Review Summary: Listen, son, carry on our Legacy
After nearly a decade’s worth of health setbacks and attempts to reunite the classic lineup, Testament returned with a proper album in 2008’s The Formation of Damnation. It’s rather odd how the band seemed late to a party that they essentially started with 1999’s The Gathering and the 2001 Thrash of the Titans benefit concert held in Chuck Billy’s honor, but thrash metal’s comeback phase was still in full swing by the time this release was finally ready. And with guitarist Alex Skolnick and bassist Greg Christian making full returns and drummer Paul Bostaph filling out the lineup, there was always going to be excitement for how this would pan out.
As easy as it would be to assume the album would be a return to late eighties glory, it feels more like a combination of The Ritual and The Gathering with some hints of Practice What You Preach for flavor. There’s more priority given to the melodicism that had been phased out during their more extreme years, but the thick riffs and mix of growled/clean vocals still provide much of the foundation. The results make for a balanced listen, albeit one that risks coming off as middle of the road at times, but Skolnick’s leads bring some color back in the mix and the rhythm section is consistently strong.
It also helps that the band puts their best foot forward with the first three proper songs. “More Than Meets the Eye” plays like a modernized “Electric Crown” with anthemic vocal lines and beefy riffs that do justice to its steady pacing while the title track plays more to the extreme side of the spectrum with fast verses, catchy growls, and a thematic breakdown. The red-blooded American in me still feels a little uncomfortable about the heavy-handed lyrics detailing 9/11 on “The Evil Has Landed,” but I can’t deny those hard-hitting riffs and catchy as hell vocal lines.
I must admit that the rest of the album doesn’t keep up the momentum, but it still puts in some solid songs. “Dangers of the Faithless” borders on prog with its off-time rhythms, constantly shifting dynamics, and oddly sequenced vocals while “Henchmen Ride” stands out for its particularly tight drumming and another memorable refrain. The last couple songs also end up being a mixed bag; the subdued approach on “Leave Me Forever” ends the album on a whimper when the fast-paced “F.E.A.R.” would’ve been a much fierier closer with a bit of an epic flair behind it.
While The Formation of Damnation isn’t quite at the level of the best 2000s thrash comebacks, it’s still nice to see Testament operating at an efficiently comfortable pace. This retrospective style was the smartest path they could’ve chosen as it does well to encompass the varying phases of their long-running career while also allowing the musicians’ fusion of old and new quirks to even out for some rock-solid chemistry. Subsequent albums have essentially stuck to this formula with varying results, but seeing Testament come out as one of thrash’s top elder statesmen makes for some sweet vindication.
