Testament – Live In London / 2005 Eagle Rock / 14 Tracks / http://www.testamentlegions.com / http://www.spitfireregions.com / Reviewed 22 November 2005

Live albums really are a challenge for bands to cut without sounding hollow or being blasted by their fanbase for not including a favorite track. However, Testament infuses their “Live In London” with enough bells and whistles to stop most of the complaints. First off, the band is together as they were in their pre-1992 prime: Chuck, Alex, Eric, Greg and Louie are all together. There are tracks in which Testament puts together different lines of metal; “The New Order” shows more than its fair share of progressive metal (a side effect from Greg and Alex’s time in Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and classic metal (no doubt, recalling their earliest days in eighties San Francisco).

Running for over an hour, the “Live in London” is more of an experience than just a live show to get baked and drunk at. The styling of tracks like “The Haunting” replicate the original tracks with the same amount of energy and intensity as was found on the studio recordings, and even more in the way of blind fury (if that is even possible). Tracks may be a more traditional “metal” length (four to six minutes), but the vitality of each of the compositions here makes the minutes slide by quickly. A hit like “Practice What You Preach” maintains its driving beat but even goes farther and has Chuck’s vocals take on an additional dimension of sound, calling forth a little bit of Lemmy. The guitar solo during “Practice What You Preach” had to be one of the most difficult pieces to work sound for; it comes forth holding a vital place in between the vocals and drums, never completely dominating the entire track (but neither is it dominated by the rest of the track).

Even when Testament moves into a slightly slower, more contemplative sound (which is what the opening of “The Legacy” entails), the result is something live that many bands would beg for as a studio sound. The band, even if thirteen years have passed since they all last played together has the intensity and vitality that made them one of the best metal bands of all time. Since they have shown that they still have the chops to play live, the logical next step is to cut another studio album and give both the existing fans and individuals who might have missed the band the first time something new to chew on.

Top Tracks: Souls of Black, The Legacy

Rating: 7.0/10

[JMcQ]