9 years has passed since Testament released 'The Gathering'. Time flies when you are having fun. You can call this a comeback release, although they have never been away from the metal front. The last years were not easy for the band and especially not for Chuck. I am glad all is going well. Last year's Exodus release was followed by Death Angel's and now Testament mixes themselves into the competition. All three bands are unique in their own way, and it is a matter of taste which one you like the most. Therefore I won't make a decision who has won. With the new Metallica, and also Laaz Rockit still to come, we will see at the end of the year who has won the Clash of Thrash!

Testament has made the ideal combination of their earlier albums. In "More than Meets the Eye", "The Persecuted Won't Forget" and "Henchmen Ride" we hear the speed and melody of 'The Legacy'. In "The Formation of Damnation" the aggressiveness of 'The Gathering' and in the track "The Evil Has Landed" the grunts of Billy as he did on the 'Low' album. "Killing Season" (where did I hear this before) has the more 'Practice What you Preach' kind of grooving lines in it. Summary: a combination of the best ingredients.

The fabulous guitars by Alex Skolnick and Erik Petersen, combined with the recognizable vocals of phenomenon Billy driven on the tight drumming of Paul Bostaph and bass lines of Greg Christian make this record a feast for the ears. Thrash grenades combined with aggressive and grooving mid-tempo songs mixed as tight as a 20 year old on Viagra.

Lars and co. got a tough act to follow!