Metallica's Master of Puppets was redefining thrash, Medadeth had hit the road for Peace Sells...But Who's Buying and Slayer were supporting Reign in Blood. On top of that, Anthrax had just released their best album Among the Living. It was 1987, the climate was perfect for thrash metal and record labels big and small were looking for a piece of the action.
Having hit paydirt by signing both Metallica and Anthrax to their original deals, Megaforce Records had put their hopes (and promotional budgets) into two other bands from opposite coasts, New Jersey's Overkill and Oakland's Testament (who had recently changed their name from Legacy because there was already a jazz band with that moniker).
Overkill quickly developed a strong following, but it was Testament for which whom the bell tolled. The band stormed out of the underground with a mean crunch and give-a-damn attitude, and the members were equally capable of playing blistering speeds and mid-paced melodies. The opening cut from their debut, The Legacy, "Over the Wall," demonstrated their vast potential.
But while Testament followed up the record in 1988 with the equally pulverizing The New Order, the band's next three records, which heavy and well-crafted, weren't as hostile or aggressive, frequently substituting slow, commercial hooks for ripping riffery and acoustic balladry from distorted mayhem.
After 1992's The Ritual, virtuosic guitarist Alex Skolnick an drummer Louie Clemente left and by 1997 everyone was gone except singer Chuck Billy and guitarist Eric Peterson. The band forged ahead with other players including guitarist James Murphy (ex-Death, Obituary) and drummers Dave Lombardo (Slayer) John Tempesta (ex-Rob Zombie) and Gene Hoglan (ex-Dark Angel, Strapping Young Lad) Then in 2001 Billy was diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, he recovered and his illness helped inspire the original band to get back together.
Currently, everyone but Clemente are working on a new album, which should be out by March 2008.
Now, here's Testament as we first saw them with the thrashtastic "Over the Wall":
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