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Testament - The Formation Of Damnation review



Reviewer:
9.0

853 users:
8.32
Band: Testament
Album: The Formation Of Damnation
Release date: April 2008


Disc I
01. For The Glory Of...
02. More Than Meets The Eye
03. The Evil Has Landed
04. Formation Of Damnation
05. Dangers Of The Faithless
06. The Persecuted Won't Forget
07. Henchmen Ride
08. Killing Season
09. Afterlife
10. F.E.A.R.
11. Leave Me Forever

Disc II [Special Edition DVD]
+ The Making of "The Formation Of Damnation"
+ Photo Gallery

Nine years has passed since these legends of thrash metal last released a studio album, and so after an undeniably long wait Testament return in glorious form with "The Formation Of Damnation", picking up where "The Gathering" left off almost a century ago. The album has the Testament stamp all over it, this is thrash metal like Testament always deliver with both more melodic and modern elements as well as a slight peek back to how things were done in the late-eighties.

The theme of "The Formation Of Damnation" is solidarity and a very firm base, everything is very controlled at a steady pace and this theme can be traced through the duration of the entire album whether it be the steady opening galloper of "More Than Meets The Eye" or up-tempo tracks such as phenomenal "The Persecuted Won't Forget" or "F.E.A.R.". Testament explore the fruits of both new and old sounds and weave these into the sound the band achieved on "The Gathering" album to create the sound of "The Formation Of Damnation". Fruits of the new include an overall more full and melodic sound to the guitar riffs showing a slight tinge of the sound modern thrash bands crop up with these days, but also songs such as the previously mentioned "The Persecuted Won't Forget" go all-out with the double bass drums as fast as Testament has ever been before and frantic guitaring to keep up with the times.

The fruits of the old may be a little more prominent in this album as we have almost sing-along, stomp-along song "Dangers Of The Faithless" packed full of tune but also makes you want to bang your head or tap your foot at the same time, and also the immense title track of the album "The Formation Of Damnation" is just a slab of solid gold taken from the Testament of the old-school, with its stabbing guitar riff and solid, nicely paced snare bringing the thrash along to the party.

After nine years it would be somewhat of an anticlimax if "The Formation Of Damnation" did not deliver the goods, but not only does the album deliver the goods but it does it in such professional and elegant style showing every band Testament influenced just how to do it properly one more time. Aside from only one or two songs that never really get going, the album feels like a classic after the first fifteen minutes with each song contributing a part to the whole mix. "The Formation Of Damnation" is going to bring Testament back up to heights they once had and place them right at the top of the top of the thrash metal food chain once again. This is a more than successful return of old-school thrash metal with a modern spin, and it does exactly what it says on the tin; makes you want to thrash!





Written on 22.04.2008 by Member of Staff since 2006

Guest review by
Hermann Langke
Rating:
9.3
Testament is the biggest band to emerge form the second wave of thrash metal in the mid 80's and is also perhaps the only band from that wave still making superb music for its dedicated fans. Testament is the only band that I know that's still making convincing thrash metal not to mention that they are also a Semi-Death Metal band. I say so because they are perhaps the only band that I know (apart from Trivium) that combines death and thrash metal elements to near-perfect harmony(although Trivium are not yet that good at it).

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published 17.10.2009 | Comments (59)


Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 47   Visited by: 494 users
09.06.2008 - 07:53
Rating: 9
Demonmayonnaise

I bought this the other day and Im pretty impressed. I dont think its the best thrash album of the year though. Check out Warbringers War Without End. THAT is the years best thrash album. IMO
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28.06.2008 - 11:54
Passenger
Lost To Apathy
Boring! I was actually more enthusiastic about The Gathering than I am about this new one.
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You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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11.07.2008 - 20:25
Candlemass
Defaeco
Cover and album art done by Israeli artist.
Album is what old Testament does, good songwriting, good riffs and tunes.
Alex is back, yet less memorable then before (seems like the fusion years has not done too good for him)
What's new but the production and blend of past elements (as Alex and sound)? not much at all...

The Gathering is there best release and still has possession of the title.
10 times more original, 10 times more ambitious and ultimately
better.

Review a little empty for me, alot of talking around the album and band history, too little of the music.

Anyhow, Testament are a classic, and they ROCK!
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16.08.2008 - 15:56
Rating: 7
Elio
Red Nightmare
nothing special, but at least they still play thrash...7-7.5
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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04.09.2008 - 14:14
Rating: 9
Dark Blood
The Avenger
Just got the album recently.. so far so good. I like, but not enough to score with a 9. Good review!
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It is humanity who must pay homage to the greatness of the Universe... not the Universe to the human narcissism.
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20.10.2008 - 04:27
thesabbathfan

I fucken love this album... great review man

Although to me, this album seems like one 50 minute-long song with a few pauses that never gets old.
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21.10.2008 - 23:52
Toast
Account deleted
Meh, I love Testament and all but this album definetly wasn't them at their top. It's still a really good listen though and id easily give it a 7.5 out of 10.
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22.11.2008 - 17:04
Rating: 9
Nightbane

The power of Testament my son.
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Music saved my life
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22.12.2008 - 08:39
amerislave
Account deleted
I love this album. it is a perfect follow up to "the gathering", which i like a little more. there are definitely some more definitive leads from skolnick on this one, but i think "the gathering" is a touch more consistent.....barely though. chuck billy's vocals are the perfect fit for me personally.....the heaviest i know of without resorting over the top growling, grunting and arghing!!!!!! argh! great band, great review, great album..."the henchmen ride" is a song title that paints the perfect picture of the material on this album......and "the gathering" for that matter.
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01.01.2009 - 14:15
Rating: 8
V8Thrasher

Loved the album. the songs "The Formation of Damnation" and "Afterlife" remain a staple to my playlist.
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01.03.2009 - 21:10
terrorist

This album rules among Thrash Metal!!!!!!!The Persecuted Won't Forget and Killing Seasion kick ass!!!!!
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Will the ones who live after our end
Worship the goddamn cross again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnlG0h7YN_8&feature=related
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16.04.2009 - 08:00
dickeya

Just got this album off Amazon. The freakin' balls .....
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05.05.2009 - 21:39
mastellica
Account deleted
I've just got the album and I like it a lot.
I Think Killing Season is the best song of the Album.
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09.05.2009 - 01:44
Magatouve
Account deleted
No chicks are interested in Testament I don't know why suddenly I became interested in gender issues in Metalstorm. Whatever... I listened to some songs live from this album when Testament opened for Judas Priest together with Megadeth in London... It was absolutely awesome.
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17.10.2009 - 18:34
Rating: 10
Hermann Langke
Brahmastra Corps
It deserved the title.
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26.10.2010 - 15:58
Rating: 10
Judas The Priest

Testament is so damn overlooked, and apprently because of business decisions, i thought they were basicly through when this album came out, instant metalgasm
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26.10.2010 - 16:29
Rating: 6
Daniell
_爱情_
At first I thought it was a good album. But after a few listens - it's the same old Testament. Lots of content, lack of things memorable. The album flies by, and leaves ZERO memorable riffs. Expertly crafted, but soulless.
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