ALBUM REVIEW: Testament bring a pureblood banger to the table on Brotherhood Of The Snake

EACH iteration of what we gloriously regard as metal has been greeted as taking it "too far". From the proto metal of Cream and Iron Butterfly, through its birth with Sabbath (ably abetted by Zep and Purple), to the 70s heyday of the likes of Priest, through to the NWOBHM.

The musical elite probably regarded each evolution in the metal sound in the same way that one Tchaikovsky said about his own 1812 Overture: "Very loud, noisy and completely without artistic merit".

In this age when black, death and other variations of extreme metal the reaction to thrash metal's birth when sniffy so-called experts were still obsessed with the dying breaths of the first wave of punk. They would have mentally referenced the notes on the 1812 Overture (one reviewer in the long since departed Sounds actually used it) and slated anything with a vaguely 'thrash' tag.

But, that vaguely deceptive grouping called fans could not get enough. The early albums of the 'Big Four' and the likes of Exodus were devoured, analysed with the complexity of each arrangement, riff and solo noted.

The Big Four should really have been the 'Big Six' for along with Exodus there was one force of nature that emerged from the Bay Area. Testament.

More than three decades later they are still very loud, noisy and have bucket loads of artistic merit as they release their new album 'Brotherhood Of The Snake'.

The time they have taken since the 2012 release of 'Dark Roots of Earth' to pen this new album has paid off. This is one of the most complete and balanced thrash metal albums with all the power and arrangements, coupled with new twists, melody and guitar work that seers the aural palette.

Sure, we know Chuck Billy is an evocative lyricist and Alex Kolnick is superb, but this feels as if the band has discovered a new freshness, a new hunger. We're positive that feeling never left Testament, but this takes the band's work to the next level.

From the classic riffing of the intros to 'Centuries of Suffering' and 'Neptune's Spear' through to the structurally wondrous 'The Pale King' and 'The Number Game' there are elements familiar and elements that cut through the morass of predictability amongst lesser thrashers.

“Having separate periods to write set it apart,” Eric (Peterson) said. “Everybody played hard. Chuck really surprised me and belted out stuff that’s more melodic over the heavy speed metal riffs. It blended really well together.”

"It does flow,” Chuck agrees. “There’s a lot of musicianship going on there, and I was finding hooks in the moment. I was able to feel it and just go.”

It is that hook up between Alex and Eric's guitar interaction and Chuck's vocal gymnastics that works so well as exemplified on 'Black Jack'.

However, where it rips into new levels of pure excellence it really does something else that on the first, second, third, fourth and subsequent listens just has the listener foaming at the mouth in pleasurable ecstasy: akin to the best metaphorical metallic orgasm...

The title track is sheer excellence.

“It was actually one of the first songs we put together,” Chuck said. “Once we heard it mixed, we were all like, ‘Wow, we have the direction we’re going in. It’s really heavy.’”

Heaviness is one thing, but without the subtle aim of a hammer that hits your brain in just then right spot it is just flailing around - no, this is a precision attack.

Whether it be biblical epoch lyrics, or socially scathing songss ('Canna Business' with its super chorus) Chuck is once again laying down as a wordsmith, his craft sometimes overlooked because of the subject matter.

For example, on the surface, album closer 'The Number Game' is just another song about a serial killer. Written in conjunction with Steve Souza it is a complete thrash track, chilling in its story, but all tied together with musical ability, and yes, artistic merit.

Billy, Peterson, Skolnick, DiGiorgio and Hoglan are all on top form - a true brotherhood of thrash; producing music that harkens back to those 80s glory days, but also has their head firmly in 2016, thanks to some extent to Juan Urteaga's production.

Aside from the frowns and headbanging thrash music induces, what 'Brotherhood Of The Snake' really does is make you smile. You may not want to admit it, but for those brought up on thrash, those who were too young for its birth, but still embrace thrash, this will make you smile...and bang your fucking head too!

Review by Jonny

Bortherhood Of The Snake is out on October 28th via Nuclear Blast 

The band are on tour with Amon Amarth and Grand Magus including a Dublin date on November 2nd

EP REVIEW: Metall Allegiance pay tribute to the fallen...

WHILE the trend has been of late for releases of cover versions - such as the recent run of Six Feet Under albums - the revolving door metal super-group Metal Allegiance have doffed their cap to those we have lost recently.

With the core of Skoknick, Menghi and Portnoy in place they drafted in three heroes to pay tribute to Lemmy, Bowie and Frey.

Released slightly ahead of the Metal Allegiance Bloodstock appearance it is a three-track homage appropriately entitled 'Fallen Heroes'.

