Review Summary: An appropriately-titled album collects the cream of the extreme metal crop for what may be Testament’s finest hour.
In 1999, Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson, the sole remaining core members of Testament, recruited the help of some of the biggest names in underground metal to help out with their new album. Obituary/Death guitarist James Murphy (who had played with the band already on the album
Low), Slayer/Fantomas drum god Dave Lombardo, and the king of extreme metal bass, Steve DiGiorgio, all chipped in to make Testament’s heaviest album yet.
While the band still plays the same melodic style of metal that has typified the band’s sound since
The Legacy, the guitars how been seriously downtuned and the amps have been kicked up to 11, making this more of a death metal album than standard thrash. With this impressive lineup, Testament are faster, heavier, and lyrically at their best since
Practice What You Preach, resulting in some prime modern thrash.
The album kicks off with "D.N.R.", whose soft, orchestrating intro quickly gives away to a super riff and a rhythm section that is moving so fast it’ll make your head spin. Chuck’s bull roar is downright scary. The song ends and, before you can catch a needed breath, the band launches into an even faster song. "Down For Life" is where Chuck starts to shine, adding as much groove as the guitars. If you think Lombardo’s playing with Slayer is impressive, check out how he can play his double bass even faster, only to suddenly break into a steady beat at the drop of a hat. For a guy who consistently placing on top drummer lists, Dave is too often dismissed, but only a fool could listen to his work here and not acknowledge his skill. Now we come to one of the album’s several gems; "Eyes of Wrath" is where the band really hits their stride and start playing like they’ve been together forever instead of playing like a one-off supergroup. When the riffs let up for a few seconds of whispered vocals, I shudder every time. Chuck finds the perfect balance between his death grunts and his older, more melodic voice, and it firmly establishes him as possibly the finest vocalist in extreme metal.
"True Believer" and "Three Days of Darkness" are both very groovy numbers, if a little unmemorable. Then again, perhaps that’s because they’re both sandwiched between “Eyes of Wrath” and the heaviest song in the Testament canon, "Legions of The Dead". For two and half minutes, Testament dive head first into death metal waters; whereas the rest of the album has flirted with melodeath, this is flat out evil. "Careful What You Wish For" has a great bassline as well as a gloriously chunky riff. The chorus is insanely catchy and you’ll be humming it for hours after you’re done. But nothing can compare to the next track, undoubtedly the greatest on the album. Steve DiGiorgio is a bit of a wandering minstrel in the underground metal world; he’s recorded for so many bands odds are he’ll be in Fort Wayne, Indiana next week laying down lines for the demos of a bunch of 16 year old headbangers. Sadly, despite his always inventive basslines for a myriad of groups, he rarely gets a real opportunity to shine. "Riding the Snake" is one of those moments. Not only does his fluid bassline eerily open the track, but his frantic, finger-picked jazz fusion fits in perfectly under a crushing yet melodic riff. It combines the swagger of “Souls of Black” with the heaviness of “Low” and the speedy melody of “Eyes of Wrath.” In short, if this isn’t the band’s best song, it’s in the top three.
The final three songs can’t hope to approach the perfection of “Riding the Snake,” but they are all superb cuts. "Allegiance" is a shorter number with squealing guitars led mainly by the Chuck’s vocal lines. "Sewn Shut Eyes" features yet more superb vocals from Chuck and yet another killer riff with yet more perfect rhythm. "Fall of Sipledome" isn’t the most ideal album closer; it’s got Chuck’s weakest vocals on the album and we get another charging riff that doesn’t feel like an album closer. Nevertheless, it’s a nice last blast of killer drum beats, impossibly fast bass guitar (how does this guy play that fast without a pick?) and pure death metal guitar.
Despite the talent involved, I still felt the hesitation one must always have when dealing with supergroups; too often they play like a collection of individuals rather than as one. Here, however, the group plays like they’ve all been in Testament since the beginning. Steve DiGiorgio never fails to impress, while Dave Lombardo puts in some of his finest performances and James Murphy expertly toes the line between thrash and death. The real star, though, isn’t one of the guests; it’s Chuck Billy. Most thrash vocalists start out bad and only get worse after years of throaty roars, but Chuck is a rare breed. Sure, he doesn’t hit those high shrieks like he used to (some of the overdubs are in a bit of a higher register), but his voice has never sounded better. Even though he only sings, he should be counted a member of Testament’s rhythm section; his voice has an unparalleled sense of melody and groove to it that is as important to the song’s movement as any riff or double kick drum.
While the album isn’t perfect (the start and end pale in comparison to the middle), this is perhaps the best album from these thrash gods, and one of the better examples of modern trash metal. This album’s excellence makes Chuck’s subsequent cancer all the more tragic; it would be nine years before they could capitalize on their brilliant tweak in sound. Recommended for any fan of heavy and fast metal.
Pros
- No truly weak material
- Chuck sounds terrific
- the guests sound like actual members of the band
- inspired lyrics
- manages to create a new sound for Testament despite changing practically nothing but the tuning.
Cons
- Some songs are a bit unmemorable
Key tracks
Eyes of Wrath
Legions of the Dead
Riding the Snake
Sewn Shut Eyes
