TESTAMENT Slays! (Here's why)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- Welcome to my new "Slays" series. First up..Testament!
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THE most underrated singer in metal. Chuck Billy’s range is just out of this planet.
That would be Katon
Alex Sckolnik is a real pro; a great player with a deep understanding of his instrument from decades of experience.
Dude is pretty much a "bilingual" guitarist. Really good playing metal, really good playing jazz.
He's a legitimate Satriani protege.
Absolutely. He’s the reason I struggle with keeping Metallica as my second favorite band. Both Metallica and Testament have great kick ass songs but Alex’s solos and leads are just top notch
Beautiful solos on the Ritual. Underrated album.
80s thrash had an incredibly strong stable of Tier 2 bands. Testament, Overkill, Exodus, Death Angel, Forbidden, Annhilator, Kreator, Flotsam & Jetsam, Metal Church. . . .so many classic albums!
Metal church's metal church album fucking slays
Tbh I come back to listen to the teir 2 bands alot more than than the big 4
Bay Area pride!
Nailed it all great bands, little lighter but still killed it were bands like icon and wild dogs
I hate it when Overkill and Exodus are called Tier 2 bands. They've been at it for as long as any of the Big 4.
Dude thank you for this video on Testament, one of my top favorite metal bands of all time...Alex Skolnick is indeed a beast, his solos have such a great groove. He's a big inspiration for my playing and he's also a super nice, humble guy as well!
Oh shit the dark souls animation guy plays guitar, sick
Always liked Eric Peterson's super-tight riffing. He's definitely one of the best rhythm guitarists in heavy metal.
and he's an underrated lead player himself. he's no slouch and one of the best IMO.
@@LadyFairChildVideo He didn't start playing lead until quite late apart from some exceptions like Hetfield, but nowadays he's just killer and his style complements Alex so well
seriously... he's got one of the most aggressive right wrist in metal... he's nuts...
Yeah, one of the best. He is Testament creative force
"Return to Serenity" still is my favorite guitar solo of all time
Absolutely agree!!! Testament has been a mainstay of mine since the late 80’s. Such a great band that stayed true to their thrash roots for all these years! And the talent they display has been just a masterpiece of epic thrash metal music. Always loved them always will
Love testament, new order is my favorite album right now, 10/10 no skips.
Top 5 thrash metal album for me, easily. Beautiful stuff that record.
I have loved testament for over 30 years now. Skolnick has always been one of my favorite guitar players as well. Thanks for shining a light on them. They don’t get the recognition they deserve.
An extremely underated band! A Big 5, Exodus? I did see them in the late 80's at Lost Horizons, small club in Syracuse, NY. I think Testament played 2 or 3 times there.
I grew up in Ithaca, NY, where Anthrax recorded their 2nd(?) Album, along with the amazing S.O.D. album. We were young metalheads when Pyramid Sound, w/producer Alex Perialis became known.
I think Testament was one of the next bands to record there, and we didn't know of them, but they were super cool guys and told us they were making an album at Pyramid Sound. They looked cool, but we hadn't heard them until the album was released.
This was around 87'-88'(getting old now, lol). We put the album on and were blown away! These guys were super heavy, extremely tight, and very original.
We finally saw them at Lost Horizons and if anyone wasn't a fan coming in, they sure were after the show!
Extremely intregent with great songs that never sounded similar, and really opened up the landscape of heavy music. I don't remember not loving every tune.
And they've built a heck of a catalog since!
If there was a Big 5, I can't imagine anyone but Testament even being considered! Right away, they were a great band. And all were great players!
Certified Legends Now! Timeless tunes always.👍
My favorite album will always be "Low" James Murphy did such a good job on that record. It also elevated Eric Peterson's playing alot.
In the 90s, the heaviest music I ever listened to was Metallica and Megadeth; I wasn't into death metal vocals or anything like that. But, one day my friend brought over the Gathering and I was hooked! The mix was so good and everything was so brutal and big. Such a forward-looking sound! It was like the perfect bridge between thrash and death. I still listen to it and get the same chills over twenty years later.
