Album Info Hide Show Artist: Testament Album: Titans Of Creation Released: Europe, 2020 Tracklist: A1 Children Of The Next Level A2 WWIII A3 Dream Deceiver B1 Night Of The Witch B2 City Of Angels B3 Ishtar’s Gate C1 Symptoms C2 False Prophet C3 The Healers D1 Code Of Hammurabi D2 Curse Of Osiris D3 Catacombs Info About Buying Vinyl From Our Record Store We are a small independent record store located at 211 High St, Preston in Melbourne, Australia (North of Northcote, between Thornbury & Reservoir) We buy and sell new and used vinyl records – if you have a collection you’d like to sell please click here . We ship Australia wide for a flat rate of $10 for standard shipping or $15 for express post. Free Shipping for orders $150 and over. You can also pick up your order in store, just select Local Pickup at the checkout. We also ship internationally – prices vary depending on weight and location. We ship vinyls in thick, rigid carboard mailers with a crushable zone on either side, and for extra safety we bubble wrap the records. In stock vinyl is usally shipped next business day, please check the availability field at the top of the product page to see whether the record is currently in stock or if it is available from the supplier as well as estimated shipping times. If you order an in stock item together with a pre order or back order (listed as available from supplier rather than in stock) then the order will be shipped together when all items arrive. If you would like the in stock items shipped first please place two separate orders or contact us to arrange shipping items separately. We are strongly committed to customer satisfaction. If you experience any problems with your order contact us so we can rectify the situation. If the record arrives damaged or doesn’t arrive we will cover the cost of replacing or returning the record. If you change your mind you have 30 days to return your record but you must cover the cost of returning it to the store. You can contact our Melbourne record shop at (03) 9939 3807 or at [email protected] Happy Listening! Description Hide Show Titans of Creation lands like a reminder that Testament never lost the plot. Released 3 April 2020 on Nuclear Blast, it is the bands thirteenth studio album, and it sounds hungry rather than nostalgic. The classic line up of Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, Steve Di Giorgio and Gene Hoglan is in fearsome nick here, sharpening the Bay Area thrash blueprint without sanding off the grit that made these songs bite in the first place. A lot of that bite comes down to how well the record is put together. Testament worked in California with engineer Juan Urteaga, and Andy Sneap handled the mix, which gives the guitars real width while keeping the drums taut and punchy. You hear the interplay clearly, from Petersons machine tough rhythm work to Skolnicks lyrical leads that snake in and out with a jazzy intelligence. Di Giorgio threads melodic runs between them, not showy for the sake of it, just constantly alive. Hoglan sounds like a precision machine, shifting from thrash gallops to faster bursts without ever losing groove. And Billy, as ever, commands the centre with that blend of bark and roar that lets him sell a story as well as a riff. Testament have always loved a lyrical deep dive, and the opener Children of the Next Level sets the tone. It nods to the Heavens Gate cult, but it is the music that really sells the dread, a mid tempo churn that blossoms into a huge chorus. Night of the Witch is the one that had fans buzzing before the album dropped, a proper anthem with a chant ready made for the pit, but it is the details that stick, like the counter melodies tucked under the main hook. City of Angels is a standout too, grim and engrossing as it circles the crimes of the Night Stalker in Los Angeles. Skolnick lets the solos breathe here, bending notes that feel almost bluesy against the cold subject matter. The middle stretch is where the record shows its range. Ishtars Gate rides a sinuous, almost Eastern tinged riff that opens into a chorus you can actually hum, a nice contrast to the full tilt charge of WWIII and Dream Deceiver. Code of Hammurabi hits that classic Testament stride, downpicked guitars and rolling toms underscoring Billys cadence as he spits through ancient law and modern fury. The Healers swings hard with a pointed lyric that feels extra sharp given the timing of the release, and Symptoms leans into a darker, moodier pocket that lets Di Giorgios bass speak a little more. Then there is Curse of Osiris, which finishes the album on a scalding note, Hoglan cutting loose with near black metal speed while the guitars pile on in lockstep. Visually, Eliran Kantors cover art fits the music, stark and mythic, the kind of piece that blooms on a 12 inch sleeve. If you collect Testament vinyl, this is a jacket you want on the shelf. The pressing has been in steady rotation at plenty of shops, and for good reason. Titans of Creation vinyl lets that Sneap mix breathe, cymbals a touch more airy, low end a tad warmer. It is the sort of record you can recommend to someone flicking through a Melbourne record store on a Saturday, looking for something heavy that still sounds modern. And if you prefer to buy Testament records online, there are solid reissues floating around alongside original 2020 presses, which makes hunting down Testament albums on vinyl a lot less stressful for Australian fans. Put simply, it is a staple pick for anyone browsing vinyl records Australia wide. The reception matched the quality. Major metal outlets praised how tight and inspired the band sounded this deep into their career, with a lot of attention on how well the songs stand up next to their classic era cuts. That is the real trick here. Titans of Creation feels like a seasoned group writing in the moment rather than trading on past glories. The riffs go hard, the choruses stick, and the playing is as sharp as you would expect from this line up. Spin it loud, and if you have the chance, spin the Titans of Creation vinyl. It is one of those late career records that makes you pull the earlier albums off the shelf, then circle back to this one and realise it is right there with them. Product Reviews Hide Show Write a Review