Reviewed by Rich Davenport

Artist: TESTAMENT
Album: “The Dark Roots of Thrash” 2CD / DVD/Blu-Ray
Release date: 18 October 2013
Label: Nuclear Blast

See the complete tracklist below.

All hail the heavyweight champions of Thrash! Seriously, on the evidence of this smouldering live performance (captured on 2 cds and a DVD/Blu Ray), any band that would follow these guys onstage on their current form would be brave indeed!

This is a celebration of the band’s past, present and future, with four-fifths of the original line-up, almost 10 years since they reunited in 2005, joined by previous recording member Gene Hoglan (who played on 1997’s “Demonic”). Of course, they tear through a selection of classic numbers from their early albums (all of which sound even more vicious than the studio originals in this live setting), with “Over The Wall”, “Disciples of the Watch”, “Trial By Fire”, “The Haunting” and other songs from the band’s first wave of popularity all making  a forceful impression.

Classic tracks aside, Testament also ram home the point that they’re not content to rely on nostalgia, with a hefty selection of more recent material from their two post-reunion albums, “The Formation of Damnation” and “The Dark Roots of Earth”, and nail their commitment to going forward as a band to the mast by firing up these songs with the same energy and conviction they put into the familiar early favourites. And their enthusiasm is shared by the audience, who roar their approval throughout, in addition to keeping the mosh pit boiling over. And with good reason, as the likes of “Rise Up”, “Native Blood”, “More Than Meets The Eye” and “Formation of Damnation” hold their own alongside anything from the band’s first three albums, and show that they’ve found a way to move forward whilst not losing sight of their (dark) roots.

The icing on the cake for hardcore fans of the band is a wealth of tracks from the band’s two late 90s records, “Demonic” and “The Gathering”, recorded during a difficult period for both Thrash Metal and Testament themselves, with a revolving door line-up having played on those two albums. In the same way that longtime Iron Maiden fans were intrigued to hear Bruce Dickinson put his own spin on Blaze Bailey-era songs on his return to the band, “The Dark Roots of Thrash” gives the Testament Legions the opportunity to hear original members Alex Skolnick and Greg Christian getting stuck in to the likes of “Do Not Resuscitate”, “Riding The Snake” and “Three Days In Darkness”.

The DVD/Blu Ray is extremely well-filmed, with no less than 19 cameras capturing both band and audience in full flight. Some thought has gone into the editing, with cameras cutting to close ups of Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson as they solo (Peterson is an extremely underrated player), zooming in on Gene Hoglan as he batters his kit, and full-stage perspectives showing Chuck Billy commanding the proceedings, and bassist Greg Christian prowling around stage right.

This is like having a condensed Testament box set with all the tracks played by the band operating at the top of their game. If you’re a fan, the career-spanning tracklist will really hit the spot, and if you’re new to the band, this is a great introduction.

Album Rating – 10/10

Dark Roots Of Earth DVD/2CD track list:
DVD:
01. Intro
02. Rise Up
03. More Than Meets The Eye
04. Burnt Offerings
05. Native Blood
06. True American Hate
07. Dark Roots Of Earth
08. Into The Pit
09. Practice What You Preach
10. Riding The Snake
11. Eyes Of Wrath
12. Trial By Fire
13. The Haunting
14. The New Order
15. Do Not Resuscitate
16. Three Days In Darkness
17. The Formation Of Damnation
18. Over The Wall
19. Disciples Of The Watch
20. Credits
BONUS CONTENT:
21. Backstage Footage
22. Native Blood (Video Clip)
CD1:
01. Intro
02. Rise Up
03. More Than Meets The Eye
04. Burnt Offerings
05. Native Blood
06. True American Hate
07. Dark Roots Of Earth
08. Into The Pit
09. Practice What You Preach
CD2:
01. Riding The Snake
02. Eyes Of Wrath
03. Trial By Fire
04. The Haunting
05. The New Order
06. Do Not Resuscitate
07. Three Days In Darkness
08. The Formation Of Damnation
09. Over The Wall
10. Disciples Of The Watch

Dark Roots Of Earth 2CD track list:
CD1:
01. Intro
02. Rise Up
03. More Than Meets The Eye
04. Burnt Offerings
05. Native Blood
06. True American Hate
07. Dark Roots Of Earth
08. Into The Pit
09. Practice What You Preach
CD2:
01. Riding The Snake
02. Eyes Of Wrath
03. Trial By Fire
04. The Haunting
05. The New Order
06. Do Not Resuscitate
07. Three Days In Darkness
08. The Formation Of Damnation
09. Over The Wall
10. Disciples Of The Watch