Testament

Time to go back to the Bay Area for some Thrash. Testament have been around since the dawn of Thrash Metal so to speak. Formed in 83 as The Legacy, the band was originally fronted by now former Exodus fromtman Steve 'Zetro' Souza. The band had changed singers and by 87 has released their debut 'The Legacy'. Widely regarded with the likes of Slayer, Exodus, and Metallica as one of the pioneering Thrash Metal bands, Testament released several critically acclaimed records through the early 90's. However a rotating lineup and an updated sound in the mid and late 90's didn't help their cause. Neither did a health scare when in 02 lead singer Chuck Billy was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully Chuck has since made a full recovery and the band has returned to their thrashier roots with their past few releases. It's a challenge to pick out a good early Testament album, so I decided to roll with the 'Greatest Hits' package. Released in 2000 this was the second Best Of album to be released. This one for me tends to focus more on the earlier material. A solid place to start for anyone new to the band or for a long time fan looking for all the good stuff.

Testament along with Exodus could have easily fit into The Big 4 category. Like many of the Bay area Thrash bands of the era, they could hold their own with anyone. There was always an immense group of talent in the band despite all the lineup changes. The band kind got forgotten about in the early part of the 00's, but made a serious comeback and proved they were still a force to be reckoned with. If anything the band has gotten better with the time off. Testament proves that Thrash Metal is still alive and kicking.

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