Love this band, all great albums...even when Alex was gone...man that album with Dave Lombardo is insane, The Gathering...so fucken heavy....Eric Peterson is insane in how much he has grown as a guitarist. Alex Skolnick is a god.
Dave totally made up for Alex's absence. Great album.
Let's hear about Exodus next! Gary's killer tone should be dived into a bit more.
My nephew is a guitar teacher, hes a fan of Skolnick, Jazz infleunced lots of theory. :-)
Being an old metal head I hate to admit I skipped over Testament. It wasn't until many years later when The Gathering came out that I started listening to them because of Dave Lombardo being on the album, and having been a huge slayer fan up till Seasons in the Abyss I wanted to hear what my favorite drummer was up to. It's amazing that after almost 40 years Testament is still heavy AF.
Yeah for some strange reason I never got into them growing up! I really need to get into them, what would you suggest I first listen to? And you said Lombardo was on one of the album's?? He's one of my favorite drummers ever... so I definitely need to check out the Gathering album you mentioned 👍
@@Sir_Catnip The Gathering is a good place to start. Demonic, Low, and The Legacy are good too. They have a huge discography.
What's wrong with season in the abyss 😣 its a killer album
Start from the beginning
@@przygodykatanki nothing is wrong with seasons in the abyss, its my favorite album from slayer. After that they sort of lost my interest.
Ya Alex is such a killer guitarist and when i took lessons from him back in the 90's i had him play a couple solos just to see how he was playing em. he was a great teacher and it was fascinating learning how to play different techniques since hes a jazz player as well as a rocker!!!!
How did you get guitar lessons from him?!
I played in bands in the early to mid 80s, played w some really good guitar players. I met a guitar player named Diane. She took lessons from Jen Battin, Diane could play it all. We love Metal . God bless you all!
I always appreciated Testament. They were able to stay dedicated to thrash while still evolving. And they give their fans DECADES of quality live shows.
I am so happy to see this video. To this day I listen to Testament while I’m working out. 1000x better than any energy drink out there. Listening to them at high volumes causes extreme increases in strength and sudden surges of raw power and energy. Must be used responsibly🤟💪
Yeah. I expected testament to be on the top 4. They literally kept their sound and vibe and everything since the beginning. Alex is also one of my favorite players since his solos are so noticable. His use of scales and stuff are crazy along with his speed. My favorite album would definitely be the Gathering, but souls, and practice I don't even know what to choose. Their performances are also so good. Haven't been to one but just looking at their performances on TH-cam make then a top 5 must attend concert list. It's also amazing to to know how they released albums the next year after while still having killer riffs. It's just amazing what a good band can do.
I love Testament but they did change their sound. They tried Death Metal vocals. And they never got criticism for their ballads like Metallica did. I love their ballads by the way.
I would of rather seen Testament in the big 4 vs Anthrax
@@RectifyTheParadigm yeah, it is a tough call between Anthrax and Testament for the big four, but personally I would choose Anthrax on the basis that they have a different flavour to the other three. I think the big four are all significantly differently to each other, but have all the vital components of thrash. I love Testament, though.
So much better than anthrax...Souls of Black was killer
I saw them in 1997 at The Rave, that is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a great show!
The sound there is obnoxious! The venue’s sound man hadn’t figured out how to balance it out well by then. If ever? But it is a great venue to go get your metal fix.
I love Testament. A friend turned me on to them in the late 80's. Their sound blew me away. I got to see them in 1990 I believe. They were on a lineup with Megadeth and Judas Priest. Just awesome. I would love to see them again.
Low is a masterpiece of heavy music. I also really like their re-recordings on First Strike Still Deadly, though the originals are killer too.
Yeah, throwing in James Murphy while Alex was gone was a damned good choice as was the Gene Hogan drumming on the albums they were a part of developing. Funny how they both played in Death see time before their Testament runs too though. Hoglan's been pretty much everywhere since and Murphy tried pulling his own solo stuff under the band name "Disincarnate" with the album titled "Dreams of The Carrion Kind" which was actually pretty good too, but yeah Testament's always been a favorite. I saw them in 1994 during their "Return to The Apocalyptic City" tour headlining with Pro-Pain and Green Jello in tow. Saved energy for Testament, and then jumped into the pit for a while xD
some time***
My fave track from them is "Trail of tears" crazy good track. Makes Nothing Else Matters sound like a nursery tune..
