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Rating: Despite the resurgence in popularity that the genre has enjoyed in recent years, in the collective imagination, thrash metal seems to remain tied to a narrow handful of bands, usually those attributed to the Big Four, namely the "usual" Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax.
Aside from the fact that it has never been quite clear why one might be part of this clique (number of copies sold?), it is indisputable that the genre, fortunately, has gone beyond this narrow list, with noteworthy bands that have long surpassed five decades of career, but for various reasons, have always remained confined to a smaller circuit of fans. If some time ago the case of Exodus and their failed "leap in quality" in the Eighties was considered, a similar argument could be partially made for Testament. Born as Legacy, the band had already proven to be hyperactive since the late Eighties, regularly releasing albums that are now considered classics of the genre, from "The Legacy" in 1987 to "Souls of Black" in 1990.
While on the one hand the best works of the Big Four remained unattainable (albums like "South of Heaven" and "Rust in Peace" objectively remain on another level), Eric Peterson and company undeniably had the merit of keeping the genre alive even during the lean years of the Nineties, though with a lesser impact compared to the golden times. As might be expected, that period saw the band go into crisis, lose members along the way, and even face a brief breakup, but it must be acknowledged that the quality of the various albums written was never less than decent, always managing to deliver at least fairly good records and not appearing as mere shadows of their former selves. The disc in question was released in a year, 1994, when frankly, almost no one remembered thrash metal anymore and all the major formations had either disbanded or were exploring other realms.
With "Low," Testament attempted to have a foot in both camps, frankly convincing only halfway. On one hand, they tried to remain faithful to patterns already proposed in the past, while on the other, they ventured into territories hitherto unexplored. The entrance of James Murphy into the lineup, who had already lent his six-string to Death and Obituary, managed to inject new life into a possibly disoriented group that was not going through its best phase, at least updating the proposed sound and keeping it in line with the times. On one hand, it should be noted that those were years when Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, and Pantera were reigning supreme, and death metal was experiencing one of its most prolific periods, but it must be recognized that this "extreme" version of Testament does not always convince. While tracks like "Low," "Hail Mary," and the beautiful ballad "Trail of Tears" showcase a cohesive group aware of their capabilities, capable of writing songs like "Dog Faced Gods," perhaps one of the best in their long discography, it must also be said that the B-side of the album often features tracks as aggressive as they are forgettable, failing to convey anything even after repeated listens. While the desire to try new sounds was commendable, albeit partly dictated by the need to stay afloat in a rapidly changing market at the time, on many occasions, there is the impression that the experiment was not entirely successful, with death metal sounds poorly blending with the band's classic sound and tracks frankly not always up to par.
From a purely technical point of view, it's worth acknowledging the high level of the instrumentalists involved, as always, and the fact that "Low" remains one of Chuck Billy's most interesting performances, convincing both when using clean vocals and when expressing himself on more extreme registers. Despite the more than decent performance, in the long run, the crisis of the genre would also hit Testament, now involved in a constant shuffle of musicians, leading to the breakup that would occur shortly thereafter. The band would nevertheless return to the scene later, first with "Demonic" in 1997 and then with "The Gathering" in 1999, an album usually credited with revitalizing the entire thrash movement, even though in this case too, the death matrix was very present.
In recent years, the quintet has returned to producing studio albums with a certain regularity, consistently churning out quality records and securing a prominent role in the history of thrash.
Testament:
Chuck Billy, vocals
John Tempesta, drums
Greg Christian, bass
James Murphy, guitar
Eric Peterson, guitar
"Low":
1. Low
2. Legions (In Hiding)
3. Hail Mary
4. Trail of Tears
5. Shades of War
6. P.C.
7. Dog Faced Gods
8. All I Could Bleed
9. Urotsukidoji
10. Chasing Fear
11. Ride
12. Last Call
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Low (03:33)
Fuel the fire for war
it's man against mankind
bruises that they bear
been beaten down with time
Innocent people suffer the loss
your broken hope so close to the cross
sometimes you just don't know
how low... how low you can, go...
So low it's sickening
low... low... show some mercy
Hey you piece of shit
just leave the kids alone
why can't you bear
the things that we endure
Innocent people suffer the loss
lost hope with faith to the cross
sometimes you just don't know
how low... how low you can go
show some sympathy
low.. low... show some mercy
I don't like you for your warped demented ways
I hope they lock you down so you never get away
low... low... show some sympathy
low... low... show some mercy...
