Testament - Original Album Series (2013, 5CD)

Comparable to Slayer, Megadeth, and Metallica, Testament is one of thrash metal's more accessible and best-known bands. Testament quickly earned respect in thrash circles with its debut album, The Legacy, a relentlessly heavy and promising effort focusing on such subjects as the occult, witchcraft, nuclear war, and global destruction. Though one can hear the influence of Judas Priest and Metallica on bonecrushing numbers like "Burnt Offerings," "Apocalyptic City," and "First Strike Is Deadly," there's no question that Testament had a collective personality and vision of its own. Alex Perialas' production is superb – well respected in metal circles, he obviously encouraged Testament to play hard and let it rip.

~ Review by Alex Henderson, allmusic.com

Not only did Testament not suffer from the infamous sophomore slump on its second album, The New Order, but the band delivered its best offering ever. Order is every bit as brutally forceful as The Legacy, but the songs are even more memorable. Testament's outlook was still far from cheerful. Taking no prisoners either musically or lyrically, the headbangers embrace morbid gothic themes on such bombastic treasures as "Trial by Fire," "Disciples of the Watch," and "Into the Pit." And Testament's cover of Aerosmith's "Nobody's Fault" is one of the band's finest accomplishments. For those purchasing their first Testament album, Order is the ideal choice.

~ Review by Alex Henderson, allmusic.com

The gothic and occult themes associated with The Legacy and The New Order aren't nearly as prevalent on Testament's third album, Practice What You Preach. Instead, the thrash metallers place more emphasis on subjects like freedom of choice, political corruption, hypocrisy, and the effects of greed and avarice. One of Testament's most informative songs, the disturbing "Greenhouse Effect" takes a painfully honest look at environmental destruction. But while the band shifts its focus lyrically, its musical approach is much the same – under the direction of metal producer Alex Perialas, Testament takes no prisoners and remains unapologetically abrasive.

~ Review by Alex Henderson, allmusic.com

The first album Testament recorded without producer Alex Perialas, Souls of Black unites the thrashers with the better-known Michael Rosen. With Perialas having served Testament so well, many headbangers wondered how great an impact this change would have on the unit. But they needn't have worried – Testament sounds very much like it did on its three previous albums and is as heavy as ever. The band's outlook was still far from cheerful. While it had moved away from gothic and occult themes, Testament still sees the world as a hellish, insufferable place plagued by evil governments and the threat of another world war. Like Practice What You Preach, Souls isn't in a class with The New Order, but is nonetheless a welcome addition to Testament's generally rewarding catalog.

~ Review by Alex Henderson, allmusic.com

Once on the verge of breaking the platinum sales barrier and transforming the "Big Four of Thrash" (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth) into the "Big Five," the members of Testament were trying to simply stay afloat by the time they released this, their fifth album. In fact, The Ritual is a microcosm of the entire thrash metal scene. Once seemingly indestructible, by 1992 the group was crumbling towards an ignominious end, and despite possessing the genre's most technically gifted guitarist in Alex Skolnick and one of its most fearsome growls in vocalist Chuck Billy, Testament was obviously going down with the ship. Yawn-inducing, production-line moshers like "Electric Crown," "So Many Lies," and "Deadline" dominate the album; brief flashes of inspiration, such as the intro riffs of the title track and "As the Seasons Grey" are few and far between. Ironically, the disc's most uncharacteristic track, "Return to Serenity" is also its best. With its beautifully ethereal melodies, the song is one of the band's greatest achievements. Alas, it was also one that arrived too little, too late to save Testament's classic lineup, which would splinter immediately after The Ritual's release.

~ Review by Eduardo Rivadavia, allmusic.com