Chuck Billy is an amazing vocalist. He really doesn't get the credit he deserves and he is criminally underrated.
I saw Testament in Philadelphia, and they were incredibly talented and unbelievably loud. I was so happy I got to see them and was so close to the band. I got into them based on The Ballad video and my friend who wore Testament shirts in school.
🤘🏻🔥 Testament does indeed slay! Awesome video! Have really enjoyed getting to know their music this past year and a bit.
A little while ago I got a CD box set of their first 5 albums. I decided to start with Practice What You Preach like you did, I've gotta say I was NOT disappointed.
I do agree that the logo looked better in it's original format, loved the font, and it is pretty cool that the 2 T's frame the whole thing with the symmetrical A in the middle, I love stuff like that. Need to pick up their later albums now.
I played the first 5 albums at earpiecing level in my '82 subaru. 😂😂😂😂🤘
I saw them with Di Giorgio and Gene Hoglan. Killer show and Alex is flawless !!!
never listened to testament until about a couple months ago and now they are the only band i have been listening to. Been trying to learn some of their songs which has been lots of fun.
Since Chuck and I have the same dentist, my dentist gives me the scoop on Testaments' new tunes when I have an appointment with him. He also taught Chuck how to sing a couple of their songs in Spanish. Pretty cool
Saw them live in '97 at a club. Only Eric & Chuck were in the band at the time, but it was still a great show.
Saw them live in resurrection in 2019, they're amazing. Still have an Alex Sckolnik pick that he throws that show
One more thing, you're really are a skilled musician, so giving a band like this major props is great to see.
Electric Crown is still one of my favorite songs. I couldn't get enough of Practice, Souls & Ritual, I wore those tapes out.
Had a GIANT “Practice what you Preach” poster on the ceiling over my (water)bed back in 1990! It was the store display I made at the used record store where I worked here in NorCal.
Testament is a SF Bay Area treasure!🍻🤘
I agree with every word as Testament was one of my favorite bands in the early 90's. I've seen them live a couple of times and they were killer.
this is such a good idea for a series
Devin James' Souls of black drum video introduced me to Testament the other day and now I am on a massive Testament kick. Love their entire discography! This is a great video and I completely agree!
i’ve been listening to over the wall a lot over the past few days. A ton of their stuff is fantastic, Alex solos are on another level for thrash
I fucking love Envy Life. That growl at the song's drop is heavenly.
Great summary of Testament. My favorite metal band by far
Testament RULES! Great clean renditions you did there as well!
I used see Testament when they were Legacy back in the day, particularly at Ruthies Inn, in Berkeley. Then they would play at The Omni in Oakland frequently.
Side note, Chuck and I have the same dentist and they are good friends.
You got me with a rubber bass sound.I actually love that type of bass tone-a lot of bands from back in the day used it.
Greg je čudo. Nešto izmedju Klifa i Stiv Herisa.
Yeah!!! Alex has always been one of my guitar heroes.
Testment really rules!!!
The Low album is one of my all-time favorites.
Their 2016 album “Brotherhood of the Snake” may be my favorite of theirs. Songs like the title track and The Pale King rip so hard, and Stronghold has one of my favorite solos ever written. Badass band!
My favorites from Testament is guitarist James Murphy, Bassist Steve DiGiorgio, & Gene "The Atomic Clock" Hoglan on drums very talented musicians!!
Cheers!
Started listening to Testament in 6th or 7th grade back in the late 80's. Always one of my favorites and SOOOOOO underrated. My son just turned 14, has been playing guitar 8-10 months and we're hoping to go see Testament down in Boston in May (we're in Northern Maine). Ive never seen them and would love to take him.
Greg's bass on practice what you preach was great.
