Metal Reviews
Metal Reviews
TESTAMENT |
| Grind, grind, grind,
thrash, thrash, thrash. Nuff said? OK, I'll elaborate a bit - one of the best thrash metal bands ever is back, and as Emperor Caligula said "this time it's no more Mr. Nice Guy". This album is an ugly son of a bitch - if it were a baby, its parents would only take it out with a bag over its head (and at night). 45 minutes and 11 songs of full speed thrash. No finesse, no niceties, no long wanky songs, just power, raw, hard power. That's not to say that the musicianship suffers - on the contrary, some of James Murphy's guitar solos are simply excellent, and Dave Lombardo's drumming can be positively sick, especially his double bass work on my favourite song "Legions Of The Dead". Put the cat out, warn the neighbours, turn it up and party! Why do I have images of Beavis and Butthead head banging in my mind when I listen to this album? File next to Machine Head and Slayer. Released by USG Records (USG 1033-2) Review by Neil Gallop |
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"First Strike Still Deadly" Testament |
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The long awaited rerecording of the bands' early material has finally arrived. And like a bolt of lightning aimed straight for your nervous system, it'll prove equally as devastating as it did the first time around if not more so. The basic idea of course to employ the modern techniques and improved production abilities of today and apply them to the late great classics of yesterday, and the resulting chaos proves beyond a shadow of doom worth the effort. Unearthing and recreating the
madness from their first two early favorites, "The Legacy,"
and "The New Order," the impact of each for its time,
immeasurable… even by today's Testament arrived from the
Bay Area Thrash community that spawned the likes of Metallica, Megadeth
and later Exodus, and simply conquered with unmatched power, speed,
and precision that their many predecessors would no longer have the
stomach for, and to this day they have remained true to their roots
in spite of the many driving forces "First Strike Is Deadly" features contributions from many original players from differing intervals (of which there are many) rejoining to rejuvenate the likes of "Into The Pit," "Trial By Fire," "Burnt Offerings," and "Over The Wall," four of the eleven total tracks which also features a guest appearance by original vocalist Steve Souza from their earliest Legacy days and the rare "Reign Of Terror" demo track! As big an impact as something like "The Legacy" or "The New Order" made when they were first unleashed in the late eighties, the differences between then and now, having experienced both, are obvious from the onset listening to these new recordings… to say nothing of the degree of impact which in itself cannot be fairly observed. While others of their time went off course long ago, Testament's always stayed true to their roots and does not disappoint their loyal fan base. Few could argue that the original Testament was in peak form-even though we're not hearing the band in its completely original form, the music they created stands amongst the best in their history. Even now to hear Skolnick rattle off riff and burning riff and teamed again with Peterson, an incomparable duo, is simply awe-inspiring. Tempesta's thunderous drumming, never as impacting as now, and Chuck, the beast behind the mighty roar-save for Souza's frightening versions of "Alone In The Dark," and "Reign Of Terror" to conclude, remains a prominent feature as always and in fact struggles for survival in some cases behind the non-stop pounding of the rhythm section! Recorded in tribute to renowned
Death front man Chuck Schuldiner and Testament legions worldwide,
consider this an early holiday gift from the band that keeps on giving.
The first strike was deadly enough in its day… but this one'll
surely kill ya! Released by Spitfire
Records. Review by Vinnie
Apicella [va85@columbia.edu] |