Testament, along with Exodus were the founding fathers of the so-called Bay Area thrash movement of the mid-eighties (other bands in this league include Dark Angel, Heathen, Defiance, Vio-lence, Vengeance Rising, Forbidden, Death Angel, Deliverance, and others). Testament continued to play thrash metal through the 1990's despite trends that went against everything Testament did. They originally started out as "Legacy" with Steve Sousa on vocals. Steve split to join Exodus shortly before the band changed their name to Testament due to a legal battle over the name. Testament forged ahead with a big 'ol indian dude named Chuck. The rest is history. Chuck was recently (2001) diagnosed with cancer. Several "Bay Area" bands reformed to perform a show to raise money for Chuck Billy.

Testament - The Legacy (Atlantic) 1987 1."Over the Wall" (4:04) 2."The Haunting" (4:11) 3."Burnt Offerings" (5:03) 4."Raging Waters" (4:30) 5."Curse of the Legions of Death" (2:28) 6."First Strike is Deadly" (3:41) 7."Do or Die" (4:36) 8."Alone in the Dark" (4:01) 9."Apocalyptic City" (5:48)

Testament 1986

A fast furios debut that I actually never owned until just recently. I guess I always feared that it would never match up to the awesome "The New Order" or "Practice What You Preach." Well to be honest, while the disc does thrash from beginning to end, it doesn't match up. "Legacy" was of course Testament's original name thus the album's title. This debut brought them instant success. (NOT!) What it did bring them was a cult following that remains today.

Testament - Live At Eindhoven (Megaforce/Atlantic Records) 1987

1. "Over The Wall" (5:38)
2. "Burnt Offerings" (4:52)
3. "Do Or Die" (5:24)
4. "Apocalyptic City" (5:54)
5. "Reign Of Terror" (4:31)

Recorded live at the Dynamo Open Air, Holland, June 8th, 1987, this EP was released on vinyl and cassette only. As such, I have the vinyl version of it until the day it is released on CD. The band is tight on this live EP. Not sure if there were any studio overdubs done to fix the rubs and such, but as it stands, Testament were giving it 110% here. Chuck Billy sounds fan-freakin'-tastic! Skolnick's guitar leads are very close to the recordings yet still retain that live, aggressive feel. However, this live EP is nothing more than a collector's item for Testament fanatics. Nice to own, fun to listen to, but don't spend your life's savings on a copy on Ebay. (thanks Eyesore)

"The New Order" was my introduction to Testament. I heard "Trial by Fire" on some metal radio show and picked up a cassette single of the song. Of course once I found out that Testament covered Aerosmith's "Nobody's Fault" I had to own it. The entire album shreds, from beginning to end. "Into the Pit", "Disciples of the Watch", "The Preacher" and "Eerie Inhabitants" are all concert staples and fan favorites. These are all prime Testament tracks, as is the aforementioned "Trial By Fire". The thing that Testament seemed to grasp was a sense of melody and hook, that a lot of thrash bands were missing. They also weren't afraid to slow things down, or add in an acoustic interlude or even a jazz solo to spice up a song. Two other things that stand out on this CD, other than the songs themselves, are Chuck Billy's strong vocals and the shredding lead work throughout. The guitar tag team of Skolnick/Peterson is legendary and was most certainly an inspiration for many thrash acts that followed.

Testament - Practice What You Preach (Megaforce) 1989 1."Practice What You Preach" (4:54) 2."Perilous Nation" (5:50) 3."Envy Life" (4:16) 4."Time is Coming" (5:26) 5."Blessed in Contempt" (4:12) 6."Greenhouse Effect" (4:52) 7."Sins of Omission" (5:00) 8."The Ballad" (6:09) 9."Nightmare (Coming Back to You)" (2:20) 10."Confusion Fusion" [instrumental] (3:07)

A groundbreaking thrash album proving Testament to be one of the best "Second Wave of Thrash Metal" bands. No less than three of these songs were covered on the "Jump in the Pit" tribute. Every song on here is great, however! The sound is a bit more technical than the past two albums. My personal favorits are "Practice What You Preach," "Perilous Nation," and "Sins of Omission." ("Practice" was covered by German thrashers Blackend, "Sins" by American speed metallers Ultimatum.) Oh, and this album sports one of the coolest covers.

