Labeled as one of the "big six" of the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene (along with Exodus, Death Angel, Lååz Rockit, Forbidden and Vio-lence), Testament is often credited as one of the most popular and influential bands of the thrash metal scene, as well as one of the leaders of the second wave of the genre in the late 1980s. They have also been referred to as one of the "big eight" of thrash metal, along with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Overkill and Death Angel. The band has sold over 1.4 million albums in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era and over 14 million copies worldwide. To date, Testament has released thirteen studio albums (one of which is a collection of re-recorded songs), four live albums, five compilation albums, twelve singles and three DVDs.
After signing to Atlantic Records in 1986, and changing its name from Legacy to Testament, the band released their debut album The Legacy in 1987, followed a year later by The New Order (1988); both albums were acclaimed by critics and the press, including heavy metal-related publications. The band achieved mainstream popularity with its third album Practice What You Preach (1989), which was Testament's first album to climb up the Top 100 on the Billboard 200 chart. A string of more successful albums were released during the early-to-mid-1990s, including Souls of Black (1990), The Ritual (1992) and Low (1994), with the first two also entering the Top 100 on the Billboard 200 chart. After Atlantic dropped the band in 1995, Testament (who had at this point had begun to experiment with a death metal-influenced sound) continued to record and perform until their temporary hiatus in 2001, when Billy was diagnosed with cancer. By 2005, his cancer was in remission and Testament had resumed activity, which saw a brief reunion of The Legacy lineup, resulting in the live album Live in London. Since then, Testament has experienced a resurgence of popularity, with four of their studio albums—The Formation of Damnation (2008), Dark Roots of Earth (2012), Brotherhood of the Snake (2016) and Titans of Creation (2020)—all entering the Top 100 on the Billboard 200, and they have continued to tour consistently.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_(band)
Studio albums
The Legacy (1987)
The New Order (1988)
Practice What You Preach (1989)
Souls of Black (1990)
The Ritual (1992)
Low (1994)
Demonic (1997)
The Gathering (1999)
First Strike Still Deadly (2001)
The Formation of Damnation (2008)
Dark Roots of Earth (2012)
Brotherhood of the Snake (2016)
Titans of Creation (2020)
Dangers of the Faithless
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Predicting life
Predicting when disaster strikes
Living life
Living death
Living on borrowed time
End of days
End of all the things you save
See the future
See the past
What does it have in store?
Through the years
Through the eyes and the lies
What he sees has become no surprise
Through the years
And the tears and the lies
Condemned to hell
Condemned to fate
Condemned to time
Sacrament
Sacrilege
Altar to a sacrifice
Smell the blood
Smell the death
Smell the stench of demons breath
Filled with love
Filled with hate
Filled with hope that dissipates
Fallen hero
Fallen God
Fallen victims that we've become
Through the years
Through the eyes and the lies
What he sees has become no surprise
Through the years
And the tears and the lies
Condemned to hell
Condemned to fate
Condemned to time
When you step into the circle
Prepare yourself as we choose your fate
Your fate
As you're bleeding at the altar
For your sins with blood you'll pay
You'll pay
Through the years and the tears
Through the lies, All the pain
End of time, End of days
End of life, End of pain
Predicting war
Predicting life
Predicting when disaster strikes
Living life
Living death
Living on borrowed time
End of time
End of days
End of all the things you save
See the future
See the past
What does it have in store?
Through the years
Through the eyes and the lies
What he sees has become no surprise
Through the years
And the tears and the lies
Condemned to hell
Condemned to fate
Condemned to time
The lyrics to Testament’s song “Dangers of the Faithless” are a reflection on the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. The singer contemplates the unpredictability of the future and the finality of the end of all things. The imagery is dark and foreboding, with references to war, death, sacrifice, and demons. The theme of time runs throughout the song, with the idea that we are all living on borrowed time and are ultimately condemned to fate and death.
