “Children of the Next Level,” “Night of the Witch” and “Code of Hammurabi,” one of two tracks written by lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, showcase the immense talents of each member of Testament. Peterson’s riffage is relentless and inspired, Skol-nick’s soloing is majestic and soaring, Gene Hoglan’s drumming is everything you’d expect from the legendary skinsman, Billy’s vocals have a refreshingly classic quality and bassist Steve DiGiorgio takes advantage of a few moments in the spotlight to remind everyone why he has been considered one of the best in the business since his turn-of-the-Nineties days with Sadus, Autopsy and Death.
Skolnick attributes the high level of quality achieved on to the fact that the band took its time putting the album’s pieces together. “The previous record [2016’] I feel was a very rushed process,” says the guitarist. “With that record, it was like we were in the middle of touring, then all of a sudden there was a sense that we were really behind in terms of making a new record.