Testament - Souls of Black (Atlantic) 1990 1."Beginning of the End" [instrumental] (:36) 2."Face in the Sky" (3:53) 3."Falling Fast" (4:05) 4."Souls of Black" (3:22) 5."Absence of Light" (3:55) 6."Love to Hate" (3:40) 7."Malpractice" (4:43) 8."One Man's Fate" (4:49) 9."The Legacy" (5:30) 10."Seven Days of May" (4:41)

Testament Brokum Trading Cards click to see all 17 cards

More standard thrash than their last two albums. I read somewhere where Chuck Billy said that this album was rushed to get out so that they could go on tour with Anthrax and Slayer. (at least I think that's who it was.) Anyhow, "The Legacy" is a cool progressive, acoustic romp. "Souls of Black" is another stand out cut. The rest of the album is ok, but not up to the standards Testament set for themselves with "Practive What You Preach" and "The New Order." Cool cover, however.

Testament - The Ritual (Atlantic) 1992

1."Signs of Chaos" [instrumental] (:30)
2."Electric Crown" (5:46)
3."So Many Lies" (6:04)
4."Let Go of My World" (3:45)
5."The Ritual" (7:34)
6."Deadline" (4:47)
7."As the Seasons Grey" (6:16)
8."Agony" (4:07)
9."The Sermon" (4:48)
10."Return to Serenity" (6:25)
11."Troubled Dreams" (5:14)

"The Ritual" seems to be one of those love it or hate it albums. Nearly every fan I have spoken to seems to think this was the end of Testament's classic sound. For some strange reason many metal fans seem to think "The Ritual" was a sellout album for Testament. Check reviews on Amazon, classicthrash.com or metal-archives.com. Most of them seem to rate this album very low. Many even claim that this was Testament's attempt to sound like Metallica's black album. Granted the production is a bit more mainstream sounding and there are a few more midpaced songs, but this still sounds like Testament to me. For the most part this is one heavy album. How one can listen to songs like "Deadline" and "So Many Lies" and accuse Testament of going soft is beyond me. There are a few mellow moments, like the classic "Return to Serenity" and the ballad-ish title track, but even these songs are a far cry from the commercial slop people seem to think it is. "Electric Crown" is a killer song and probably one of my favorites on the CD. Chuck Billy sounds as amazing as he ever has. His signature wail is firmly in place. Also, Alex Skolnick's guitar-work is brilliant. The guitar solo in "Return to Serenity" alone is worth the price of admission. If this was Testament's attempt at riding on the coattails of Metallica's commercial success at the time, it didn't really work for them.

Testament - Return to the Apocalyptic City (Atlantic) 1993

1."Over the Wall" [live] (5:28)
2."So Many Lies" [live] (6:13)
3."The Haunting" [live] (4:28)
4."Disciples of the Watch" [live](4:38)
5."Reign of Terror" [studio] (4:48)
6."Return to Serenity" [studio] (4:30)

"Return to the Apocalyptic City" is very cool ep, although a bit short in my opinion. The live material is heavy and raw, but still as tight as their studio material. Paul Bostaph (ex-Forbidden) is the drummer on this one. (Man, from this point on, Testament will become like Spinal Tap with their drummers.) The two studio songs are outstanding, but the BALLAD, "Return to Serenity" is a real standout. I have been told that "Reign of Terror" was released as a b-side to the "Trial by Fire" single, which I use to have on cassette. Can't remember that song being on there. Anyhow, the song is from their Legacy days when Steve Souza (Exodus) was the vocalist, however, this version features Chuck Billy. The album cover kind of sucks as it gives the album a bootleg look.