The song also has a religious undertone, with mentions of sacraments and altars, and the idea of being “condemned to hell” for one’s sins. The lyrics suggest that even those who are considered heroes or gods can fall from grace and become victims. The final lines of the song suggest that there is no escape from the dangers that the future holds, and that we must prepare ourselves for what is to come.
Overall, the lyrics of “Dangers of the Faithless” are a sobering reminder of our mortality and the unpredictability of life. The imagery is vivid and striking, and the theme of time adds a sense of urgency to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Predicting war
Anticipating conflict and violence
Predicting life
Foreseeing the creation and existence of beings
Predicting when disaster strikes
Foretelling when tragedy and catastrophe will occur
Living life
Existing and experiencing the joys and sorrows of life
Living death
Enduring a meaningless existence or a life devoid of hope
Living on borrowed time
Continuing to exist despite an inevitable end
End of time
The conclusion of the existence of all things
End of days
The end of the current state of reality or an apocalyptic event
End of all the things you save
The destruction of all that has been preserved or treasured
See the future
Observing what is to come
See the past
Perceiving what has already occurred
What does it have in store?
What lies ahead in the future?
Through the years
As time passes
Through the eyes and the lies
By means of both what has been perceived and what has been falsely represented
What he sees has become no surprise
He has come to expect and accept what he has witnessed
Condemned to hell
Destined for eternal suffering
Condemned to fate
Obligated to face an inevitable and unpleasant outcome
Condemned to time
Subject to the inevitable and inescapable passage of time
Sacrament
A religious act or ceremony
Sacrilege
An act of disrespect towards something considered sacred
Altar to a sacrifice
A place where an offering or tribute is made to a higher power
Smell the blood
Perceive the odor of the physical manifestation of life force
Smell the death
Sense the presence of the cessation of life and decay
Smell the stench of demons breath
Detect the repulsive odor of the exhalation of a supernatural malevolent entity
Filled with love
Replete with affection and compassion
Filled with hate
Abounding with enmity and loathing
Filled with hope that dissipates
Obsessed with the expectation of positive outcomes that inevitably fade away
Fallen hero
Formerly admired and respected figure who has experienced a downfall or a moral failure
Fallen God
Once deified being who has been stripped of their divine status
Fallen victims that we've become
Reduced to powerlessness by the cruelty of others
When you step into the circle
When you enter into a situation that is outside of your control
Prepare yourself as we choose your fate
Ready yourself for the outcome that we have decided for you
As you're bleeding at the altar
While experiencing pain and injury as a result of an offering or tribute making
For your sins with blood you'll pay
You will suffer and make restitution for the wrongs that you have committed
Through the lies, All the pain
By means of deceit and deception, all distress and anguish is caused
End of life, End of pain
The conclusion of existence and misery
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alexander Nathan Skolnick, Charles Billy, Eric Stanley Peterson, Steven Michael Souza
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nolbex
very underrated band. For me it's the best thrash metal band from any others. And Chuck billy has a killer vocal
David Rasberry
This is some complex and tight drumming. Paul is awesome and fuck the critics. The hi hat work is progressive and it reminds me of Danny Carey influences. Paul is so precise and technical.
Snow the Jam Man
Absolutely, Paul is a master. The one thing that the early testament albums lacked was some creative drumming, Paul and now Gene made some amazing drum tracks
Paulo Bossan
certainly one of the best thrash metal drummers of all time.. check his CV..Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus, Testament.....wow
M Greenfield
Cool solos in this, lots of attitude. Love it!
Nemrud93
Imagine if this album realised in 1986 this will be OMG album along with puppets, Reign in blood and others...even better(it is my opinion)
Alex Ferus
such good metal!!!\m/
Betzefer
THE KING OF METAL IS TESTAMENT !!! \m/
Ambrish Saxena
one of in the10 Best Thrash Metal album of all time...!!!! \m/
Jaywarde82
I don't think load and reload are bad albums. They have their own high points...problem is that they don't have the chunky tight fast riffs everyone is used to...but the rhythms and melodies and really good. I mean look how different black was from their first 4 albums.