Count me as one who loves The Gathering (potentially favourite album). I can remember my Testament journey pretty accurately. After getting into thrash via Metallica, then Megadeth and Slayer, I started to branch out and try all this classic thrash albums. Very few of these really hit a chord with me. The Legacy was one of those albums. I can appreciate for what it is but it’s not in the same league as Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer (at least for me).
This was probably around ‘05, and I don’t think I got around to checking out anything else by the band until I picked up the compilation Days of Darkness in ‘08. I got it cheap from my local record store and didn’t look back. For those of you who aren’t aware, Days of Darkness is a compilation album of sorts. Disc 1 is made up solely of songs from Demonic and The Gathering, whilst Disc 2 was re-recorded songs (in their current heavy sound) from The Legacy and The New Order. Man, this is probably actually my favourite album because it hand picks the best songs and re-records some of their best songs in a style I prefer. I listened to this and thought (as a big Lamb of God fan at this time), “Man, LoG really ripped these guys off”. I’m not sure they did, but there are some pretty noticeable similarities on this record.
From there I was a converted fan, to a degree. I bought The Formation of Damnation that year and really dug that one. I picked up Dark Roots of Earth in ‘13 and that was the point I went back and downloaded all their older albums. I fell off around ‘14 as that was when I went all in with the prog metal, so missed Brotherhood of the Snake when it came out.
I’ll chuck out an album ranking, and also my favourite songs off the Days of Darkness comp.
1. First Strike is Deadly
2. The Gathering
3. Demonic
4. The Formation of Damnation
5. Practice What You Preach
6. The New Order
7. The Ritual
8. Dark Roots of Earth
9. Low
10. Souls of Black
11. The Legacy
12. Titans of Creation
13. Brotherhood of the Snake
Top songs from Days of Darkness while we’re at it…
Hatred’s Rise
Down For Life
D.N.R.
Fall of Sipledome
Into the Pit
Trial by Fire
Disciples of the Watch
Over the Wall
The New Order