What happens when Testament mixes fast, aggressive thrash with ancient secret societies, alien theories and the idea that humanity was created as a slave race? You get “Brotherhood of the Snake”, album that takes its inspiration from some seriously strange ideas and turns them into ten tracks of hard-hitting metal.
Released on October 28, 2016, through Nuclear Blast Records, “Brotherhood of the Snake” was Testament’s twelfth studio album. The band wanted a fast, spontaneous approach and guitarist Eric Peterson pushed for a record that went straight for the throat.
The result? Around 45 minutes of thrash with no need to slow down and explain itself.
Ancient Aliens, Secret Societies and Thrash Metal
The title “Brotherhood of the Snake” comes from the idea of an ancient secret society or serpent cult that opposed human spiritual enslavement and spread hidden knowledge.
Frontman Chuck Billy found inspiration for the album after watching Ancient Aliens and reading about a supposed 6,000-year-old secret society. The story claimed that extraterrestrials created humans as slaves to mine minerals and that the society tried to challenge established religious beliefs.
The band initially considered making the whole album a concept record about ancient astronauts. But that idea felt a bit too limiting, so they used it as a starting point for the lyrics instead.
You don’t need to believe every theory about aliens and ancient civilizations to enjoy the album. The important thing is how Testament turned those ideas into fuel for their music. The themes give the record a dark, mysterious edge without turning it into a history lesson.
And the title track was the first song written for the album, setting the direction for everything that followed.
A Strong Lineup With a Familiar Name Returning
Testament had a serious lineup behind this record:
- Chuck Billy — lead vocals
- Eric Peterson — guitars and backing vocals
- Alex Skolnick — lead and rhythm guitars
- Steve Di Giorgio — bass
- Gene Hoglan — drums
One of the big talking points was Steve Di Giorgio’s return to a Testament studio album. “Brotherhood of the Snake” marked his first studio recording with the band since “First Strike Still Deadly” in 2001.
With Peterson and Skolnick handling the guitars, Billy delivering the vocals, and Hoglan behind the drums, the lineup had plenty of firepower. The band’s decision to keep the writing fast and aggressive suited these players well.
From Serial Killers to a Navy SEAL Mission
The album isn’t locked into one subject. Alongside its ancient-history and secret-society themes, it takes inspiration from darker modern stories.
“The Number Game” deals with a serial killer concept built around a 14-day period. The song was co-written with Exodus vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza, bringing another familiar thrash metal name into the mix.
Then there’s “Neptune’s Spear” a track about the Navy SEAL Team Six mission that took down Osama bin Laden.
These historical topics give the album a lot of different angles, while the music keeps everything moving forward. Testament didn’t stick to one story just because the title track opened the door to a larger concept.
Andy Sneap and a Top 20 Debut
“Brotherhood of the Snake” continued Testament working relationship with producer Andy Sneap, who had collaborated with the band on multiple albums. Sneap handled production, with recording spread across several studios in California and New York. Handled at Backstage Recording Studios in Derbyshire, England, the mixing and mastering gave the record a massive sound.
The album hit the charts hard opening at No.20 on the Billboard 200. Marked Testament second highest charting release in the US, surpassed only by “Dark Roots of Earth” in 2012.
For a band twelve albums into its career, that was a strong result.
What makes “Brotherhood of the Snake” interesting is the mix of direct thrash metal and unusual lyrical ideas. Testament took inspiration from ancient astronaut theories, secret societies, serial killers and a real-world military operation, then brought it all together under one title.
No need for a ten-part documentary when you can crank up the guitars.
What’s your verdict on “Brotherhood of the Snake”? Does it rank among Testament’s strongest later albums and which track do you reach for first? 🤘
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