03 Hail Mary (03:32)
I am alive
I feel dirt in my eyes
there's no escape when redemption is lost
I'm not a saint
there's no use looking
no sins to deny
just my will to go on
Arms of darkness
embrace me in madness
in my life it's mandatory
hard to resist you
I still can't forgive you
for sins that I cannot wash away
Hail Mary full of grace
throw some light upont this race
intertwining final breath
now... in the hour of death
Bound by the lies
of constant denial
pay for my sins that I bear for a child
I'm not a saint
there's no use denying
falling from grace
is my reason to go on
Hail Mary full of grace
push me down, and kick me in my face
intertwining final breath
now... in the hour of death
04 Trail of Tears (06:06)
See the sun as the day is done
life is of the broken ones
some will stray as time will come
All their lives, they live it well
red man proud and giving hell
some stand and shining tall
Can you hear them call...
See the sun as it's setting still
tears fall from a warrior
damn those who I feel
Set a trail to the promised land
mother and child holding hand in hand
through the snow or through the sands
All across the land...
Full moon's rising from the sky, a warrior's riding
ride with the wind
so far away, the spirits will guide you
no more sorrow
don't look back, your freedom will follow
flying so free
can't you see... on the trail of tears
Full moon's rising from the sky, a warrior's riding
ride with the wind
so far away, the spirits will guide you
no more sorrow
don't look back, your freedom will follow
flying so free
can't you see... on the trail of tears
05 Shades of War (04:44)
Burial of a human being
a man before a boy
born to fight in another man's world
not a world where there's war
Born religiously
truth is what they see
death won't come from peace
who fuels this war?
Sacred ground of life
burnt remains of the dead
bodies lay to rest
spirits of the earth
Rancid man, burned alive
too blind to see what's wrong from right
locked inside this cage
so many times blood has poured
walk with shadows
hear the shades of war... forever more
Brought into this world of bitter pain
are we safe... or just insane
Rancid man, burned alive
too blind to see what's wrong from right
darkness veils their way
so many times blood has poured
walk with shadows
hear the shades of war... forever more
07 Dog Faced Gods (04:02)
Of dog faced gods
Through the Nile sands whisper
Of ancient times, mayfly names
Flickered and gone
The blood and honey
Dripping from their jaws
Through the Nile sand whisper
Ancient times, fade into the dawn
Of dog faced gods
Manifest in the night
The sacred rights
Handed down through times of old
Dark words of power
Blood upon their tombs
Through incantations
Locusts fly, signaling doom
Confirm who I am
Contort all I can
Conceive sorcery
Corrodes disbelief
Of dog faced gods
Dead civilization
Through priests of power
Invoking life of the ancient one
The blood and honey
Dripping from their jaws
Through the Nile sand whisper
Travel through time to the land unknown
Confirm who I am
Contort all I can
Conceive sorcery
Corrodes disbelief
08 All I Could Bleed (03:37)
[Music: Peterson]
[Lyrics: Billy]
I like to dominate
I create your fate
Many years gone by
I rule society
You cannot be me
I am the master
Can't you hear me, breathing for you
Do not ignore
Reach out to me, put your knife through me
Watch me bleed for you... yeah... right
Try to retaliate
I release your hate
Why don't you bleed for me
What do you need to prove
I can see through you
You're not the master
Can't you see me, dying for you
Do not ignore
Reach out to me, put your knife through me
Watch me bleed for you... dying... dying...
All I could bleed
Can't you understand
Grab life by the hand
Where's democracy
I gave all I could bleed
[Solos: 1 & 3: Eric]
[Solos: 2 & 4: James]
Fuck government
Land is of the free
Don't take away
Your two bit society
Dying for your greed
Now watch them bleed...
Yeah... all I could bleed
10 Chasing Fear (04:56)
[Music: Peterson, Christian]
[Lyrics: Billy, James]
Paralyzed
And never coming back
Even when your eyes are open
Everything turns to black
Soon forgotten senses
Incubates the soul
Hiding from the light fantastic
Waiting for the show
Contemplation
Reality starts to fade
Creeping stare behind dead eyes
As the minutes burn the day
Inactive wandering
Still can't get a grip
Can God hear your cry
Before you start to slip
Chasing fear
Human mind unglued
Unaware
That fear is chasing you
Endless waiting
For nothing to appear
Even when your eyes are shut
The visions are so clear
Harmonious dissidence
Obscure reckoning
Did you hear that final note
Of silent suffering
Chasing fear
Human mind unglued
Disappear
The sickness inside of you
Chasing fear
Nothing you can do
Unaware
That fear is chasing you
[Solos: Eric, James]
Loss of function
Withering of the will
Condemned to a state of nothing
Moving in for the kill
Brain cells slowly boil
With memories intertwined
Listening to that empty space
Atrophy of the mind
Chasing fear
Human mind unglued
Disappear
The sickness inside of you
Chasing fear
Nothing you can do
Unaware
That fear is chasing you
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By OzzyRotten
"Testament are a little piece of hard history and loved madly by hundreds of people."
"When they decide to flex their muscles, there’s nothing that can stand their ground."
