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Signs of Chaos-Best of Testament

Testament - Signs of Chaos-Best of Testament Audio CD

A fair review of the Testament "Signs of Chaos-Best of Testament" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Testament reviews here, or go back to the Testament tabs.

Band: Testament
Title: Signs of Chaos-Best of Testament
Rating:

Release Date: 1997-11-04
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Signs of Chaos 2: Electric Crown 3: New Order 4: Alone in the Dark 5: Dog Faced Gods 6: Demonic Refusal 7: Ballad 8: Souls of Black 9: Trial by Fire [*] 10: Low 11: Practice What You Preach 12: Over the Wall 13: Legacy 14: Return to Serenity 15: Perilous Nation [*] 16: Sails of Charon [#] 17: Draw the Line [#]

"Best Of" Metal Classics real deal
This "Best Of" collection has 16 tracks that rock out and sound great remastered. I am an old school thrash metal fan, but just recently got into pioneering metal freaks, TESTAMENT. Great 1st impressions of an over-looked heavy metal bay area, CA band. Buy it used and you will enjoy for sure, these guys jam.

GET IT!
It really showcases Testaments progression over the years and gives you a good selection of music to enjoy. This is a wonderful "best of" CD to own if your a old thrash metalhead like me.

testament delivers
i had the pleasure to meet the band while paying in lincoln nebraska 1998 & they were cool enuf to sign my cd & also gave me a picture of chuck billy the voice behind the band. this cd gives ou the full spectrum of the band testment. the show was good & i had a great time with the band. if you want some real kick ass heavy rock n roll this cd is a must & not for the weak hearted. pounding bass lines killer guitar work,thunderous drumming & the voice of chuck billy make testament what it is in a class all by itself.

Excellent Compilation
Their guitarist, Alex Skolnick, was taught by guitar wizard Joe Satriani and was probably the most talented guitarist in the genre. Testament was probably the most overlooked thrash band of the 80's and 90's with none of their albums ever reaching a platinum status. He, along with Eric Peterson, formed one of the best guitar teams in all of thrash (if not the best). Their singer Chuck Billy was an excellent vocalist (especially compared to some of the other singers of that time), even though he never really broke new ground. They combined all of these elements and released several excellent albums before turning to death metal in the mid-90's. This album only goes up to 1997 so there isn't that much from that death metal period. Here's how the songs rate:

1+2. Sign of Chaos/Electric Crown 9/10- The first is a thirty-second guitar solo which has a neo-classical sound to it. The second part is a so-so metal song, but a good song to start off the album.
3. The New Order 7/10- Decent song off of their second album.
4. Alone in the Dark 8. 5/10- The lyrics and chorus are kind of weak, but the guitar is excellent.
5. Dog Faced Gods 9/10- A death-metal song that is saved by an excellent chorus and instrumentation.
6. Demonic Refusal 5/10- I knew that this death metal song would be lame when it opened with a space shuttle countdown "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 6, 6,. . . " This does have good guitar work but that is about it.
7. The Ballad 9/10- The first half is pretty much a rip-off of Metallica's "Fade to Black. " Even though Testament was never known for its lyrics, these are terrible. The song isn't even about anything (I guess that's why they named it "The Ballad"). But of course, there are excellent guitar parts that make this song so good, but I dock a point because it is so much like "Fade to Black. "
8. Souls of Black 9/10- The setup of the song, as well as the main riff, seems taken directly from Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls. " That being said, this is still a memorable song, and the riff is terrific. Minus one point for being like Metallica though.
9. Trial by Fire 10/10- At first I didn't like this song, but it grew on me. It has one of the greatest riffs I've ever heard, and has a specatacular solo.
10. Low 9/10- That chorus sticks in your head and while it is from their death-metal period, this is still a good song.
11. Practice What You Preach 10/10- Great song off of the album with the same name. Try not to yell "Preach!" every time that the chorus comes up.
12. Over the Wall 10/10- Another excellent song (noticing a pattern?), but what makes this song so great is the memorable drumming and the brilliant Skolnick solo in the middle.
13. The Legacy 10/10- An exceptional ballad from "Souls of Black. " Of course, there is an excellent chorus and solo. Builds up and up, and by the end you wish it could still go on.
14. Return of Serenity 10/10- Testament's greatest contribution to metal is this outstanding ballad with a passionate, heartfelt guitar solo in the middle by Skolnick. Possibly Testament's best song.
15. Perilous Nation 6/10- Unremarkable song. Not really anything bad, but nothing good either.
16. Sails of Charon 6/10- One of two previously unreleased songs on the album. Good riff, but I would've liked to hear a solo from Skolnick.
17. Draw the Line 4/10- So-so cover of the great Aerosmith song. Chuck Billy is no Steven Tyler which is what makes this song not worth your while.

