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Ladies and gentlemen, here are Testament! One of the greatest thrash metal bands from the Californian Bay Area! The band has faced numerous obstacles throughout their career (strong disagreements with record labels, constant lineup changes, the poor health of singer Chuck Billy), but with great tenacity, they have managed to secure a prominent position in the metal rankings. A significant part of the credit goes to the dazzling guitarist Alex Skolnick, creator of sharp riffs and blazing solos, but also engaging melodies. To me, he is an impeccable guitarist from every point of view.
After the great successes of the '80s, the band found themselves struggling at the beginning of the next decade. Thrash rapidly declined, due to new musical forms like grunge and alternative rock, which made the fortunes of greedy record labels and MTV. As everyone knows, most thrash groups took a more commercial turn in their sound (a random name… Metallica!). Alas, even Testament were victims of this generational change, and “The Ritual” (1992) is clear evidence of that. While the shift of bands like Metallica and Megadeth did not record a drop in popularity (on the contrary!), that of Testament proved to be a commercial failure.
After this failed experiment, Testament released this live EP, “Return to the Apocalyptic City” (1993). This work marks the beginning of many lineup changes for the band, which could no longer remain united. Skolnick leaves, no longer interested in heavy metal, dedicating himself to new musical experiences like his jazz group (Alex Skolnick Trio), and drummer Louie Clemente abandons music to go into the antique trade. Thus, guitarist/founder Eric Peterson, Chuck Billy, and bassist Greg Christian enlist two former members of Forbidden (another valued band in thrash metal), such as guitarist Glen Alvelais and the legendary drummer Paul Bostaph.
The new lineup delivers a worthy performance in this work, and Alvelais, from a technical point of view, is in no way inferior to Skolnick. Additionally, Bostaph is no less compared to Clemente. In the short span of the EP, some of the quintet's historic tracks are revisited, namely "Over the Wall", "The Haunting", "Disciples of the Watch", and only one piece from “The Ritual”, "So Many Lies", the only one that seems out of place in the setlist. I would have preferred "Electric Crown", one of the few salvageable tracks from Testament's worst album. The last two tracks are recorded in the studio by the classic lineup (Billy, Peterson, Skolnick, Christian, and Clemente): the Slayer-inspired "Reign of Terror", recorded during a demo session for “The New Order”, and the ballad "Return to Serenity" without the first minute of intro.
It would have been a great live performance if it had included a greater number of songs. Nonetheless, it is always a good live performance.
Tracklist and Lyrics
05 Reign of Terror (04:48)
Marching our way through the crypts of the dead
Taking his land by command
Killing our victims and taking no slaves
Hitler's final third reich
Engines are roaring the warheads ablast
The destroyer claims their fate
Hells legions armies
They march to defy
Lucifer takes his wait
Obeying this task by our leaders will
Death camps have taken their toll
The cold winds of winter are present forever
Destroyers claim their fate
Fighting our way through the mist of the night
Taking the life from young souls
Marching our armies prepared to fight
The cities all laid destroyed
Machineguns are firing the tanks are ablast
Bombing our way through hell
Generals smiling destruction strikes
Our armies have done well
Obeying this task by our leaders will
Death camps have taken their toll
The cold winds of winter are present forever
Destoyers claim their fate
Though the dead have trapped us in
We'll break the pact a deadly whim
Faisoned hammers wielded straight
Cursing us back to hell's gates
Black magic force thats taken it's course
The world lives in fear
The death calls are near
Awaiting this task battle at last
The worlds left to defy
Now's the time for you to die
Marching our way through the crypts of the dead
Taking his land by command
Killing our victims and taking no slaves
Hitler's final third reich
Engines are roaring the warheads ablast
The destroyer claims their fate
Hells legions armies
They march to defy
Lucifer takes his wait
Obeying this task by our leaders will
Death camps have taken their toll
The cold winds of winter are present forever
Destoyers claim their fate
06 Return to Serenity (04:30)
I'm gonna take you
To a place far from here
No one will see us
Watch the pain as it disappears
No time for anger
No time for despair
Won't you come with me
There's room for us there
This innocent beauty
My words can't describe
This rebirth to purity
Brings a sullen tear right to your eyes
No time for anger
No time for despair
Please let me take you
'Cause I'm already there
I'm so alone
My head's my home
I'll return to serenity
Rhyme without reason
Is why children cry
They see through the system
That's breeding them just so they die
So please let me take you
And I'll show you the truth
Inside my reality
We shared in my youth
I'm so alone
My head's my home
And I feel
So alone
You know
At last
I return to serenity
Now that I've taken you
To a place far from here
I really must go back
Close your eyes and we'll disappear
Won't you come with me
Salvation we'll share
Inside of my head now
There's room for us there
CHORUS
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