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)
Do or Die
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watching my dreams disappear
My fists slowly clench
As my mind seeks control
My body trembles in fear
Life was looking up for me
When I left home
Seems like yesterday
Here is where I'll stay
Nobody can hear you scream or shout
Once you're in you won't come out
You will never see the light of day
I'm a hunter you're my prey!
Watching the clash between
The forces below
From up in the planes we're flying
Survivors are taken as prisoners of war
The others are slowly dying
I shiver as we strap on our parachutes
We line up to jump out the door
We're already here and there's no turning back
I fall to scene of the war
Nobody can hear you scream or shout
Once you're in you won't come out
You will never see the light of day
I'm a hunter you're my prey !
You! - you can see me
Flying right over you head
Try! - try to stop me
You can't cause your armies are dead
To cross! - To cross blood red
Trenches of the dead below
"Do or die"
Hell's the place you'll go
Living my life on borrowed time
Watching my dreams disappear
My fists slowly clench
As my mind seeks control
My body trembles in fear
Life was looking up for me
When I left home
Seems like yesterday
Now I'll never go back there again
Here is where I'll stay
Nobody can hear you scream or shout
Once you're in you won't come out
You will never see the light of day
I'm a hunter you're my prey!
The Testament song "Do or Die" portrays the intense emotions and fear that come with being in a war zone. The lyrics describe a soldier who is living on borrowed time and watching his dreams fade away. The physical and mental toll of war is apparent as the soldier's fists clench in an attempt to control his fear. The soldier is resigned to the fact that he will never leave this place, and his only option is to either fight for his life or die trying.
The second verse depicts the horrors of war from a bird's eye view. The soldiers are flying above the scene, watching as their fellow soldiers are taken prisoner of war or slowly dying. The feeling of impending doom is palpable as the soldiers prepare to parachute into the war zone. The chorus emphasizes the power dynamic between the soldier and his enemies. He sees himself as the hunter and his enemies as prey - there is no escape once they've been caught.
The final verse brings the song back to the perspective of the soldier. He is still struggling with fear and uncertainty but is resigned to his fate. The song's title "Do or Die" is a phrase that resonates throughout the entire song, reminding the listener that in situations like war, the only option is to fight until the end.
Line by Line Meaning
Living my life on borrowed time
I am aware that every moment of my life is precious and fleeting.
Watching my dreams disappear
I am seeing my aspirations vanish before my eyes.
My fists slowly clench
I am feeling a sense of anger and frustration build up inside me.
As my mind seeks control
I am desperately trying to stay in command of my thoughts and emotions.
My body trembles in fear
I am feeling scared and uncertain about what is to come.
Life was looking up for me When I left home Seems like yesterday Now I'll never go back there again Here is where I'll stay
I used to feel hopeful about the future, but now I am resigned to my current circumstances.
Nobody can hear you scream or shout Once you're in you won't come out You will never see the light of day I'm a hunter you're my prey!
Once you become trapped in a dire situation, escape may not be possible, and you may feel like a victim of circumstance or other forces beyond your control.
Watching the clash between The forces below From up in the planes we're flying Survivors are taken as prisoners of war The others are slowly dying I shiver as we strap on our parachutes We line up to jump out the door We're already here and there's no turning back I fall to scene of the war
I am witnessing the brutality of war from above, and feel a sense of dread and fatalism as I participate in the conflict.
You! - you can see me Flying right over you head Try! - try to stop me You can't cause your armies are dead To cross! - To cross blood red Trenches of the dead below Do or die Hell's the place you'll go
I am superior to my enemies, and they are powerless to stop me. I am willing to risk everything to achieve my goals, even if it means facing death and damnation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER NATHAN SKOLNICK, CHARLES BILLY, ERIC STANLEY PETERSON, LUCIANO ANGELO CLEMENTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@msw812
Testament took us all to school. I was so blown away by this album when it came out, that I remember I made my grandma listen to it. HA!
@itkojecockot
easily one of the best thrash albums.......
@therebelbrain
My favorite Testament song ever. I don't know what the special fucking ingredient in this one, but goddammit this is an eternal classic.
@FirebirdCamaro1220
this and Apocalyptic City
@69Curtdog
Chuck Billy is that ingredient !
@vasiliosmilonas6801
THRASH TILL DEATH,HAIL FROM GREECE!
@MarcBGood72
Still LOVE this song. It's so underrated.
@AndrejSunko
+MarcBGood72 I highly agree! Love the melodies in this one. Wanna hear how it was supposed to be recorded and played? Check my channel, as I am speaking / writing this, I'm converting and remastering this. Cheers bro :)
@stupidusername38
That riff from 2.46 -3.04 is a neck breaker
@CochoSGO
Epic chorus...nuff said