But is it worth it? Is it - and dare we whisper it - cashing in?

No, it is fucking not cashing in, and yes it is fucking worth it!

All three tracks are hammered out with vim, with vigour, and with the horns raised to the great gig in the sky, where Lemmy, the Great White Duke and Frey are jamming and raising merry hell (Editor's Note: excuse the mixed metaphors please).

With Portnoy and Menghi laying down a rhythm beast and Skolnick adding flourishes and licks (including some of his jazz touches in places), it is left to the guests to hammer the rest down.

Troy Sanders strains á la Lemmy to extract every ounce of energy from a rousing version of 'Iron Fist' that takes the verve of the original and takes it up a notch. A glass of Jack and Coke will be well deserved by all the players after this.

Of course, Bowie will be remembered as the only man on earth who could almost be as cool as Lemmy, albeit in a different way.

Harkening back to his 70s heyday 'Suffragette City' is given the metal treatment, the glam elements stripped away to let the riff hold sway. Osegueda reverts away from his Death Angel tones to deliver a top notch version.

Also, it is a stirring performance from Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz's who takes the intonations of Frey, gives it a metallic twist (with clean vocals). You feel compelled to join in the fast life with her and damn the consequences. And, that riff from the original Eagles track sounds so fresh, with just the right amount of ferocity.

This is just a three-track. This is not just any three track. It is a worthy metal salute to our fallen idols.

Review by Jonny

Monte Pittman - the man behind Madonna and delivering the metal with his album The Power Of Three

ON his latest release Pittman give it the full Monte as the Power of Three (review here), and he's played with the 'Queen of Pop' in the shape of Madonna thanks to a chance meeting with her then husband Guy Ritchie.

 

With The Power of Three gaining rave reviews we caught up with Pittman to try and find out how this metal guitarist could trace the beginnings of the band in the long road since he began in his home town band Myra Mains...and it turns out there is a common linkage between Madonna and Prong, whom he also played with.

“There are more similarities than you might think,” he explained. “They both come from CBGB's in some way. Madonna played in a band that played CBGB's and Prong formed from working there. Tommy Victor was the soundman. These things didn't happen at the same time but part of that seed is there with both.

“Sometimes I think of Prong as heavy dance music. The music can be complicated but the tone is pretty straightforward. For Madonna, the song structures can be complicated.

“There is [sic] some genius songwriting techniques when you break some of them down. It's more about what you don't play rather than when you do play. Just like a painter doesn't just throw one color of paint all over the canvas.”

With that explanation it may not be 'metal' but what is Pittman's favourite Madonna track to play?

“ 'Hey You' might be my favorite,” said Pittman. “That was the very beginning of the "Hard Candy" sessions. There were quite a few acoustic tracks originally. Madonna and Pharrell left me in the studio and trusted me with what I would do with the acoustic.

“It was just me and Pharrell's engineer so I got to experiment with the mics and parts in a killer studio. I layed down an assortment of ideas for them to go through later."

Leaving aside his work with Madonna The Power Of Three saw Pittman hook up with the legendary producer of Metallica, Flemming Rasmussen.

 

“He gave me a lot of tips and advice when I was working on the demos. When it was time to start recording the album, I put him in complete control,” he said.

“He would always get us in the right frame of mind. There were times he pushed us. There were times you almost forgot he was there. It was wonderful having someone that I could completely trust with sound.

Amongst the collaborations on The Power Of Three were Alex Skolnick and Chris Barnes.

“I loved having those guys on the album. They are both friends of mine and people I also grew up listening to,” said Pittman. “Alex has played live with me as our fourth member a couple of times.

“Chris hasn't yet but Chris joined us during a Prong show one night when we were opening for Danzig on 'Whose Fist Is This Anyway?'.

“ It was awesome. Imagine the ending with him singing! Me, Chris, and Alex should start a side project or something!"

Given the people that Pittman has played with and recorded with we wanted to know which one was the most unlikely 'metal' fan.

“The only two main ones I've played with are Madonna and Prong so I guess Madonna. She's the kind of artist that appreciates a little bit of everything though,” he said. “Melanie C and Sophie Ellis Bextor were just studio sessions and weren't there when I recorded so I have no idea what they are into.

“Adam Lambert and I had a band together before he went on American Idol and he liked a little bit of everything too.”

Given the range of musicians Pittman has played with are there still collaborations he yearns to be part of?

“I have always wanted to collaborate with Ozzy. Kelle Rhoads and I have talked about writing some Ozzy type songs for fun,” he said.

