Up next on the chopping block is another rewind review and on this day October 10, 2025, the latest album from Testament has dropped. Now it’s been a good while since I’ve listened to pretty much any of their records, but from what I can remember most of them were pretty damn good so with that, let’s take a look……….
The Legacy- I forgot how awesome this album is and for a debut, the mastering is actually not bad. It’s definitely a great thrash album and I was fortunate enough to have seen them play this in full back in like 2010. Definitely give this album another listen if it’s been a while.
Previous Score: 9/10
New Score: 9/10
Standouts: First Strike Is Deadly, Alone in the Dark, Apocalyptic City
The New Order- I totally forgot how good this album is it does sort of pick up where Legacy left off and a couple of kind of slow songs but overall it’s a really good follow up. I feel like this is one of their albums that sort of gets overlooked but doesn’t at the same time.
Previous Score: 9/10
New Score: 9/10
Standouts: The New Order, Disciples Of The Watch, A Day Of Reckoning
Practice What You Preach- I really really wanted to like this album a lot more. This was the first album that I bought of theirs and I remember at the time I really enjoy it, but going back now and listening to it again it just doesn’t hit the same way. I know in the original review I kinda felt that way about this record and I still kinda do. It’s not a bad album, but it needs to be a bit more thrashy. Overall, not bad, but like I said, I wanted to like it more.
Previous Score: 7/10
New Score: 7.5/10
Standouts: Practice What You Preach, Sins of Omission, Perilous Nation
Souls Of Black: this is one of those records that the album covers really cool, but overall, in my opinion of the songs aren’t quite as memorable as they are on other albums that this band has. The songs are good, but I feel like this one’s almost like a bridge between the last album and the upcoming album. Overall a fine record, but in 1990 you had their peers that were putting out probably heavier records.
Previous Score: 8/10
New Score: 7.5/10
Standouts: Face in the Sky, Malpractice, Falling Fast
The Ritual: I gotta say that I definitely enjoyed this one a lot more than I remember. Definitely has some not so thrashy songs but it’s actually a really good album. Like I said, not really thrashy but definitely a heavy metal record.
Previous Score: 8/10
New Score: 8/10
Standouts: Electric Crown, Agony, Deadline
Low: so here, it’s got some of the thrash back in it but I forgot that there’s actually a slight touch of death metal. The album name is also most appropriate because Chuck’s vocals really do have that low almost death metal growl. Overall, a vastly overlooked album in their catalog.
Previous Score: 8.5/10
New Score: 9/10
Standouts- Shades of War, Legions (Hiding), Low
Demonic: I guess this one would be considered their death metal album. I actually really like this record a lot and really wish they would play songs off this live. It’s dark, heavy, and evil sounding. It’s absolutely badass and another overlooked album.
Previous Score: 10/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: Demonic Refusal, Jun-Jun, Murky Waters
The Gathering: ok so this was one of the first Testament albums I heard and I almost immediately loved it from the get go. This pretty much has a little bit of everything that a fan of this band could love.
Previous Score: 10/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: D.N.R., Legions of the Dead, Allegiance
First Strike Still Deadly: this is basically a re-recording of songs from the first two albums. As good as the original albums are, I’d probably listen to this album before. They just sound so much better and there’s more of an aggressiveness to them too.
Previous Score: 10/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: First Strike Is Deadly, Alone in the Dark, The Preacher
The Formation Of Damnation: I know this is supposed to be a comeback record and in many ways it is yet isn’t at the same time. By that I mean it’s a great record but nothing new or groundbreaking. Either way definitely give this one a listen if you haven’t or if it’s been awhile.
Previous Score: 9/10
New Score: 9.5/10
Standouts: More Than Meets the Eye, The Evil Has Landed, F.E.A.R.
Dark Roots Of Earth: I feel like this one is more of the comeback record. It’s definitely sped things up a bit and I forgot how awesome this one is. Again nothing super special but it’s just an absolute blast to listen to and live these songs are even more badass!!!
Previous Score: 9/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: Rise Up, True American Hate, Throne of Thorns
Brotherhood Of The Snake: while this one does have a thrashy sound to it, it’s almost got a bit of jazz thrown in there. This one has more of a melodic approach and again this is another one of those albums that I enjoyed more this time around.
Previous Score: 8/10
New Score: 8.5/10
Standouts: The Pale King, Brotherhood of the Snake, Stronghold
Titans Of Creation: I feel like at this point they can only get heavier and heavier. It’s got some really crushing riffs and the drum work is also top notch. I mean seriously talk about a band that’s been putting out badass records!! This is another one of those records that I really enjoyed more this time around.
Previous Score: 10/10
New Score: 10/10
Standouts: Night of the Witch, Children of the Next Level, Curse of Osiris
Para Bellum- so the first impression that I got from this record is not only is it darker and also just as heavy as the previous two albums, but there’s also a good amount of black metal in here. My guess is that Eric Peterson contributed a lot more because I thought he had some black metal side project called Dragon Lord. I could be wrong, but either way this album is absolutely bad ass and at the time of this review watching them play some songs off of this at the 2025 Aftershock festival was awesome. Definitely something that I wasn’t expecting but in a good way. I’m giving this album 10/10.
Standouts: For The Love Of Pain, Room 117, High Noon
This is absolutely one of those bands that their newer stuff just keeps getting better and better. Now I do want to be a little brutally honest here and say that I kind of see why they weren’t quite as big as a band like Anthrax. The reason why I’m saying that is because their albums in the 90s weren’t exactly you know quite as memorable as some of their peers. Not to say those albums aren’t good or great. They’re very good albums, but I can see why people would gravitate more towards a band like Megadeth or Anthrax. Now all that said I would say since The Gathering and beyond, they’ve really stepped up their game and just keep putting out heavy album after heavy album. I also like that they’re one of the few bands out of the big six that kind of try to branch out and go the death metal or now black metal route. It’s really cool and I know they just put out this new album, but I’m really looking forward to what they have to continue to bring to the table.
Final Grade: A
Previous Album Rankings:
- The Gathering
- Demonic
- Titans of Creation
- The Legacy
- First Strike Still Deadly
- Dark Roots of Earth
- Low
- The New Order
- Formation of Damnation
- Brotherhood of the Snake
- Souls of Black
- The Ritual
- Practice What You Preach
New Album Rankings:
- The Gathering
- Demonic
- Titans Of Creation
- Para Bellum
- Dark Roots Of Earth
- The Formation Of Damnation
- The Legacy
- First Strike Still Deadly
- Low
- The New Order
- The Ritual
- Brotherhood Of The Snake
- Practice What You Preach
- Souls Of Black
Sinister Reviews 