Testament: Titans Of Creation versie op CD in standaard editie. Deze specifieke uitgave werd uitgebracht in Europa bij uitgeverij Nuclear Blast op 17. april 2020.

Product Information It's time for Testament to unleash new thunder and reveal their thirteenth studio album: Titans Of Creation. Just as the elements of this planet run rampant in all living creatures, each musician in Testament represents an essential part of this latest musical endeavor. Still infused with a powerful and unstoppable energy since their last album, Testament have taken their style to the next level and present an album that stays true to the roots of traditional thrash metal while delivering enticing, brilliant and progressive ingredients. The bass is showcased, new vocals are introduced, and as expected, Peterson and Skolnick's guitar work is considerably complex and intriguing. Eliran Kantor has once again stepped up to the plate and created new cover art for this album. His classical, almost renaissance style of painting blends beautifully with the ancient, psychological and enlightened themes of the songs. Three monstrous titans stand where the planets form. One of them pours the forming fluid, which the others hammer into human DNA, twisting it and turning it into the ring of the newly born planet. In each titan's chest burns the flame of a dying star; the origin of the atoms forming the bodies that bubble and boil on the curves of the spiral helix. Titans Of Creation has many moods and material within it; all of them somehow tied to a common philosophy of creation and its necessary counterpart: destruction. "Children Of The Next Level" cracks open the gates as the opening track with a barrage of sound that prepares the listener for an abundance of brutal thrash. Meanwhile, the lyrics incite the outrageous philosophies of the Heaven's Gate cult (founded in 1974). Tracks like "Dream Deceiver" carry a more old-school sound that will tickle the senses of any casual Testament fan. The lyrics describe being trapped in a dream by an unearthly female force that slowly works to disintegrate the mind. Dreams are part of existence, but when we sleep we are completely vulnerable; one of the many mysteries of being human. "Someone is chasing you and won't leave you alone; the only time they tease you is at night when they can control your sleep," describes singer Chuck Billy. "Night of the Witch" features the eerie and haunting vocals of Eric Peterson. With a sound far more reminiscent of black metal, Peterson bursts into the action with a power that blends perfectly with Billy's quivering, raspy growl. Influenced by Robert Egger's 2015 horror masterpiece "The VVitch: A New England Folktale", the song carries with it a magical quality that directly reflects the mood of the film. At the very end of the track, the theremin howls through the air like a witch ascending to the moon; setting the final tone. "The album has a lot of freshness to it that the ear loves to hear," explains Peterson. The track "Symptoms," written by guitarist Alex Skolnick, is full of detail with intricate guitar work that well represents the complicated and mesmerizing journey that comes along with dealing with depression, mood swings and a myriad list of mental frustrations. The lyrics of this song deal with a sad truth: mental illness is more common than we all think and than many of us are willing to admit. On a lighter note, then, is a lively track called "The Healers," which swings back and forth between waves of death and thrash, heavy and melodic, light and dark. The lyrics are spiritual and extremely personal. They describe Billy's own experience of dealing with all natural healers; the elders of the earth, and how they were able to help him identify and heal his past illness. "City Of Angels" comes with a whole new sound for Testament. The creeping sludgeiness and slow, plodding pace go hand in hand with the incredibly creepy story of Richard Ramier's Night Hunter, and together they make for another standout track on the record. In 2020, the days of writing an album entirely in one room are long gone, but the ability to use technology allows Testament to follow a very similar writing process as they always have. Basic tracks take shape, structures are added by everyone in the band, instrumental elements are highlighted, and finally lyrics and vocals are created to complete the sonic story. Face-to-face and human-to-human contact still remain essential elements of the Testament songwriting process, and at some point in the process each member physically interacts and writes with each other. In between writing this album, the band toured relentlessly, allowing for less stress, more time between shows, and more inspiration for this album cycle. There was also plenty of anxiety-free and classy time for pre-production and the initial recording process with Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios. Andy Sneap was then able to fine tune, mix and master this album to his usual perfection. The process of creating Testament evolved and progressed, yet they remained unbroken for literally decades. While they have always been able to present the true aspects of thrash metal that cement their existence, they have expanded into unique horizons through the development of their edgy and mesmerizing sounds.

Album valt binnen het genre Rock en Thrash Metal.