Customer Reviews

Gathering

5 star:		(105)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In my opinion, Testament have always been a step ahead of their thrash metal peers (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Sepultura, Anthrax, etc.) but for some reason, they never got the recognition they deserved. Maybe because Testament's debut "The Legacy" arrived a little late in the thrash movement (1987). Maybe it was because critics hailed Chuck Billy as a B-rate James Hetfield knockoff. Or maybe it was a lack of consistency. Now before you die hards rip me a new one--let me elaborate.

While Testaments first 2 albums: 87's The Legacy and 88's The New Order were milestones in the thrash metal genre (with the latter being the best thrash album of all time in my opinion) the band started to slip on 89's Practice what you Preach. With the exeption of the title track, Envy Life, Sins of Omission, and Greenhouse Effect, the album was sub-par and Testament started to lose their edge. Next came 90's Souls of Black, an even weaker effort which had a "thrown together" kind of feel to it. Face in the Sky and The Legacy were the only 2 traacks in my opinion that saved that album. Then came The Ritual, the low point in their career. Mainstream influences crept in and suffocated the album (even though Return to Serenity was a very good track and a favorite of mine) This was kinda like Testament's Load/ReLoad album...if it were released by someone other than Testament, it would be much more enjoyable.

Now, exit drummer Louie Clemente and lead guitarist Alex Skolnick...enter John Tempesta and James Murphy. Low was a call to arms for the band...it up'd the ante in sheer heaviness and brute force. Low, Legions in Hiding, Hail Mary and Dog Faced Gods were ungodly tracks while Trail of Tears maintained the mainstream influence but filtered it much better through the original Testament sound. However, the last half of the album kinda just faded into the background.

Next came 97's Demonic. The band took their newfound heaviness and death metal influence to a higher level and to be completely honest...over did it. While in my opinion Demonic is all in all a pretty good album...the ok tracks outweighed the good tracks.

Now we come full circle to THE GATHERING. You take the sheer attitude of classic Testament, the heavier groove oriented power of Low, the sheer brute force and intensity of Demonic, and throw in the most well written songs of the bands career, not to mention the best production and you have one f***ing killer metal album. Eric Peterson proves that he is no doubt in the top 5 of Metal Rhythm Guitarists...the riffs on this album are just brilliant in the fact that they are not the most technical riffs that testament have written...nor are they the fastest...they just have this power to them and they fit the songs perfectly. James Murphy doesnt play a huge role on the disk (not many solos but the songs really dont call for them) but when his talents are called upon he delivers with full force. Steve DiGiorgio's bass playing is nothing short of breath taking (check out Riding the Snake) and adds yet another layer of power to the sound. Slayer alumni Dave Lombardo gives a classy yet intensity filled performance throughout the disk...giving us his best work since his glory days with Slayer. And last but not least Chuck Billy gives the performance of a lifetime. His vocals are so well rounded and his performance is so flawless you almost overlook the fact that he is one if not THE greatest metal vocalists on the planet. Heres a track by track analysis:

1 - D.N.R. (do not resuscitate)
Uptempo, grinding and powerful. Testament takes their thrash roots and beef them up with thickness, power, and from the gut vocals. Excellent modern thrash song.

2 - Down for Life
This track goes straight for the gut and doesnt stop. Just 3 and a half minutes of headbanging bliss. The arrangement has a pronounced Pantera feel to it but it is unmistakenly Testament. Incredible vocals from Chuck, not to mention some touching lyrics. Just a straight forward metal onslaught...not "thrash" metal...just pure metal.

3 - Eyes of Wrath
After a hypnotic interlude lures you into a false sense of security this track pounds you into the f***ing ground with an absolute stompin groove. The track goes in many different direction but none seem forced...this is a personal favorite for me cause the song just keeps on evolving.

4 - True Believer
This song stands out on the album because of its traces of melody and pronounced "Ritual" vibe. But if the Ritual would have sounded like this...DAMN! The chorus has a very good hook which leads into a snaking power groove that pushes and pulls the listener. Very good track that could have gotten radio play

5 - 3 Days in Darkness
An absolute monster of a song. The most infectious groove ive ever heard in a metal song. Chucks vocals are a perfect 10 here as he uses the full range of his voice. By far one of the best tracks on the album

6 - Legions of the Dead
Going back to the thrash feel of the opening track this one is unrelentless in speed and fury. The one thing thrash metal lacked wasnt speed, it was power. This track shows you that you dont have to sacrifice speed for power, but that both can coexist...great track

7 - Careful What you Wish for
This track swings. Another power groove that just makes you move. This isnt a pound your ass into the ground groove but more like a driving down the highway while uncontrollably nodding your head in unison with the bass drums.

