Testament - The Legacy

8.8 | 804 votes |

Release date:	7 July 1987
Style:	Bay Area thrash metal
Owners:	1201 have it 98 want it 1 trades it

01. Over The Wall
02. The Haunting
03. Burnt Offerings
04. Raging Waters
05. C.O.T.L.O.D.
06. First Strike Is Deadly
07. Do Or Die
08. Alone In The Dark
09. Apocalyptic City

Top 20 albums of 1987: 5
Top 200 albums of all time: 122

Review

Lyrics (9)

Additional info
Re-issued on Atlantic : 1995, February 17th

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Rating:
8.8

For me Testament are one of those bands which peaked way too early. In my eyes they never ever topped their debut The Legacy and although they released many great subsequent releases, I do not think any of them match this.

Musically, Testament were never as direct and ferocious as on The Legacy, delivering harder, darker, and more energetic songs than on their subsequent albums and what the album lacks in variety it makes up for in intensity. Don't let that statement confuse you however: Testament still manage to pack in a surprisingly diverse collection of musically interesting songs on this album. What has been put together here is a collection of songs that rival the intensity of Slayer, the polish of Megadeth, and the sleaze drenched mayhem of Overkill. In each song there is an unmistakeable seal of virtuosity and intelligence, mixed with the permanent insanity and brutality in lyrics and music, which unfortunately never would be so intense in any later Testament releases.

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Comments: 15 [ 1 ignored ] Visited by: 981 users

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Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 From: Brazil	28.05.2010 - 19:22 Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955 From: Brazil This album has one of the best collection of solos I've heard in long time. ''First Strike is Deadly'' one kicked my ass. ---- ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/ Loading...
Viesturs Posts: 21 From: Latvia	03.02.2011 - 23:01 Viesturs Posts: 21 From: Latvia Rock On Loading...
John Shock Posts: 500 From: Portugal	24.03.2011 - 00:03 John Shock Posts: 500 From: Portugal Men, lovin' this album! Testament rules! Loading...
ThisIsEndgame Posts: 35 From: USA	28.08.2011 - 02:32 Rating: 10 ThisIsEndgame Posts: 35 From: USA A classic and must own for any thrash fan. Amazing solos and riffs that blow your mind ---- \m/ Next thing you know they'll take my thought away! \m/ Loading...
ZOMBIESiTellsYa Posts: 456 From: Ireland	19.04.2012 - 00:24 Rating: 7 ZOMBIESiTellsYa Posts: 456 From: Ireland Didn't like it the first time I listened to it a few months ago. Listened to it today again and was oh so very pleasantly surprised. So much catchy riffage on one album. Loading...
megadeath13 Account deleted	02.12.2012 - 16:17 megadeath13 Account deleted Timeless thrash metal classic! Loading...
Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2406 From: Greece	18.01.2014 - 15:55 Rating: 8 Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2406 From: Greece Thats the first album i listen from this band and although i tend to dislike bay thrash this album is from the good ones.. the solo in "over the wall" is truly awesome...! it's nice that their vocals are not so bay-ish... ---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD! Loading...
pkillerjp Posts: 122 From: USA	11.03.2014 - 20:42 Rating: 9 pkillerjp Posts: 122 From: USA Really great thrash debut, this is the only Testament album that competes with the early Big 4 releases. Raw energy, amazing riffs, nice songwriting, cool vocals-- always loved this one! Loading...
Jagermeister Posts: 19 From: Georgia	19.06.2015 - 12:45 Rating: 10 Jagermeister Posts: 19 From: Georgia Perfection ---- But don't you ever get lost in Necropolis? Loading...
VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2257 From: USA	12.10.2017 - 15:37 VIG Esoteric Zachism Posts: 2257 From: USA I forgot how good this one was. One of the better thrash albums. Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39776 From: The Netherlands	12.10.2017 - 17:20 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39776 From: The Netherlands Written by VIG on 12.10.2017 at 15:37 I forgot how good this one was. One of the better thrash albums. And tbh Testament's only really good, or even great, album, although half of their follow-up is also still good to great, but everything after... well. mediocre thrash. ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...
Alex F Slick Dick Rick Posts: 3300 From: USA	12.10.2017 - 19:28 Alex F Slick Dick Rick Posts: 3300 From: USA Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.10.2017 at 17:20 And tbh Testament's only really good, or even great, album, although half of their follow-up is also still good to great, but everything after... well. mediocre thrash. I'd say this and the follow up are roughly equal in quality honestly. Never liked anything other than those two and the odd track here and there. ---- Another stupid 2017 list buy$jnug Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39776 From: The Netherlands	12.10.2017 - 19:35 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39776 From: The Netherlands Written by Alex F on 12.10.2017 at 19:28 Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.10.2017 at 17:20 And tbh Testament's only really good, or even great, album, although half of their follow-up is also still good to great, but everything after... well. mediocre thrash. I'd say this and the follow up are roughly equal in quality honestly.... I'd beg to differ due to tracks such as the Nobody's Fault cover, Hypnosis, Musical Death (A Dirge) , The Preacher, A Day Of Reckoning and also Eerie Inhabitants on The New Order. Whereas The Legacy doesn't have one single weak track. ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...
Alex F Slick Dick Rick Posts: 3300 From: USA	12.10.2017 - 19:41 Alex F Slick Dick Rick Posts: 3300 From: USA Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.10.2017 at 19:35 I'd beg to differ due to tracks such as the Nobody's Fault cover, Hypnosis, Musical Death (A Dirge) , The Preacher, A Day Of Reckoning and also Eerie Inhabitants on The New Order. Whereas The Legacy doesn't have one single weak track. I'd personally say that C.O.T.L.O.D is pretty weak, and that Nobody's Fault is the only "bad" song on The New Order. I also vastly prefer both the production and vocal performances on tNO, however the slightly less polished edge on The Legacy probably appeals a bit more to you (or so I would guess). Like I said, I like em both, but I also wouldn't call either of them masterpieces at all. ---- Another stupid 2017 list buy$jnug Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39776 From: The Netherlands	12.10.2017 - 19:45 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 39776 From: The Netherlands Quote: Written by Alex F on 12.10.2017 at 19:41 Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.10.2017 at 19:35 I'd personally say that C.O.T.L.O.D is pretty weak, and that Nobody's Fault is the only "bad" song on The New Order. I also vastly prefer both the production and vocal performances on tNO, however the slightly less polished edge on The Legacy probably appeals a bit more to you (or so I would guess). Like I said, I like em both, but I also wouldn't call either of them masterpieces at all. The Legacy I would call a masterpiece and up their with the best thrash albums ever. The New Order is indeed way too polished and therefore it lacks punch. ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...