Testament - Low (Atlantic) 1994

1."Low" (3:33)
2."Legions (in Hiding)" (4:17)
3."Hail Mary" (3:32)
4."Trail of Tears" (6:06)
5."Shades of War" (4:44)
6."P.C." (2:50)
7."Dog Faced Gods" (4:02)
8."All I Could Bleed" (3:37)
9."Urotsukidoji" [instrumental] (3:40)
10."Chasing Fear" (4:56)
11."Ride" (3:16)
12."Last Call" (2:41)

HEAVY!!! That is the only way to descibe this speed metal masterwork. I love this disc. Of course I do get sick of hearing thrash bands complain about religion, and Christianity in particular, a subject that Testament seems to dwell on quite a bit. Alex Skolnick quit at this point and was replaced by Obituary's guitarist. (Skolnick went on to play with Savatage for a short time) John Tempesta of Exodus fame filled in for the drum position for the recording. In any case, together they created a wonderful speed metal classic with hints of death metal creeping into the mix. Even Chuck's vocals took on a more growly style for a few songs. I actually think this improved the bands sound as it gave them a better mix and the album didn't get boring.

Testament - Live at the Fillmore (Spitfire) 1995

1."The Preacher" (4:20)
2."Alone in the Dark" (4:36)
3."Burnt Offerings" (5:14)
4."A Dirge" [instrumental] (2:03)
5."Eerie Inhabitants" (3:50)
6."The New Order" (4:31)
7."Low" (3:13)
8."Urotsukidoji" [instrumental] (3:47)
9."Into the Pit" (2:54)
10."Souls of Black" (3:39)
11."Practice What You Preach" (4:59)
12."Apocalyptic City" (5:58)
13."Hail Mary" (3:45)
14."Dog Faced Gods" (4:46)
15."Return to Serenity" [acoustic version] (5:55)
16."The Legacy" [acoustic version] (5:16)
17."Trail of Tears" [acoustic version] (6:16)

A nice live album that is produced well. As thrash bands go, I hate most of their live albums. (for examples check out Death Angel or Nuclear Assault) For some reason most of them just sound crappy as compared to their sonically and musically tight studio albums. Testament's live offerings have both been stellar, however. Thankfully, this live album includes alot of early material. As an added bonus, Testament recorded three acoustic versions of three of their classic tunes. I read somewhere that they were recorded live in the studio. OK, so who could tell.

Testament - Demonic (Mayhem) 1997

1."Demonic Refusal" (5:21)
2."The Burning Times" (5:15)
3."Together as One" (4:17)
4."Jun-Jun" (3:43)
5."John Doe" (3:11)
6."Murky Waters" (3:00)
7."Hatred's Rise" (3:15)
8."Distorted Lives" (3:36)
9."New Eyes of Old" (3:00)
10."Ten Thousand Thrones" (4:37)
11."Nostrovia" (1:32)

Testament with ex-Dark Angel/Death drummer Gene Hoglan are outstanding and heavier than they have ever been. I must admit I like Chuck's voice better when he sings, rather than growls like every other death metal band on the earth. However, Chuck tends to mix up vocals styles a bit which makes it a lot more interesting than your run of the mill death band. The music is HEAVY! but a bit more technical and thrash-oriented than most death metal bands. Well, this is a great album, but soon will be blown out of the water by "The Gathering." Oh and one other thing, despite the deceiving album title, it seems that Testament may be warning against insipid Satanic dabling rather than supporting it.

Testament - Signs of Chaos: The Best of Testament (Atlantic) 1997

1."Signs of Chaos"[instrumental] (0:30) 2."Electric Crown" (5:31) 3."The New Order" (4:26) 4."Alone in the Dark" (4:05) 5."Dog Faced Gods" (4:05) 6."Demonic Refusal" (5:22) 7."The Ballad" (6:10) 8."Souls of Black" (3:24) 9."Trial by Fire" (4:17) 10."Low" (3:36) 11."Practice What You Preach" (4:56) 12."Over the Wall" (4:08) 13."The Legacy" (5:32) 14."Return to Serenity" (6:32) 15."Perilous Nation" (5:51) 16."Sails of Charon" (4:40) 17."Draw the Line" (2:49)

Notice it does not say "Greatest Hits" in the title because Testament has NEVER been concerned with making "hits." Testament have been crusaders for the Heavy Metal fight from the beginning. Since I have all but one of their albums, I would not have needed this disc except for the fact that the brilliant marketing execs at Atlantic decided to include two exclusive cover songs, "Sails of Charon" (originally by the Scorpions) and "Draw the Line" (another Aerosmith song. Testament knows their roots!)