Testament somehow managed to have excellent production on every one of their albums. This is great because none of them are hurt because they sound poor. My only complaint is that for some reason, the songs were mixed very low. This would not really matter that much, but I have to turn it up louder whenever this CD is playing and turn it down again after it is done, but still this is a small complaint. This is an excellent buy because this disc is almost 70 minutes long, and filled with excellent songs. I've actually found where Alex Skolnick went after Testament. After a bief stint with Savatage, he went back to school and is now a jazz guitarist. He currently is the leader of the Alex Skolnick Trio, as well as a member of the Trans Siberian Orchestra. I actually saw him play with the TSO and it was a shame. Even though he was the lead gutarist, he sat in a corner and just played his songs. There was no jumping around, no movement, and no passion. While the rhythm guitarist and the bassist where doing their pyrotechnics, he did nothing. It's a shame because he was just nineteen when The Legacy was released. He could have been up with the ranks of Slash and Jimmy Page had he stayed on purpose, or maybe not considering the sad state of music these days. Anyway, this is an excellent buy. Testament was heavy, but is much more accessible than, say, Slayer. Pick it up just to hear Skolnick play, he's that good.

The Best "Best of" Album EVER!
And what did they have? The Legacy, The Gathering, Low, Practice What You Preach, and this compilation album - Signs of Chaos: The Best of Testament. I have to say, back when I was first into heavy metal I had heard the song "Alone In The Dark" which sent me into the CD stores searching high and low for Testament CDs. At a price of $15 for 17 songs, I really couldn't pass it up. And I am freaking glad I didn't!

The CD starts off with "Signs of Chaos", a very cool guitar-only intro to one of my now favorite Testament songs "Electric Crown". Alex Skolnick tears up the solo on that song with some awesome melody. He has to be one of the best metal guitarists ever.

Then there's "The New Order" which is insanely fast and is a very good song. Then there's the song that got me into Testament in the first place "Alone In The Dark". Really an all around good song, probably one of their finest moments.

Next of note would be the song "Souls of Black". . . The song begins with a lightning clash and a very fast arpeggio. . . And then bam, you get hit with an ultimate thrash riff. Heavy and forceful. The lyrics to this song are really great in my opinion too.

Then there's "Trial By Fire", "Low", and "Practice What You Preach". These guys are really good at playing their instruments and singing. Awesome songs that never get old.

Next is "Over The Wall" with the most amazing intro riff and one of the best solos of all time; followed by "The Legacy".

But my most absolute favorite Testament song ever is "Return To Serenity". From their album THE RITUAL from 1992 I believe, just before Alex left the band, they made this jewel of a song. A neat accoustic intro, with a very melodic and speedy solo. . . It almost sounds like a ballad, but it's probably one of the best I've ever heard. This song alone makes this album worth buying.

Finally, one more song of note, and it is the previously unreleased track "Sails of Charon". A bit of wah and harmony action in this song, and it is fairly heavy to boot.

If you do buy this album, you will not be disappointed. Testament has to be the best thrash band to ever exist. Alex Skolnick, Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, and all the others have made this band into the best Bay Area Thrash band ever. . . And more. This CD is definitely a 5 stars out of 5; and worth every penny of what it costs!.

You can see a complete list of all Testament discography, or go back to the Testament tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.