Brotherhood of the Snake

Personnel: Chuck Billy (vocals); Eric Peterson (guitar, background vocals); Alex Skolnick (guitar); Gene Hoglan (drums).Audio Mixer: Andy Sneap.Recording information: Deer Creek Studio, CA (04/27/2016-07/08/2016); Spin Studio, NY (04/27/2016-07/08/2016); Trident Studios, CA (04/27/2016-07/08/2016).Testament haven't been exactly prolific since the turn of the century. Brotherhood of the Snake, their eleventh album overall, is only their fourth record since 1999, and their first since 2012's excellent Dark Roots of the Earth. The upshot of these infrequent releases is that it makes every one of them an event. Brotherhood of the Snake is no exception. It's not appreciably different from their post-1999 output, but offers an excellent sonic portrait of Testament doing what they do best -- aggressive, riff-heavy, in-your-face thrash. There is a fun concept at work here, but this is more a track-by-track listening experience that adds up to a massive whole.If there is anything really differe