Testament - The Gathering (Spitfire) 1999

1. D.N.R. (3:34)
2. Down for Life (3:23)
3. Eyes of Wrath (5:27)
4. True Believer (3:36)
5. 3 Days in Darkness (4:42)
6. Legions of the Dead (2:37)
7. Careful What You Wish For (3:31)
8. Riding the Snake (4:14)
9. Allegiance (2:38)
10. Sewn Shut Eyes (4:15)
11. Fall of Sipledome (4:49)

Testament regroups once again retaining only original members Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson. James Murphy who has been with Testament on and off for a few years also makes an appearance on this disc. The band, however, becomes somewhat of a superstar group adding bassist Steve DiGiorgio (ex-Death) and drummer Dave Lombardo (Slayer/Grip Inc.). The Gathering continues in a similar direction as "Demonic" pushing the band in the heavier direction yet still retaining their status as a thrash band. This is MUCH heavier than their earlier discs however, and at times the band sound closer to death metal than the melodic thrash that they mastered in the early 90s. Unlike Metallica, who were at one time considered the same style as Testament, they have continued to earn the respect of their fans for staying true to the music style despite trends. "The Gathering" is THE BEST Testament album thus far, in my not so humble opinion. From beginning to end, the intensity never lets up. Dave Lomardo's drumming is so fast and tight, it's hard to believe any human being could play that fast. Who would have thought that Testament would still be making music this good so many years after thrash metal's heyday. Metal forges ahead!

Oh and on more thing, I recently read where Alex Skolnik criticised Testament for "going backwards" rather than moving forward with their music. Translated: "I have decided to be a glowing solo artist now and those guys have decided to stay true to themselves." Here is one review I read of his new band Attention Deficit, "For those who have lost track of Skolnick since his days with thrash metallists Testament, his playing now resembles more of King Crimson's Fripp and Belew... Attention Deficit is more about atmospheric songwriting than technical shredding." Why is it that some former metal musicians have to critisize those who stay true to the music. If you don't like metal any more, fine, move on and play your solo crap, but don't downplay your contribution to the greatest music in the world. It's something to be proud of, not something to mock.

Testament-First Strike Still Deadly (Spitfire) 2001 1. "First Strike Is Deadly" (4:00) 2. "Into the Pit" (2:54) 3. "Trial by Fire" (4:32) 4. "Disciples of the Watch" (4:34) 5. "The Preacher" (3:56) 6. "Burnt Offerings" (5:27) 7. "Over the Wall" (4:18) 8. "The New Order" (4:43) 9. "The Haunting" (4:36) 10. "Alone in the Dark" (4:40) 11. "Reign of Terror" (5:06)

Chuck Billy

Upon first listen all I could think was, "Oh my! This is KILLER!" Take the fiery and intense production value, guitar tones and pummeling drum sounds of "The Gathering" and put it on all these classic thrash songs and that is what "First Strike Still Deadly" is. On top of this, several past members including John Tempest of Exodus fame (drums), Steve DiGiorgi (bass), Chuck Billy (vocals), Alex Skolnick (lead guitar) and Eric Peterson (rhythm guitar). Another surprising addition was Steve (Zetro) Souza, also of Exodus fame, handling the lead vocals on "Alone in the Dark" and "Reign of Terror." Of course Steve was a member of Testament when they were called Legacy. Anyhow, this disc is essential for fans of Testament or real thrash metal. Every song is BETTER than the original, and that certainly is a hard task to accomplish.

