Testament
First Strike Still Deadly

THE REVIEW

This album is nothing more than a collection of some of the best works from the early years of Testament (not exactly the best, in my opinion), re-recorded with the production and especially the MUSICIANS of today, without too many rearrangements, just a bit more "Death" hardening for the chorus of Trial By Fire, some more or more complex bass fills here and there, and a slightly more creative drumming compared to the usual tu-pa-tu-pa of early Thrash.

As for the musicians, the renewed line-up features only one, perfectly fitting and unfortunately temporary reacquisition from the past, the immense guitarist Alex Skolnick, who before the release of this album I considered the only, true, but insurmountable loss of the "new" Testament. Alex in this album won't give us new emotions, but will merely renew those of the past (what the hell am I saying, I was born while The Legacy was coming out?!... oh well), which, as far as I'm concerned, is more than enough.
Billy-Peterson duo remains the same, with at most some extra raspy growl, bringing along since The Gathering the legendary damn-hippie-fretless-frog-keeper Steve DiGiorgio, who obviously, abundantly outshines Greg Christian (who?), even imitating his typical sounds, rich in mid-highs.

A completely new acquisition, and again temporary (acc...), is the skin-smasher John Tempesta, who just by the name..., then if you look at the booklet in the equipment list under "John 'The Storm' Tempesta Destroys: tama drums, etc.", I think it's clear without further circumlocutions the type of drummer, who in my opinion, for doing the old stuff of Testament, is much more fitting than any Dave Lombardo.

Nothing new, in short, but this album definitely deserves a rating, and a high one! Yes, because the final result is a homogeneous best-of, with excellent production and technically much higher than the originals. It's not every day, especially in metal, that remade tracks so greatly surpass the historical classics.