First Strike Still Deadly

So you’ve heard about Testament’s First Strike Still Deadly album and are curious as to whether or not you might enjoy it. Here’s a quick quiz to test your compatibility with the album in question:

Question 1: Which of the following do you prefer?

A) The Legacy

B) Sludgy modern thrash - i.e. Demonic

Test over. If you answered anything but A, you might enjoy the updated versions of these classic (and semi-classic) Testament tunes. However, if you answered A you might as well forget it and go happily on your way having never heard this.

Basically, there isn’t a single recording present on this album, with the exception of “Reign of Terror” (which for some reason sounds like Sacred Reich’s “Death Squad” on here) with Zetro on vocals, that is made better through re-recording. The album is definitely heavier than either The Legacy or The New Order, but at the price of speed and the general song mechanics. The songs are technically reproduced to follow the originals, but certain things are just amiss here. Chuck Billy’s vocals aren’t bad, but he can’t do those crazy shrieks anymore like in the old recordings. There’s a slight toned back feeling in the tempo that makes songs that were previously fucking vicious drag and lose intensity. The lead guitar tone sucks, and while the rhythm tone is better, it is far too clean and processed. The originals were raw and fierce and just way better. This holds true virtually the entire way through this (again, excepting where Souza gets his hands dirty in it).

There are other nagging complaints (like some of the studio trickery employed throughout, some odd emphasis on parts that shouldn’t be emphasized, the wrong fucking solos/melodies) but it will suffice to say that Testament butchered their own songs on this record. It’s actually a good thing that they didn’t include more classic songs (like “Apocalyptic City” or “Raging Waters” in place of “The Preacher” or “Into the Pit) because that’d be even more reason to dislike this. As several other reviewers have wisely suggested, just buy the originals!