8 - Riding the Snake
incredible interplay between EVERY instrument. This track just crushes all in its path. Chuck just belts out a steady stream of vocals that just add to the groove of the song...pure metal.

9 - Allegiance
This is the only track on the album that im not too fond of. It's really not a bad song but it just doesnt live up to the standard the other songs have already set.

10 -Sewn Shut Eyes
Undeniable intensity is what this track delivers. Non stop metal through and through...Dave Lombardo just kills on this track especially toward the end...really picks up the slack of the last track

11 -Fall of Sipledome
If you thought D.N.R and Legions of the Dead were thrash influenced...this song is just a mish-mash of blast beats, machine gun riffs and rapid fire vocals...pure thrash...you can see the whole world pitting to this track...great closer to a great album.

So there it is, 10 out of 11 tracks...modern classics. If you are a fan of metal in general...this is for you. Its all here thrash, death, black, aggro, all wrapped up in sheer intensity, attitude, and power. The best thing about it is....they aint done yet. Long Live Testament. Long Live Metal.

It may be because I've owned it longer than any other Testament album, but "The Gathering" is my personal favorite C.D. by this band. Every band member is at the top of his game, here. Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo does an excellent job filling in for Louie, Chuck's vocals are snarlier and stronger than usual (sounding a little bit like Machine Head with a hint of black metal), and the guitarists are the key to the attack; James Murphy and Eric Peterson play booming riff after blowtorch riff. The final sound sort of reminds me of old school Sepultura meets Metallica.

Plus, "The Gathering" might be the best produced Testament record. The production is crystal clear and very apparent, but it's not a case of the "everything but the kitchen sink production;" this album isn't overproduced to hide a lack of musical talent.

It's also different from most other Testament releases because "The Gathering" is quite a bit heavier (it's probably their heaviest album.) It's still plenty fast, but some death metal influence is also incorporated into their patented thrash.

Album opener, "D.N.R." begins with a few acoustic strums, but they are quickly eliminated when the pounding electric guitars storm onto the scene. Next, "Down For Life" has fast and heavy churning riffs. Track five, "3 Days in Darkness," has fiery chug and churn riffs and great, machine gun drumming. Elsewhere, "Legions of the Dead" has more blistering, almost careening guitar work, and "Riding the Snake" has explosive guitar riffs, propulsive drumming, and great bass lines by Steve. But this album doesn't get by on just volume, because most of the songs--especially "Eyes of Wrath" and "Careful What You Wish For"--are very catchy. And some songs (i.e. tracks six and eleven) sound downright awesome, with a great give and take between the propulsive guitars and rapid, double bass drumming.

So, what we have here is another great Testament disc. It might be their best yet, and it's a modern classic, if you ask me. This album always makes for a great listen, and it's especially refreshing with all of the wannabe thrash bands out there today. The bottom line is this is a must own for all thrash and death metal fans. And if you like thundering rhythms, great riffs and drumming, and all-around kick ass metal, you will love "The Gathering." I know I do!

I have followed Testament since the beginning, and I like alot of their material. But this was the first CD(LOW was close...)that just blew me away. While I wished Skolnick was still in the band and on this CD, James Murphy does an excellent job as usual(I just prefer Skolnick's lead style, esp. Practice What You Preach era.....). With the addition of Slayer's Ex drummer Dave Lombardo, & the great, powerful vocals by Chuck Billy(he has never sounded better.....), this awesomely produced collection of 'just-the-right length' metal songs is sure to be something all Testament fans will enjoy. This album starts out with a bang and never lets up.

