Testament Premieres "True American Hate"

July will feature some of 2012’s most anticipated new releases, and one of the biggest will be Dark Roots of the Earth, the tenth album by Bay Area thrash greats Testament, which comes out July 31 on Nuclear Blast.

The first song off the record to be released to the public is “True American Hate”, and it can be heard, curiously enough, via Soundcloud at Blabbermouth.com. It’s a strong track, too, benefiting from the trademark polished sound of producer Andy Sneap, and featuring the usual larger-than-life presence of vocalist Chuck Billy, catchy rhythm riffs, a phenomenal extended solo break by guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Petersen, and honest-to-goodness blastbeats.

Listen to Testament’s “True American Hate” here.

The blastbeats in the song call attention to drummer Gene Hoglan, who is filling in behind the kit as Paul Bostaph was sidelined due to what’s being called a “serious injury”, and has since left the band. Personally I really liked what Bostaph contributed to the sound of the reunited band over the last few years, but replacing him with the formidable Hoglan, who’s played with far too many great bands to mention, is a terrific move by Testament. He’s one of the tightest-sounding drummers in metal history, and as you can hear on “True American Hate”, his precision – along with his sheer power – is incredible. The rest of Dark Roots of the Earth is certain to be massive.