Here it is... finally... the brand spanking new TESTAMENT album! It's been nine long years since we've seen new material from the Bay Area Thrash veterans, not to mention it's been well over 15 years since all (well, almost all) the original members were together under one roof. You might think that time away from recording has made the guys rusty to some extent, but that definitely is not the case here at all; quite the opposite actually. Make no mistake about it: Chuck Billy (vocals), Eric Peterson (guitar), Alex Skolnick (guitar), Greg Christian (bass) and Paul Bostaph (drums) are back in full operation, and they haven't skipped a beat. Not one.

"The Formation Of Damnation" is the product of veteran players who know just how to make a Thrash album. It's just one of those things that come naturally to TESTAMENT. They know their craft, and they know it well. When you take a look at what's going on out there in the Metal scene today, sure there are lots of bands who do a great job in what they're doing, but the fact is TESTAMENT just do it better. They have the experience, the know-how, the creative sense, the talent, and the undeniable hunger to create whatever they want, and with "The Formation Of Damnation", they've created perhaps the best album of their long-running career.

The appropriate successor to "The Gathering", this crushing new slab of Metal mastery guarantees satisfaction in every sense of the way. This is exactly what you would expect from a TESTAMENT album... only better. The speed, the ferocious guitar riffs, the paralyzing sound of Chuck Billy's vocal assault - it's all here. It's nearly impossible to expect anything less from TESTAMENT, and you'll be reminded of that when you listen to tracks like "More Than Meets The Eye", the very infectious "The Persecuted Won't Forget", and the absolutely crushing title track. Sounds that fuelled albums like "Souls Of Black" and "Practice What You Preach" are revisited in "Killing Season" and "F.E.A.R." while the band delve into more diversity with songs like "Henchmen Ride" and "Leave Me Forever".

The reality here is that TESTAMENT do not disappoint one bit in delivering yet another phenomenal, classic album sure to be inducted into the Metal history books. IRON MAIDEN's "The Number Of The Beast", SLAYER's "Reign In Blood", METALLICA's "Master Of Puppets" - we can now add TESTAMENT's "The Formation Of Damnation" to the list of must-have releases. If you thought "The Gathering" had you salivating at the mouth, just wait until you dig your teeth into this one. Call it awesome, because it is.