I’ve seen testament live more than any other band. Saw them as openers for megadeth and slayer in ‘90-‘91 where they were extremely well-received by the crowd. I also saw them in '95, playing to an almost empty Eagle’s Ballroom in Milwaukee. That show was just a couple of days after the Milwaukee metalfest. They didn’t care. They played a full set for the 20-30 guys there. James Murphy was the lead guitar player.
Last time I was them was in Yokohama, Japan during the Dark Roots tour where they headlined Trash Domination 2013. Incredibly good performance.
cheers
that 90-91 concert must have been legendary
Love them, and thanks for the video..... I met Alex during his first TSO show at the Detroit Opera House after his Savatage stint, and got his Auto. I remember asking him if he was every going to get back with Testament, he looked at me and smiled and said... You never know. But you could tell he was hiding it. I was so happy when he did come back that I had emailed him and congratulated him. He did reply back and said....It was a long time coming, but I'm ready to be back for good. Great Guy.
I was working at a club in Detroit and seen them on the low tour and couldn't agree more about the walls shaking it was loud and intense then getting to hang out with them on the bus before and after the show was just as incredible
Love this, make more videos like this please!
Great to shine a light on this band. I agree with you on all counts! Now to go listen to some of my favorite tracks.
I'm going to see Testament in St. Pete w/ Kreator next week. Easily my favorite thrash metal band. I have the Souls Of Black artwork tattooed on my back. Fear Factory is my favorite band overall, but Testament is right there with them.
If you can catch it, there's a video of Alex jamming w/ Rodrigo y Gabriella. Great stuff. Robert Trujillo also jams with them. They do a great cover of Orion.
Testament is my FAVORITE thrash band. Without question
Metalhead vintage 1983, which is when I consider my metal start date, because I successfully traded for "No Life Till Leather". So I had the fortune of catching Testament when they released, and got to see them many many times, small to large venue. But with a bias when they I got a stage dive in back in the early days when they came through Atlanta. Testament holds a special place because it has two of my favorite guitarists. One of a kind band for sure!
testament has been consistent and powerful for years, great video and that jem is awesome
Dang gone skippy! Testament is exactly what you said! What a great band to grow up with! Thank you for giving them the credit they deserve! And...Thank You Testament!!!
Lazy sunday morning thrash with my coffee, great way to start the day! 👍🤘
Y E S
Testament has been my go to thrash band for YEARS and I just found this vid. God bless.
Great video man ! Solid chops as well !! Thanks!! I grew up in the East Bay town of Fremont, about 20 minutes or so from Testament’s home town of Dublin, during the explosion of Thrash. I was fortunate to see Testament countless times in those early days. You’re right, they are criminally underrated when compared to the Big 4. With Gene “The Atomic Clock” Hoglan on drums that are better now than ever! Cheers !
I still remember the first time I heard them on Headbanger's Ball. It was the video for 'Over The Wall'. The song was awesome as hell, but what really blew me away was Skolnick's memorable, melodic solo.
Like yourself i loved alex's playing in testament & james murphy brought a heavier element to the band. I learnt guitar by tab books, slowing down tapes, c.d & 1000's of guitar magazines. Loved alexs little column in guitar for the practicing musican guitar magazine over the years.
After we managed to get the internet here in ireland i eventually googled alexs name cause i was curious what he did after leaving testament. Discovered he went and studyied a jazz degree at the new school in new york. It also said he was in a new trio doing jazz covers of classic rock tunes. It also mentioned he was teaching guitar at the jazz school.
I rang them up & asked was alex still teaching there. They said he was. I booked 2 hour lessons over 5 days & he was so helpful with my own playing & studying of the instrument. That was about 15 years ago. He mentioned several books to get as i asked who inspired his playing etc. I went & bought every book on his list & been learning from them for years.
He also gave me a listen to his first skolnick trio album he had just recorded, it hadn't gone on public sale yet. I loved it. Obviously bought the rest over the years. Many years later i went to see testament in Barcelona in spain years ago. What a gig it was & he was just back in the band. Got to meet the whole band afterwards & dranks a few nice beers & shared some cigars in the pub too. Well before smoking bans. Met chucks wife tiffany she was awesome & so organised with managing the guys. Years later seen them back in ireland several times.
