Testament

I’m beginning to think Testament are the best metal band of today. They haven’t released a new album since 1999’s The Gathering but that’s fine, as they have such a legacy of great albums behind them I never get bored of going back and revisiting it all. And with a near-classic line-up intact (drummer Louie Clemente is out due to physical problems but ex-Slayer, Exodus and Forbidden dude Paul Bostaph is in) for the first time since 1992’s The Ritual, the band’s songwriting is back in prime form. "For the Glory of…” starts things off as a short instrumental intro and "More than Meets the Eye” kicks things right into gear as if it’s 1988 all over again, harkening back to the band’s classic The New Order and Practice What You Preach discs. The only complaint is a bit too much time spent in mid-tempo territory in the last third of the album. But they’re still the thrash masters, and with this disc have recaptured the vibe their classic discs had.