Testament: Short, Sweet and Savage

We arrived at the end of the opening number, but were in our seats for the second - the classic title track from The New Order. Alex Skolnick opened with the lightning riff as Eric Peterson, Greg Christian and Paul Bostaph offered thunderous support. The band then attacked the thrash-laden intro, which had us banging our heads and stabbing our "horns" in the air. Chuck Billy entered the fray with his characterically gritty vocals. The audience thrashed, played air guitar, and banged its collective head. "Practice what You Preach" brought home the nature of metal and why its been such an enduring force worldwide: as outsiders from the mainstream metal and its patrons have been marginalized and dismissed by a culture unwilling to accept its own hypocrisy. Testament hasn't slowed down, changed or sold out; The Formation of Damnation has the same lightning riffs, unpredictable changes and underground, anti-social themes a fan would have expected from The Legacy or Demonic. Though I haven't purchased Damnation yet, it's at the top of my list. I recognized two tracks from the new album from their MySpace webpage: "More than Meets the Eye" and "The Henchmen Ride" (which Billy dedicated to the Harley-riders in his audience). When I wasn't watching the band, I was banging my head or singing myself hoarse.

Rating:

4/5 Circle A