The Gathering

Widely known as the record that ended the experimentation and embarked on the sound that they would stick to, The Gathering is something of a breath of fresh air from Testament. While the previous three records never completely stepped away from the thrash roots, they kept a safe distance from it. Here, it completely resurfaces. And with the legendary Dave Lombardo behind the kit, the drumming goes above and beyond. There's also a sturdy surface here that the band hadn't had in almost a decade. So on paper, this should be an incredible record, right?

Well, the truth is that it's a bit of a weird one for me, despite all of this. There are tons of songs that jump out. "Legions Of The Dead" boasts incredible break-neck speed and blast beats that stay solid from start to finish. Opener "D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)" is one of the best songs they ever wrote, also being the first song they played when I saw them for my first time. The slow crawl from classic Chuck to growling chuck in the chorus is immaculate, and the way that riff hits you is pretty untouchable. "Eyes Of Wrath" also gets a slot in my heart because of it's calmer passages intertwined with harsh chugs. And man, that solo? Borderline progressive. This segues incredibly into "True Believer" which capitalizes on melody while maintaining a darker presence. Hell, the entire first half of The Gathering in general is complete fire!

The key words there are "the first half," though. After this things lose a lot of the flavors that made the first six or seven tracks so good. "Careful What You Wish For" is the last song that heavily induces anything hooky, as cheesy as the chorus may be (it's still fun). After that, this disc begins to feel run-of-the-mill, with song structures that don't offer much. Not to mention, the production is naturally going to make things more susceptible to being a bit more generic. I can admit that Steve Digiorgio's bass-lines never lose much momentum, especially during the instrumental breaks of "Riding The Snake." But that isn't enough to allow everything else to walk away unnoticed.

But, there's still plenty to get out of this, and I applaud the band for losing and finding themselves among they years of change. Really, the whole album works similarly to a thrill ride. The first half is intense and extremely fulfilling, but you sooner or later you notice that the best is behind you. If nothing else, The Gathering paved the way for the next two Testament records, both being ones that I find to be remarkable.