Alex wrote the riff to souls of black & had to teach it to the bass player. Alex loved van halen, randy roads & al de meola as some early influences. He loves using melodic minor scale & its modes for soloing. His biography was a great read for any fan of his playing & highly recommend reading it. Alex has courses in jazz soloing recorded on video that you can purchase through the rock house method & i think some of its leaked onto youtube also.
I remember introducing him to rodrigo & Gabrielle as they were mixing rock & metal with flemenca style of acoustic guitars. He hadn't heard of them back then. They lived in my home town sligo for a while before they became popular. Many years later alex went on to record with them which i wow how awesome.
Hope this helps your viewers also with some more background info on alex. If anyone wants the list of books i can edit this comment in future & add the books to the coment. Currently in work on nights and not near my library to write them down for everyone.
Bought every Rock Magazine when Alex Skolnick was part of the staff and always looked forward to his note for note guitar tablature breakdowns! When he was no longer featured (but for good reason), I stopped buying guitar magazines. His comments on a Band or they're music or guitarist was always professional and treated every magazine feature in his tabs uniquely as he is classy!
Low is kind of an underrated gem I think, coming out after Alex and Louie left. Overall, a really solid band. First band I saw live for a second time.
Been a Testament fan for over 30 years. Great band that has never veered from it's roots. Wish they would play down here in my area.
Testament is awesome! They're one of the few bands I will buy an album from before I hear it. They're solid reliable. Years ago I saw them at a show with Motorhead, Heaven & Hell, and Iron Maiden.
Testament and Metallica are my favorite bands, their ballads are unmatched
Yes! I agree!
I was at the show where they recorded the Dark Roots of Thrash DVD. It was one of the most intense crowds ever. So much fun.
Low was the album that got me into Testament 30 years ago. Buying the "Live at the Fillmore" was a revelation. Great video!
cheers!
@@JamesMurphyProducer I bet you won't be putting out any rap songs like Alex 🤦♂️
I love Testament. I remember reading that Dimebag and Marty Friedman were not fans saying he's not a real thrash player and or lacks balls. I love his style his jazziness set him apart
Testament and Savatage are my all time favourites..😊
I always knew they were there, but I seriously need to start listening more to Testament!
They have been a favorite from the beginning. I think they are for sure "Big 5". I like them much more than then others.
Alex is a hero of mine as well. I was fortunate to see Testament several times in the clubs and theaters in Boston in the early 90's before Alex left the band. They always put on a great show. I got to meet Alex at a TSO meet and greet in the early 00's. Such a kind down to earth guy.
I'm curious if you ever got into Savatage and if so, it would be great to see a video similar to this one on that band.
Awsome video!!! Testament is a factory of great heavy songs!!
Thanks for that.
Testament was and still is my favourite Thrash band. Insane guitar solos, great riffs, fantastic singing, and the best ballads ever.
I was so sad when Alex left the band but when he rejoined, the magic was still there. I listen to them since the first one, it's a long time now but I never had the chance to saw them live. Until then because they are still active and Titans of Creation was a monumental album. Can't wait to finally see them live
I saw them in 2009 with Unearth at The Rock in Maplewood, amazing show! Got to meet Chuck afterward and he was fantastic, took a picture with us and anybody else that asked for one (Alex was surrounded by ladies so we didn't bother him).
All right. Im gonna be real. Being only 20, I only grew up with the big 4 of thrash. Then, reaching high school. I discovered exodus and testament and blew my mind. Testament didn't really grow on me until I watched this. I listened to their early stuff and immediately fell in love. Then, after finishing the gathering, I decided to go to their most recent stuff and HOLY FUCK! This is thrash. These guys are who I aspire to be when ever I decide to form a band. Thank you for getting me into arguably the best thrash band ever :)
WOW! If I were going to describe Testament to someone you said it verbatim. Not sure of your age (I'm 51) but you nailed it. In the 80s I was into skateboarding and punk music that went along with it (Agent Orange, DRI, etc.), Then at 15 I got my first guitar and discovered Metallica from a metalhead dude in art class. After school that day I went to the mall and picked up Master of Puppets. I pulled out the leaflet and read every word! The bands they toured with....another trip the mall the next day. Megadeth. Then Testament and then started collecting everything I could get my hands on. Mom and dad weren't crazy about my posters.....nor is my wife now when she comes into the man-cave and sees Peace Sells buy Who's Buying banner. Thanks for the video!!!!!
