Dark Roots Of Earth, San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT's follow-up to 2008's The Formation Of Damnation, was released via Nuclear Blast on July 27th in Europe and on July 31st in North America. Selling over 20,000 copies in the US in its first week out, the album has landed at #12 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Bassist Greg Christian states: "Dark Roots Of Earth just debuted at #12 on the Billboard Top 200 in US. Fuckin' amazing! Thank you to everyone that helped make that possible!!"

Guitarist Alex Skolnick adds: "To put things in perspective - last album entered Billboard charts at #59, our highest ever. This one? #12 in 2012!"

In Canada, Dark Roots Of Earth landed at #12 on the Top 200 Soundscan chart (selling over 2,000 copies) and #1 on the Hard Music chart.

Check out BraveWords.com's review of Dark Roots Of Earth at this location. Also, see BraveWords.com scribe Aaron Small's new Testament feature here.

Dark Roots Of Earth is available in Europe as a regular CD, CD digi + DVD, CD box set, double vinyl and double picture disc vinyl. Special bonus tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga (HEATHEN, VILE, SADUS) at his Trident Studios. Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS and GWAR, among others, provided the cover artwork.

CD tracklisting:

'Rise Up'

'Native Blood'

'Dark Roots Of Earth'

'True American Hate'

'A Day In The Death'

'Cold Embrace'

'Man Kills Mankind'

'Throne Of Thorns'

'Last Stand For Independence'

CD/DVD tracklisting:

'Rise Up'

'Native Blood'

'Dark Roots Of Earth'

'True American Hate'

'A Day In The Death'

'Cold Embrace'

'Man Kills Mankind'

'Throne Of Thorns'

'Last Stand For Independence'

Bonus:

'Dragon Attack' (QUEEN cover)

'Animal Magnetism' (SCORPIONS cover)

'Powerslave' (IRON MAIDEN cover)

'Throne Of Thornes (extended version)

Plus Bonus DVD

Vinyl tracklisting:

Side A:

'Rise Up'

'Native Blood'

'Dark Roots Of Earth'

Side B:

'True American Hate'

'A Day In The Death'

'Cold Embrace'

Side C:

'Man Kills Mankind'

'Throne Of Thorns'

'Last Stand For Independence'

Side D (Bonus):

'Dragon Attack' (Queen cover)

'Animal Magnetism' (Scorpions cover)

'Powerslave' (Iron Maiden cover)

Testament's video for 'Native Blood' is available below:

Check out making of footage below:

Testament will be touring Europe through August 13th in support of Dark Roots Of Earth. Initially drummer GENE HOGLAN, who plays on the album, was unable to make the trek as he was committed to touring North America as part of DETHKLOK, alongside LAMB OF GOD and GOJIRA. Therefore, Testament had temporarily secured the services of drummer Mark Hernandez (FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE). However, the Lamb Of God / Dethklok co-headlining tour has now been cancelled due to "the continued incarceration of Lamb Of God singer Randy Blythe in the Czech Republic."

Testament's European tour dates are as follows:

August

9 - Vasteras, Sweden - Sigurdsgatan 25
10 - Rejmyre, Sweden - Skogsrojet
11 - Derbyshire, UK - Bloodstock Fest
12 - Brussels, Belgium - Alcatraz Fest
13 - Istanbul, Turkey - Venue 2012