Nuclear Blast
2008
1. For the Glory of
2. More than Meets the Eye
3. The Evil has Landed
4. Formation of Damnation
5. Dangers of the Faithless
6. The Persecuted Won't Forget
7. Henchman Ride
8. Killing Season
9. Afterlife
10. F.E.A.R.
11. Leave Me Forever
I think everyone has at least one 'big name' metal band they just don't really get and Testament has always been just that for me. It's not that I hate them or think all their music is bad, but I do find their songs very hit and miss. For every Over The Wall there's something I think is just complete filler. As such I've never gotten into the band much and I wouldn't really call this a fan review. None the less, I am a fan of thrash and I figured I'd check this one out to see if it had some worthy tracks.
One thing I do like about this album is that it takes a step back to a slightly more traditional sound than Testament has pursued in awhile. For a bit there Testament tried to harden up their sound with death-ish vocals and really, to me, it was not only lame but a waste of one of the strong points of the band... the singing. On this album though Chuck Billy is back in full form and his vocals are probably the overall highlight of the album. The death-ish vocals only work there way in sporadically aside from the title track which just sounds like shit honestly.
In terms of the guitar I have to give a fairly mediocre review. Mostly this album likes to settle into it's modernized thrash chugging with little technicality put into leads and only a little popping up in the solos. The songs work in a 90s thrash sorta way with a fair amount of muscle to the sound of the guitar and some memorable grooves, but I can't help thinking Skolnick is capable of more. The songs mostly make the grade but it's not due to any great shredding.
In the end I think this one will please fans because it is more traditional and the songs are pretty decent. If you're a Testament fan of old than this is probably worth it. By this time you probably know if you like what Testament does or not and there's no huge changes other than a step back.
Highlights: Henchman Ride, Killing Season
Rating - 3.0/5
2. More than Meets the Eye
3. The Evil has Landed
4. Formation of Damnation
5. Dangers of the Faithless
6. The Persecuted Won't Forget
7. Henchman Ride
8. Killing Season
9. Afterlife
10. F.E.A.R.
11. Leave Me Forever
I think everyone has at least one 'big name' metal band they just don't really get and Testament has always been just that for me. It's not that I hate them or think all their music is bad, but I do find their songs very hit and miss. For every Over The Wall there's something I think is just complete filler. As such I've never gotten into the band much and I wouldn't really call this a fan review. None the less, I am a fan of thrash and I figured I'd check this one out to see if it had some worthy tracks.
One thing I do like about this album is that it takes a step back to a slightly more traditional sound than Testament has pursued in awhile. For a bit there Testament tried to harden up their sound with death-ish vocals and really, to me, it was not only lame but a waste of one of the strong points of the band... the singing. On this album though Chuck Billy is back in full form and his vocals are probably the overall highlight of the album. The death-ish vocals only work there way in sporadically aside from the title track which just sounds like shit honestly.
In terms of the guitar I have to give a fairly mediocre review. Mostly this album likes to settle into it's modernized thrash chugging with little technicality put into leads and only a little popping up in the solos. The songs work in a 90s thrash sorta way with a fair amount of muscle to the sound of the guitar and some memorable grooves, but I can't help thinking Skolnick is capable of more. The songs mostly make the grade but it's not due to any great shredding.
In the end I think this one will please fans because it is more traditional and the songs are pretty decent. If you're a Testament fan of old than this is probably worth it. By this time you probably know if you like what Testament does or not and there's no huge changes other than a step back.
Highlights: Henchman Ride, Killing Season
Rating - 3.0/5
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