I saw Testament with Lamb of God when Chris Adler was still drummer and Killswitch Engage! 🤯 Baddest line-up only second until Slayer, LOG, and Amon Amarth played together!! Two tours I am so glad to have seen. "WHEN I SAY RISE UP! YOU SAY WAR!!"
this band really kicks ass. they sound really metal. also the harmonized riffs wich is really a peterson kinda thing.
When I was young my big cousin was always listening to stuff like Testament and Fear Factory and all sorts of bands like that, and one day he was listening to Eyes of Wrath by Testament and I was hooked. It was like nothing I'd heard before with most of my thrash metal stuff I had caught onto. That song is intense and I'm so glad he showed me that album.
Glad they get some love. One of my favorites as far as chord voicings and expression.
Happy New Year as well!
Got VIP for Testament, there' was only 2 people to get the passes, so they brought us on the tour bus to hang out. They were really cool guys!!
The Guitar solo from Face In the Sky. Groovy and melodic and cool and weird. Awesome band.
To me, Testament are the most underrated metal band ever. Songs like Rise Up, Disciples of the Cross, Throne of Thorns and (my alltime fave thrash song) DNR prove just how talented and influential they are.
Seen them 4 times, they killed it every time. And yeah, they're the band that inspired me to start wearing ear plugs, a feat even Slayer hadn't accomplished. The Chuck Billy and Alex Skolnick guitar picks are truly prized trophies.
chuck billy guitar pick?
Trivia - Souls of Black, the bass part has been written by Alex Skolnick.
Where I work, there’s a speaker that constantly plays top 40 with all the modern bass compression and around 90db, but when Practice what you Preach came on, unmastered and a lot quieter, me and one other guy across the warehouse were shouting looooud. It was liberating
My brother won tickets on the radio. My parents made him him take me too. I was 8, it was the Practice What You Preach tour. I'll never forget it. Great band.
Heh. The ballad was the first song/video I ever heard from them too and was hooked ever since
Do you know why they were called Legacy? Because...Louie Eric Greg Alex Chuck...(they just needed to add Yngwie at the end there)
Over
The
Wall
Saw Testament w Skolnick back in 2015. I'm a big fan of the New Order album, and was lucky that that night they chose to play songs The New Order, Trial By Fire and A Day Of Reckoning. Day Of Reckoning is probably my favorite thrash song by them, and their Trial By Fire video on the Headbangers Ball is what turned me onto them.
Thanks for making mention of Musical Death - A Dirge. Its my favorite song by them overall. The chrord progressions are beautiful and haunting.
BTW, the guitar solo in Musical Death that starts w octaves is a rare one by Peterson and its one of my favorite solos ever - that brief use of harmonized guutars in it is so great
I saw Testament live on Slayer's farewell tour and they definitely rip. Loved Chuck Billy's stage presence.
I saw them in 2018 and I agree, they're even more powerful live
I saw them during The formation tour and my eyes were smiling. The sound these guys have is incredible. Its powerful. I was right next to one of the speakers in the Mtelus in montreal. I was blown away. Chuck is a live wire on stage.
Mike didn't mention The Gathering, but if you're into thrash metal with extreme elements, listen to it ASAP. Look up "DNR." It came out in 1999 but still sounds incredibly fresh. The production is amazing, the musicianship is off the charts, and so many of the songs are classics. I think it's easily Testament's best album, and it came like halfway through their career. Not many bands can pull that off.
Testament was never afraid of going heavy in the 90s and The Gathering is the top of it. One of my favorite albums from them (despite not having Skolnick).
I am a New Order guy. Seen Alex 3x at a supper club in Schenectady NY. I ate dinner with my wife and buddy and his wife as the Trio played The Trooper. Musical death, and Trial By Fire are my 2 favorite. Just finished recording Trial by fire, I am 96% done