The Materialization of Grey Realization
Nine years of studio album silence is the longest time
interval in Testament history. There were many handicaps (personal, musical,
health dangers…). But at last the band
had controlled himself and recorded an album “The Formation of Damnation” for a
new label. My love to the band started after listening to their first album
“The Legacy” in 1991 and this thrash masterpiece is my favorite recording till
today. My appetite was stimulated by the previous successful album “The
Gathering”. I was speculating upon the line-up as Murphy was changed by maestro
Skolnick. In fact it was the best message in the last ten years! But it wasn’t
the only change. No Lombardo and DiGiorgio meant a return of Bostaph and
Christian on the board. I read many interviews after releasing the album. The
new work had to be a mix of two albums “The New Order” and “The Gathering”,
what is more “The Formation…” had to be heavier than “The Gathering”… Well, I
treated all these declarations as very courageous theories. But the main
question that was bombarding my brain cells was: did Testament members
(Billy/Peterson) tell the truth and record another classic album in their
discography…?
Yes, let’s have look on the front cover. At last great
artwork! After very guardian of honest confessions. Album ends after this first
track. It is very hard to write but average covers (“Demonic” and “The
Gathering”) Testament showed really something good to the metal world. And what
about the music? The album is opened by great one minute guitars and drums
intro which should be a thrash song! This one is uncomplete as it has a really
good riffs lasting only seventy seconds merely. What else? I have to be a album
starts to resurrect with song number eight. The title “Killing Season” is the
best song on this album. It has a middle tempo and incredibly broken structures,
everything is beautied by excellent Skolnick lead, for me it is a kind of technical
thrash metal. Billy sings in his own fascinating style with no growling. In
turn the next song “Afterlife” is not such a complicated track, but it is
faster and coherent with surprising lead guitar. “F. E. A. R.” doesn’t relieve
a tension, this song is composed by Skolnick himself, mid-tempo structures with
perfect chorus. And again excellent vocals and guitars work. The last one
called “Leave Me Forever” is something new for Testament. Balladic stanzas with
pulsating rhythm section turn to vehement sounding of chorus, the great ideas
for the end I think.
And only four these songs seem to save the situation.
Unfortunately the compositions with numbers from 2 to 7 are very average to
remember about it as a classic production of Testament. It’s very hard to
severalise something remarkable, because I can only feel negative feelings
around me. The title track is a just fast song with all-time-growls and it is a
good but for “Demonic” album. Simply it does not fit here. Let’s continue.
“Dangers of the Faithless” contains of some strange vocals experiments what
makes this song totally horrible. “The Persecuted Won’t Forget” has an immense
opening which becomes a boring, slow riff… Well, the first impression after
getting this album was really favourable. Beautiful, luxurious digipack with…
content-free. I have to declare that this album is the weakest Testament recording
so far. Not only compositions but also production (recorded and engineered by a
Sneap/Wojno, mixed by Sneap) is very sterile and such unexceptional and
expressionless for today. The undisputed fact is Chuck Billy is a superb
vocalist (maybe my favorite...) and this work is confirmation of my opinion (except
things I mentioned above). Skolnick comeback brought more melody to the songs
structures and guitar leads, Peterson revived himself, I really like his
performance on this album. Much worse is the drum work. The musicians said that
Bostaph had again recorded drums (Nick Barker was the previous drummer) and
what can I say? This is the weakest element in Testament’s puzzle. Very simple
and schematic playing with wretchful production, where is Paul Bostaph I know?
Only the best song “Killing Season” affords satisfaction to me, it is like a
recollection from the great unforgotten Forbidden times. In my opinion nothing
is true in the earlier announcements which I wrote above. “The Formation of
Damnation” is only mediocre product with two or three fine songs. That is truth
that each track contains of excellent guitar solo leads by Skolnick and
Peterson, just the other way as compared to “The Gathering” album. But
notwithstanding Alex is onboard, there is no mastership.
To end this critical review I hope the band will
record the album in the vein of the old times, for example a mix of “The
Legacy” and “The Gathering”. The album I will put on the shelf with pride just
beside “The Legacy”. Is it possible? I hope so.
60/100
-Tlacaxipehualiztli
(previously written for Encyclopaedia Metallum, on October, 2010, now modified a bit)
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