Review Summary: Thrash 'n' Ladders you maggots! Move it!
Aside from their literature preferences--Anu, Enki & the Reptilians, the ancient Sumerian cuneiform disclosing the truth, modern religion or cannabis raising Grey columns that blind us from seeing it, etc--I'd say that Testament have aged better than the occupants of the highest rank: the so-called Big Four. On second thought, I might even prefer all that rubbish to born-again-Christian commentaries on the decline of western civilisation, or to two familiar faces in said Christian's nightmares, outscoring him in the final play, their index pointing at the standard definition: unkind is the nation of Man. Instrumentally, Testament take action, offering a sensible Thrash album that won't scrabble the task at hand.
Brotherhood of the Snake is not a milestone in the genre, nor is it the one that will induce new fans; but it's a damn solid example of how functional & efficient veterans operate, keeping the platoon together--respecting their established audience. Right, don't know about snakes, but they've got their ducks in a row all right. Oh, and "The Pale King" introduces one of the most enjoyable (as I said, sources aside) metal verses I've chanced upon for quite a while now [then again, concerning encounters, they could have used a better clip, or even better--no visuals at all. I mean, we gotcha: the Greys come from afar and do stuff to us, and pls tell us more about it, but the tune is pretty graphic by itself, so you needn't have portrayed the lyrics--say, a dog (or perhaps a wolf!)--the exact moment Chuck sang 'em out; but ye, w/e, we salute you. m/]. Last but not least, special mention should be made of Alex Skolnick's contributions, which prove that individual musicianship can shine through even when one adapts to context, style & shape, accommodating the whole instead of oneself: he could have superseded all that Thrash; he could have asked for more minutes; he could have shown off his chops... even more. Upped a notch 'cause he didn't. Upped another 'cause, while still ridiculous, they didn't go bonkers over their IQ, tiling "CannaBUZZness".
3.2/5
