What are you listening to right now ?
- Thread starter Stone
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Dave Lewis
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Genius 
Dave Lewis
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Mikael Dez
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Listening to Still Life (again lol) and decided to tackle The Moor - I’ve got up until the 6 minute mark down so far 
Dom Mcsweeney
Roadie
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Testament's new album Para Bellum has just dropped.
Definitely hearing new musical approaches being tried out here, both rhythmically and melodically.
I am enjoying this a lot more than their last couple of albums, it's refreshing.
Definitely hearing new musical approaches being tried out here, both rhythmically and melodically.
I am enjoying this a lot more than their last couple of albums, it's refreshing.
gearJunkie
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LemonBurst&OrangeCrush
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Mick Ronson and Ian Hunter.
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I just listened to the first half of the album on my way to work, and so far I really like what I've heard. It's definitely extremely varied, and I think it's one of Chuck's strongest vocal performances. He really uses the entire range of his styles. I'm still a bit torn about the black metal influences, though. Although I'm a fan of the genre, I'm not yet sure how well it works in the context of Testament's music. Also, as far as I know, Eric is the only black metal fan in the band, so the whole thing feels a bit like a solo project. But that's nonsense, really, since he's always been the main songwriter anyway. I actually like the ballad a lot... and did I just hear some Deicide vibes in ‘Witch Hunt’?
JiveTurkey
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Testament did killer grooved out death metal first in small doses DECADES AGO on Low then full blown on Demonic and people weren't having it. I was left scratching my head that whole time because they injected those influences into thigs and it was super CATCHY and super brutal comparatively. I loved it. It's great to hear people enjoy those 'different colors' so to speak instead of complaining about something not being Souls of Black II
Dom Mcsweeney
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Yeah man - it's just great to see my fav. band continuing what they love to do =)Testament did killer grooved out death metal first in small doses DECADES AGO on Low then full blown on Demonic and people weren't having it. I was left scratching my head that whole time because they injected those influences into thigs and it was super CATCHY and super brutal comparatively. I loved it. It's great to hear people enjoy those 'different colors' so to speak instead of complaining about something not being Souls of Black II
It really makes me smile.
I was hooked on Testament from the moment I heard them (late 90s) and although I love their first few albums, once I heard Low / Demonic / Gathering - I was fully hooked - like 'woah, this is perfect'.
I've seen them loads since, but I first went to see them live on the Gathering tour and it was brutal as fuck (and then Chuck recovered from cancer around that time and had hair extensions in).
I was so chuffed to see the old lineup get back together a few years later, but always wanted them to keep the new vibe and mix it with the old.
I think this might be some of their best work to date, and has a bit of something for everyone.
* also, Jens Bogren has done a great job on the mixing of the album ... it's full of vitality.
JiveTurkey
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I am old enough to have came up with them from the jump
I got The Legacy when it came out and was immediately blown away. KILLER musicianship (guitars especially) and Chucks awesome vocals and melodies were great. I kinda dipped out a bit during Souls of Black/The Ritual (though those have been more enjoyable in retrospect) as it was like Practice What You Preach dumbed down to a detrimental point. But if that's a lowest point; you really can't complain.Low grabbed me by the throat because HEAVY and Tempesta grooving on the drums with James Murphy more than holding his own in the lead department. Demonic and The Gathering were absolute nuts as well. Live in London was an awesome return from Skolnick and for the most part; I've rocked all their comback albums. There have been some modern semi-equivalents of the The Ritual in a song here or there but they have overall been really consistent since coming back. I need to go see them. I saw them once and I am trying to remember when and who it was with? I feel like it was Souls of Black era but can't remember?
Dom Mcsweeney
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I am old enough to have came up with them from the jump
Low grabbed me by the throat because HEAVY and Tempesta grooving on the drums with James Murphy more than holding his own in the lead department. Demonic and The Gathering were absolute nuts as well. Live in London was an awesome return from Skolnick and for the most part; I've rocked all their comback albums. There have been some modern semi-equivalents of the The Ritual in a song here or there but they have overall been really consistent since coming back. I need to go see them. I saw them once and I am trying to remember when and who it was with? I feel like it was Souls of Black era but can't remember?
Yeah I agree, there have been some less great moments, but it's expected when artists are pushed so hard by their labels and management to churn out content without giving them sufficient creative time and space to get into it.
Burnt Offerings from Legacy is one of my firm favourites....
Go see them live, they are the best they've ever been nowadays in terms of the live sound, if perhaps not as loud as they once were due to ''ahem, stupid venues and sound police''.