Binding together years of angst and under-recognition with the threads of musicianship is one thing, but gathering up all those bits and pieces into masterful work of artistic aggression is something completely different. After fifteen years of toiling in the shadows of the bay-area thrash scene and the fickle responce of the public to metal, Testament leave its greatest mark. The latest recorded incarnation of Testament stitches together pieces of its own past into a regenerated form on The Gathering. Just as the title of the album implies, it is a coming together of musical masterminds from the most impressive of metal backgrounds. Joining founders Chuck Billy (voices) and Eric Peterson (guitar) are Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Grip Inc., Fantomas) on drums, Doug DiGornio (Death, Control Denied, session player) on bass, James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Low-era Testa, soloist) on guitar. Mustering up every bit of musical diversity found on Low with the threatening presence of

Demonic while harkening back to it's early days of The Legacy, Testament bring together power, percision and intensitity on eleven ear-pounding compositions. Incorperating his signature growl with the variety of vocal inflections he has used throughout his enduring career, Chuck Billy's emotional response to the bands new direction screams forth. Layer in the percussive guitar onslaught of Pererson and Murphy with their harmonized lead approach and the dynamic drumming of Lombardo and it is easy to hear how Testament have attempted to write a new book for American thrash, speed and death metal to follow. Blistering speed is countered with finess, overpowering climaxes are built out of subtle melodies, compositional depth born from musical ability and persistance translates to success. Even the production on "The Gathering" finds the band focused and poised to conquer with a crushing, weighty depth. If there had been any doubt about Testament's abilities or endurance they have surly been laid to rest now as the quintet has put into practice what it always preached: strong musicianship, insense song writing and an uncompromising metallic scowl on The Gathering.

Odd thing about this release was I had bought it over a year ago. Sure enough, you can look it up online and see that it's out of print. For how long, I'm not sure. Such a good album though, makes it a rare gem to find. Well, apparently that gem has resurfaced along with the band's other release Demonic. What's new about it besides the fact that a different label (Prosthetic Records) decided to pick it up? Not much. You get new liner notes, plus the previously Japanese only bonus track Hammer Of The Gods. Also, this album never needed any remastering as far as I was concerned, but it's been done anyway. If you missed out on this great cd, here's your second chance. Owners of the previous release, do take notice.

This is one of the most perfect metal albums I've ever heard, up there with Machine Head's "Burn My Eyes" and Slayer's "Reign in Blood". In fact, I'd dare to call it a hybrid of the two. My first Testament album was "The New Order", which is good, but not really unbelievable. It's kind of slightly above average thrash, and it gets a little old after a while. Plus, straight up thrash doesn't really do it for me like it used to. This album is something else entirely. There is still a great deal of thrash here (a few songs reach speeds rivaling that of the aforementioned "Reign in Blood"), but it's mainly a heavier, more sophisticated approach, something like progressive death metal. It's not as epic as I hoped it'd be, but much like "Reign in Blood", that hardly matters when the music's this good.

As you may know, there is quite the all-star lineup here. James Murphy (formerly of Obituary and Konkhra) puts on what is likely his greatest performance yet. Eric Peterson contributes leads this time. On the other album I have, he only does rhythm, so I don't know how long he's been doing leads. But anyway, that only makes it better, creating Slayer-esque guitar interplay. Sadly, there aren't as many solos as Slayer, but maybe that's good. They managed to make a technical album that's not too indulgent. Two great changes have been made to the lineup. After years of average drum/bass, they have added bass god Steve DiGiorgio (now in Iced Earth), and the great and powerful Dave Lombardo on drums, making for a killer rhythm section. Dave almost outdoes his work in Slayer, and Steve refuses to fade into the background (even though he does a lot of the time). And, fronting all this madness is the mighty Chuck Billy, one of the greatest metal vocalists on the planet. He puts on his greatest and most aggressive performance to date, mixing his normal Hetfield-on-steroids vocal style with the occasional death growl. He's not the greatest death growler, but he does an okay job, and he doesn't overdo it here (like on "Deomonic"). He doesn't really do any singing here, but oh well. It wouldn't really fit the album anyway.

This album is a dizzying metal onslaught that's great from start to finish. If I had to pick favorites, I'd probably say "Down for Life", "3 Days in Darkness", and "Riding the Snake", but I'd probably be lying, because they're all great. The weird thing is that on the label on the disc, it lists a 12th song (part of it's chopped off, but it looks like it says "Hammer of the Gods"), but there's no such song on the album. What's that about?

