testament - low

released: 1994
label: atlantic records

it's chuck billy's birthday today.
happy birthday,chuck.

i've been a fan of testament since high school. my first foray into testamantland was via HEADBANGERS BALL and the video for "souls of black". and then there was that kid in high school that was all into the metals. he'd helped it along by lending me some tapes. yes. tapes. THE NEW ORDER and PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH and SOULS OF BLACK. he'd also loaned me a vhs copy of megadeth playing "hangar 18" on THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW. that was crazy. i'd even seen the band living colour play "cult of personality" on THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW. the audience had no fucking idea what was happening. after having seen that of course i automatically went out and purchased a pair of orange skin tight shorts. but that's another story for another time.

i'm not really sure as to the reasoning behind my initial purchasing of this album.
maybe it was the cover art as i was a fan of dave mckean.
yeah.
i was really into comic books at the time.
you need to search out ARKHAM ASYLUM: A SERIOUS HOUSE ON SERIOUS EARTH.
and yes i know that it's a graphic novel.
shut up,nerd.
you gonna eat that?

moving on.

maybe i'd just picked it up because it was testament.
you don't know.
you weren't there.
just go and look at the security camera footage.

after having bought it it rarely left my walkman.
it had everything i needed in my life at the time.
grizzly bear vocals and kick-ass drumming.
and speaking of the drumming....
john tempesta.
fuck you,rob zombie.
you didn't know what you had there.
yeah.
just use some electronic sounding drums instead of awesomeness.
it's like asking gene hoglan to play ac/dc covers.
yeah.
you don't get that do you,nerd?
maybe i'm the nerd.
shut up.

and yes.
even though i wasn't going to mention it the guitar playing was kick-ass as well.
i'm a fan of james murphy.
go and listen to death's SPIRITUAL HEALING.
go and listen to disincarnate's DREAMS OF THE CARRION KIND.
ok.....

i've always appreciated the fact that testament haven't given up their on their roots.
yeah.
i'm looking at you metallica.
you should've called it a day after AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
i'm looking at you megadeth.
you should've called it a day after RUST IN PEACE.
i'm looking at you slayer.
you should've called it a day after SEASONS IN THE ABYSS.
but that's another rant for another time.
and besides....
you know i'm right.
you,the reader.
anthrax?
what about them?
anthrax are decent.
i even like the john bush albums.
fun fact: once upon a time i got a stripper to do her thing to the song "gridlock". it was pretty impressive. and that is how i met your mother,kids.

DL