Testament Songs Ranked
Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band’s current lineup comprises guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, drummer Gene Hoglan, and bassist Steve Di Giorgio. Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member, though they have since been rejoined by one of its co-founders Skolnick, who was out of the band from 1992 to 2005. Billy replaced original singer Steve “Zetro” Souza (who left the band to join Exodus as the replacement of Paul Baloff) in 1986, prior to the recording of their first studio album, The Legacy, and has been a member of the band since. He and Peterson are the only members to appear on all of the Testament’s studio albums. Over the course of its career, Testament has experienced several resurgences of popularity, with their last two studio albums—Dark Roots of Earth (2012) and Brotherhood of the Snake (2016)—entering the Top 20 on the Billboard 200, and has toured consistently. The band released their thirteenth studio album, Titans of Creation, on April 3, 2020. Here are all of the Testament songs ranked.
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20. Alone in the Dark (The Legacy, 1987)
“I really never like testament, I think alex is one of the greatest guitarists ever, but for me is really difficult to understand the testament music, anyway, this is a killer song”
19. The Preacher (The New Order, 1988)
“Surprised how low this is. One of the songs in thrash as far as I’m concerned. Impressive pace & a sweet melody, with some of Chuck’s best vocal work – Perfect for pitting.”
18. Apocalyptic City (The Legacy, 1987)
“I’d say this is either about a pyromaniac/arsonist or about a god (in one religion or another) destroying humanity for their sins. I don’t see quite as much evidence for the second one, though, since it says nothing about the sins of the people. “to burn the planet Earth”, though implies someone of great power, perhaps a god or political leader, since one arsonist cannot destroy the whole world.”
17. Down for Life (The Gathering, 1999)
“Rocking trax about friendship. It’s about helping a friend who has embraced a wrong living style. Friendship is always the best medicine”
See more: Testament Albums Ranked
16. Legions of the Dead (The Gathering, 1999)
“This song = Death Metal, or at least very close to it, the riff is really Death Metalike and Chuck Billy is growling here. This is one of my favorites from Testament for that reason.”
15. First Strike Is Deadly (First Strike Is Deadly, 2001)
“Pretty much every single testament album is amazing. Probably my overall favorite thrash band. But honestly without a doubt one of the best without biased”
14. True American Hate (Dark Roots of Earth, 2012)
“It’s so awesome how Gene’s drumming reminds you of Death. Very solid metal song from their album, with a sweet guitar, riffing and also nice drum beats!”
13. Trial by Fire (The New Order, 1988)
“This song has arguably the most melodic intro in the history of heavy metal, and then it kicks ass for 3 more minutes. Only downfall is that it is too short.”
12. Burnt Offerings (The Legacy, 1987)
“Great man, just genius man like the riff, deh neh neh NEH NEH NEH NEH NEH, just a first testament song I heard and one of my personal favorites. Incredible melody in this song”
11. Disciples of a Watch (The New Order, 1988)
“Solid track from Testament! I’d totally recommend this to any metalhead. The beginning of the thrashing part is surprising and delicious and it goes way better the more it’s listened.”
10. The Legacy (The Legacy, 1987)
“Absolutely amazing song. Lyrics are solid and Eric Peterson and skolnik are shredders. One of the greatest solos of all time. This song is so damn good, one of their best!”
9. Electric Crown (The Ritual, 1992)
“Excellent song it got me into this band, the thing I most like about it is that they are Iron Maiden inspired. They really should play this live again! The Live in London version is brilliant, as is the album version.”
8. D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate) (The Gathering, 1999)
“Death metal meets thrash on this masterpiece. Lombardo’s drums are incredible on this song and Chuck Billy’s growls are fantastic. This song is the definition of thrash, it has some amazing vocals, great bass line, powerful double bass drumming and a kickass guitar to boot, this song honestly does deserve the number one spot on this list”
7. More Than Meets the Eye (The Formation of Damnation, 2008)
“Outstanding song; catchy; heavy; great riffs; great musicianship. From great album. Most of the songs quoted on the list are from. Their earlier period – testament have put out 3/4 brilliant albums, with excellent songs, since 2000.”
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6. Into the Pit (The New Order, 1988)
“Brutal, powerful, melodic. Combines the best elements of first three albums. Crazy song…and the drums are just beyond commendation.. Testament is one of the best thrash bands.”
5. The New Order (The New Order, 1988)
“This song kicks so much ass the entire 4:27 seconds you hear it. Everything from the post- apocalyptic intro to the last epic chorus, it grabs you by the balls and you enjoy it. Best off the album by far.”
4. Return to Serenity (The Ritual, 1992)
“The best Chorus ever made in the history of the thrash metal and the riff is AWESOME! Best Part of the song is the SOLO! And the best ever song from testament far better then over the wall.”
3. Souls of Black (Souls of Black, 1990)
“Chuck, is an inspiration, the band is inspiring. Souls of black kicks ass but, doesn’t stand alone. All of Testaments songs mean something to who ever listens to them. They are songs of freedom and heart.”
2. Practice What You Preach (Practice What You Preach, 1989)
“Brilliant song… First testament song I listened to! Like chuck billy’s vocals and the amazing guitar work! All of their stuff is great, but this is their best album and the best song on the album. This song has fantastic rhythm and tempo and strong lyrics”
1. Over the Wall (The Legacy, 1987)
“Easily the best Testament song. It was great when it first came out and still kicks ass. Skolnick shredded this song as a teenager. Amazing! I just like this song. I’ve listened to other songs by Testament and I just keep coming back to this one”