If you love metal, this album is a must-have. If you always hoped someone would someday recreate "Reign in Blood", run out and get this, because it's probably the closest anyone will ever come. Metallica and Slayer may be finished, but Testament reigns supreme. I think Chuck has some kind of illness, but let's all hope he pulls through, and continues to make some great music. They may never make a better album than this one, but let's hope it isn't their last.

I always listened to Testament over the years but was slowly losing interest (especially with Demonic). This album put me to shame. It is wicked. It is very heavy but never solely just for the sake of being heavy.

Chuck Billy has toned down the death in his singing but at the same time he hasn't lost any of his ferocity or growling ability. It's the new and improved Testament. While a lot of people might not even consider his singing to be death metal, I consider his performance on this album to be as close to perfection as any death metal (or related genre) could hope to be. The same band you love but twice the melody.

Dave Lombardo really helped with the drumming on this album (although Gene Hoglan could've stayed on and handled his duties equally well. SYL is probably better for him anyway). Lombardo adds a touch of added respect to a band that deserves it, but up until recently has not received it.

Now that I have mentioned the incredible drumming found on this cd, I must mention the work of one of the most underated guitarists in metal. Eric Peterson complements Dave Lombardo perfectly and vice versa. The guitar work is worth the price of the cd alone. I am a big fan of good guitar work but so are (I assume) most metal fans. Eric continues to pound out thrash that remains new and fresh yet original, heavy, and absolutely addictive.

The long and short of it is that this CD is amazing. Whether you are driving, walking, running, talking, yelling, drinking, eating...this is the cd that suits all accasions. In other words, the perfect thrash cd.

The Gathering is without question a stunning thrash album, an exemplary demonstration of craft, musicianship, and range. Many of the tracks fuse different subgenres of metal -- grindcore, progressive, melodic thrash. This is quickly apparent when you hear frontman Chuck Billy who goes from terrific melodic singing to terrific death throat in the space of the first track "DNR." In fact, this track demonstrates how, by deftly fusing different aspects of thrash -- a throat here, both harmonic and death metalish riffs, different double-tempo drum patterns, and a melodically sung chorus -- the genre can be both classic and fresh. It enables Testament to deliver numbers like "Legion of the Dead" and "Fall of Sipledom" that truly rival death metal acts like Deicide, while remaining accessible to thrash metal merchants. Songs like "True Believer" and "Sewn Shut Eyes" are both heavy and groovy, while "Eyes of Wrath" is led by a gothic bassline.

Drummer Dave Lombardo deserves special mention; his merciless finesse is the crucial engine that powers this album. The arguably most important drummer in thrash (and double-bass) history delivers his finest skinswork ever, even eclipsing his time with Slayer. His classic style is supllemented with creative approaches to double-bass fills that highten riff interplay, song dynamics, and grooves all while remaining propulsive. Sure, Demonic was heavy, but Dave Lombardo gave The Gathering the killer instinct. At its frequent best, The Gathering kills, magnificently. If you've been looking for a contemporary thrash album that covered the bases and delivered the goods, if you've question whether a 80s thrash band still could take on the new guys, if you want the album where everyone dies, The Gathering is it.

The newest album from Testament is incredible. If you couldn't handle 'Demonic', then you should be able to deal with this one. Chuck Billy does used the death growl occasionally, but it isn't over-used. The album features drum king Dave Lombardo(Grip Inc., ex-Slayer), James Murphy(Death, former Testament), and bassist Steve DiGiorgio(Death,Control Denied, Sadus). Of those, Dave Lombardo truly stands out. The album starts off heavy and fast, with "D.N.R.(Do Not Resuscitate)." I love that song. I also like "Down for Life", "Eyes of Wrath", "True Believer", "Legions of the Dead", and "Fall of Sipledome." This album is very, very heavy. Chuck's growls take a little bit of time to like, but I stuck it out and now I like them. Very inflamed. Many of the songs' drumming are unbelievable. I wasn't sure if it was just Dave, or if he had someone else there too. He truly is one of the best drummers ever. If you like Testament, or brutal metal in general, by all means get this album. It will not dissapoint.

Two words: Dave Lombardo. The man is a genius. It doesn't hurt that his talents happen to be showcased along with a group of brilliant musicians on one of the best albums ever released. It's almost as good as Reign in Blood, if such a thing is possible. And Dave's drumming on it is even better than it was during his Slayer days. Get this album. Now.