Testament - Live in London (Spitfire) 2005

1. "The Preacher" (4:10) 2. "The New Order" (4:39) 3. "The Haunting" (4:27) 4. "Electric Crown" (5:40) 5. "Sins of Omission" (5:24) 6. "Souls of Black" (3:59) 7. "Into the Pit" (3:06) 8. "Trial by Fire" (5:17) 9. "Practice What You Preach" (5:27) 10. "Let Go of My World" (3:41) 11. "The Legacy" (5:29) 12. "Over the Wall" (4:52) 13. "Raging Waters" (4:41) 14. "Disciples of the Watch" (5:15)

"Live in London" captures the reunited classic Testament line up playing a sold out show in London, England. This CD was also released as a DVD, but since I tend to listen to music more than I ever watch it, the CD is enough for me. The track listing is made up of classic Testament material including such rare heard tracks as "Sins of Omission", which happens to be one of my favorite tracks. Chuck Billy's voice is spot on, as is Greg Christian's bass playing. According to an interview I read, drummer Louie Clemente basically gave up playing after he left Testament, which apparently is why John Tempesta is brought in to play some songs. The nice thing about this live offering is that the band's raw energy is captured. However, it's not only the band that gives the performance that energy, but also the audience. "Live in London" is an excellent live offering from the reunited Testament line-up. Now if we could just get a new studio disc.

Testament - The Formation of Damnation (Nuclear Blast) 2008

1. "For the Glory of " (1:12)
2. "More than Meets the Eye" (4:31)
3. "The Evil has Landed" (4:44)
4. "Formation of Damnation" (5:09)
5. "Dangers of the Faithless" (5:48
6. "The Persecuted Won't Forget" (5:49)
7. "Henchman Ride" (4:01)
8. "Killing Season" (4:53)
9. "Afterlife" (4:14)
10. "F.E.A.R." (4:47 )
11. "Leave Me Forever" (4:28)

Nearly a decade later and the reigning kings of thrash metal return with their new magnum opus. In 1999 the band released the incredible "The Gathering" with original members Chuck Billy (vocals) and Eric Peterson (guitar), along with extraordinary guitarist James Murphy and the dream team rhythm section of bassist Steve DiGiorgio and drummer Dave Lombardo. In 2001, the band’s future was in serious doubt when Billy was diagnosed with cancer. However, this may have been the very thing that would save Testament. The now-legendary "Thrash of the Titans" benefit concert was organized to assist Billy (and Chuck Schuldiner) with his medical costs. It was here that Peterson and the long-departed Alex Skolnick were reunited to perform with The Legacy, the band which would eventually become Testament. This eventually led to the recording of "First Strike, Still Deadly", a collection of re-recorded songs from Testament’s first two albums.

Finally in 2008 we get "The Formation of Damnation", the first Testament album to feature Alex Skolnick on guitar since 1992's "The Ritual" and the first to feature bassist Greg Christian since 1994's "Low". "The Formation of Damnation" is a brilliant album combining the classic thrash sounds, some classic heavy metal influences and a heavy, raw, modern production. Unlike the "The Gathering", Billy returns to using a cleaner style vocal for the most part, with the exception of the title track where Billy breaks into a full death metal growl. The music, for the most part is up-tempo, with lots of fast parts and a few slower moments. Peterson comes up with some heavy riffs. He has a staccato picking style that comes from the Tipton/Downing school of heavy metal. As well, both Peterson and Skolnick unleash some wicked guitar solos throughout.

One of my favorite songs is the "The Evil has Landed", as song about the evil that used airplanes as bombs to kill innocent people in the U.S. on 9/11. Perhaps the lyrics are my reason for liking the song so much, but I actually do think it's a standout cut on the album. There are a few songs criticizing the Bush administration as untrustworthy.

"Formation of Damnation" will probably not replace long-time fans favorite Testament albums, but it's a very good modern thrash metal release and a welcome return to one of the original West Coast thrash metal machines.

Testament are also the subjects of a tribute CD called "Jump in the Pit-A Tribute to Testament."

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