“Kelle played piano on my last album, "Pain, Love, & Destiny". I have no idea why those two haven't done anything before.

“Kelle and Randy's mom, Delores, is a musical genius. She has a unique way of teaching and a unique way of how you perceive the notes like I've never seen before. Kelle has that information. I would love to see what all three of us could come up with.

“I would collaborate with just about anyone as long as they're cool personally. It would be cool to do something with Chris Cornell too. But then again, both of those guys are now back with their original bands, thankfully! Steve Vai would be cool.

When Belfastmetalheadsreunited and Rockradioni reviewed the Power Of Three all the editorial team thought 'Blood, Hunger, Thirst' was the stand out track, and felt like a statement of intent for the three-piece; but how did the writing of the music and lyrics come about?

“That's one of those songs where I had different lyrics but then "Blood Hungry Thirst" came to me and made much more sense,” he said. “The music came from me jamming on the guitar. Sometimes you get in a certain zone where everything flows just right.

“It's kind of a fine line of being conscious and unconscious at the same time. That's the case with this song.”

What is sure to us, having had the glimpse into the range of musicality of Pittman, and his band on The Power Of Three his answers to these questions shows a man who has enjoyed a privileged break in the music business, but is grounded enough to keep on exploring his metal roots, his playing and ambitions to keep on growing.

The Power Of Three is available now on Metal Blade.

What have Madonna, Sophie Ellis-Baxter, Mel C and Prong got in common? Monte Pittman!

HE'S the most heard and most seen rock guitarist you've probably never heard of. He's appeared to global audiences, played at Slane, been on a Super Bowl half time show, recorded with a galaxy of Hollywood 'A' listers and now he's released a stunner of an album on Metal Blade Records.

He is Monte Pittman, and following giving guitar lessons to Guy Ritchie he ended up playing with Madonna, on albums and in stadia across the world.

But on The Power of Three it seems that the inner guitar god and full steam rockin' metal head has been let loose again, with Kane Ritchotte (drums) and Max Whipple (bass) complementing the Pittman fierce riffing, solos and strangely engaging melodic vocals.

It is apparent from the off that the time with the mainstream-media proclaimed 'Queen of Pop' and American Idol winner Adam Lambert has not dulled Pittman's metal tendencies.

Album opener on The Power of Three and lead single, A Dark Horse, has every thing fans could want from melodic metal.

Stand-out track Blood, Hunger, Thirst has all the elements of hard rock and metal wrapped in a tasty package that will have new fans begging for more and existing adherents joining in on the closing chant of "Strength in the Power of Three".

The mid-paced On My Mind is the ideal metal radio song, infectious without sacrificing its rock roots.

There is little to fault on this album - although at times there is a same-iness about the sound, despite the legendary Flemming Rasmussen being the knob-twiddler.

Of course, the contra argument is that the consistency lends a coherence to the album. Up until the album closer, All Is Fair In Love And War, the argument could go either way.

But the closer is a 13-minute plus epic that doffs the riff cap to Metallica, lends its solo sensibilities to the likes of a mellow Steve Vai and has a structure not a million-miles away from Prong on acid.

Strip away all the associations with pop, put away the great song writing and metal from the rest of the album and this is a track to wallow in. The structure is intriguing, almost as if Syd Barrett and Roger Waters had been caught listening to Metallica and Tool...

Some of the guitar passages are superb, but this isn't a wank-fest of widdly, widdly showing off. The playing displays a sense that the six-string attack is part of the greater whole that is the song, with Testament's Alex Skolnick adding to the solos and ex-Cannibal Corpse Chris Barnes lending some vocal menace.

If you don't think you have the stamina for a 13-minute epic (and why would you now!) the second single off The Power of Three,  Before The Mourning Son is a goods starting place for Pittman newbies.

Across this album there is exemplary playing on show, and well-structured songwriting that is worthy of much greater exposure.

But wrap it all together and the question is was Brian Slagel right to sign Monte Pittman to Metal Blade, given all the pop trappings of Pittman's past? Is this just a guitarist using his CV to get a deal?

Of course Slagel was right to sign a man who can turn in an album filled with metallic power and great songwriting. And, you can rip up Pittman's CV and concentrate on a guitarist who has written such a stunning five star album.

This is both classic metal and contemporary playing wrapped up in a ball of rock joy!

The Power of Three is out now on Metal Blade records.

PS - if you don't watch Madonna, the Super Bowl or other pop thingys yet wonder where you have seen Pittman before - he was one of those paying bass when Hetfield, Hammet and co jammed at Live Earth.