Photo: Stefan Brending (2eight), CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
Testament
Testament came out of the Berkeley thrash scene in the mid-80s and quickly stood out for how sharp their playing was. Chuck Billy's voice could go from a low growl to a high bark without losing clarity, and guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson traded riffs and leads with a precision most of their peers couldn't match. They were part of the same Bay Area wave as Metallica and Exodus, and while they never quite reached that level of fame, their musicianship earned them a permanent spot in any serious conversation about American thrash metal.
Start here
The Legacy (1987). This is their debut, and it's where everything clicks into place. "Over the Wall" opens the record with one of the great thrash statements, and "The Haunting" and "Apocalyptic City" show off Skolnick's lead work at its most fluid. The production is a little raw compared to what came after, but the songs are lean, fast, and completely locked in.
Biography
Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band's current lineup includes rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Chris Dovas. Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member (though both he and Billy, who replaced original frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza in 1986, appear on every studio album). The band has released fourteen studio albums (one of which is a collection of re-recorded songs), four live albums, five compilation albums, thirteen singles and three DVDs. They are estimated to have sold over 1.4 million albums in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era, and over 14 million copies worldwide as of 2016.
Testament is credited as one of the leaders of the second wave of thrash metal of the late 1980s, and they are considered a significant member of the so-called "Big Six of Bay Area thrash metal" (along with Exodus, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit, Forbidden and Vio-lence).
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Studio albums
Discography
Official studio albums and EPs.
- 2025Para BellumAlbum
- 2020Titans of CreationAlbum
- 2016Brotherhood of the SnakeAlbum
- 2012Dark Roots of EarthAlbum
- 2008The Formation of DamnationAlbum
- 2001First Strike Still DeadlyAlbum
- 1999The GatheringAlbum
- 1997DemonicAlbum
- 1994LowAlbum
- 1993Return to the Apocalyptic CityEP
- 1992The RitualAlbum
- 1990Souls of BlackAlbum
- 1989Practice What You PreachAlbum
- 1988The New OrderAlbum
- 1988Trial by FireEP
- 1987The LegacyAlbum
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