Testament

If we ever needed any further evidence of how thrash lifers Testament completely rule, look no further than this two-disc live album (how often can you say that?), which draws heavily upon their recent releases. And it does rule — hard. With a fun, energetic, raw production sound, the band's enthusiasm shines through loud and clear, and while it's always excellent to hear a few old classics, and here they sound as good as ever, what comes out of this declaration is that the new material is just as memorable, just as thrashing and heavier than ever. Check out songs like the amazing "Native Blood," delivered in an off-the-rails fashion, the blast beats that sounded a bit awkward on the album sitting just right in this context. Dark Roots of Thrash is a shining example of a band that are, surprisingly, at the top of their game late in their career, playing the songs they want to and delivering them with pure thrash metal glory. It's rare to love a live album this much, but such is the power of Testament.