 Thrash metal legends Testament recently embarked
on their first UK tour for a while recently with
support from veterans Onslaught and a relatively
young thrash metal band Warbringer. Testament
certainly showed an enthusiastic Newcastle crowd
that old dogs don't lose old tricks with a set
that included songs from older albums like Legacy
all the way through to their 2008 album Formation
of Damnation.
Despite there not being a full house Warbringer,
a band with many aspirations showed their credentials
with a blistering forty-five minute set. The gradually
gathering crowd really seemed to get into their
music which served to greaten the atmosphere.
Onslaught were very well received and were technically
very good. Again the crowd loved their whiplashing
songs. Unfortunately, I wasn't so easily impressed,
for me their songs for the most part sounded too
alike. They were also pretty static onstage which
in my opinion is criminal. I think that as well
as playing a tight set you have to be lively and
put on a good show. With Onslaught, the fact that
a lot of the songs sounded the same may have been
ignored if they'd moved around a bit but they
didn't. Maybe it's time for them to hang up their
guitars?
 Testament were everything they've been hyped
up to be preceding this tour, they sound just
as good as when they started out way back in the
early 80's. The song that stood out the most was
their recent single 'More Than Meets The Eye'
from 2008 album Formation of Damnation. The crowd
were singing back to Chuck Billy and the roof
nearly came off the O2 Academy. With typical hard
hitting riffage and brilliant solos together with
Billy's strong, distinctive vocals, Testament
are a band that you must see before you die. With
Billy announcing that the band are working on
a new album for 2010, they show no sign of stopping
continuing their metal legacy that has spanned
for two decades.
Testament 5/5
Warbringer 3/5
Onslaught 2/5
Review By Alan Brown |
