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)
First Strike Is Deadly
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guilty for what you've been charged
Sit in cells condemned to face
The deadly snap of their jaws
Terror stricken you lie and wait
In the final hour
Knowing of your wretched fate
First strike is deadly
The evil path that you must take
Is filled with the slither of snakes
Their hiding and waiting for the time to lunge
For your flesh and your fate
No one escapes or comes out alive
For the snakes they'll never lose
For if they hit you just one time
You have just faced your doom
First strike is deadly
Deadly strike bred to kill
The venoms howling in your veins
Psychotic spell a gift from hell
The sound of a deadly lead remains
The lyrics of First Strike is Deadly by Testament are about being imprisoned and helplessly waiting for death, which is certain and will come swiftly without warning. The venom master in the song is symbolic of an unseen force - possibly the inevitability of death - that brings upon the prisoners their fate. The lyrics describe the prisoners as guilty, though it is not clear what they are guilty of or who charged them. They are condemned to die, and they know that the first strike, once it comes, will be deadly.
The song uses powerful imagery, comparing the prisoners' fate to being devoured by snakes. The slithering of snakes represents the uncertainty and fear that comes with death, as it can strike at any moment. The line "No one escapes or comes out alive" emphasizes the helplessness of the prisoners in the face of what is to come. The final stanza is a lament about how the venom takes hold of the prisoners "like a spell", and the sound of death "remains" long after their bodies have been consumed.
Overall, First Strike is Deadly employs vivid and haunting imagery that effectively conveys a sense of helplessness and inevitable doom. The song serves as a powerful reminder of the fragility of life and the sense of powerlessness that comes with facing death.
Line by Line Meaning
Prisoners of the venom master
People who are trapped under the influence of the poison master
Guilty for what you've been charged
Being held responsible for all the allegations accused on you
Sit in cells condemned to face
Staying locked in a cell and judged to combat
The deadly snap of their jaws
The severe bite of the snakes who imprisoned them
Terror stricken you lie and wait
Fearful and scared, waiting in anticipation
In the final hour
At the end of the time
Knowing of your wretched fate
Being aware of your terrible destiny
And the serent power
The silent rule of the captor
First strike is deadly
The initial attack is fatal
The evil path that you must take
The wicked journey that's compulsory for you to follow
Is filled with the slither of snakes
Path is full of moving snakes
Their hiding and waiting for the time to lunge
The snakes are concealed and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce
For your flesh and your fate
To grab your destiny and skin
No one escapes or comes out alive
No one ever escapes successfully or stays alive
For the snakes they'll never lose
The snakes will always win and that's certain
For if they hit you just one time
If they manage to attack you once
You have just faced your doom
You have faced your death
Deadly strike bred to kill
The lethal attack was created to murder
The venoms howling in your veins
The venom is screaming in your bloodstream
Psychotic spell a gift from hell
A crazy web cast from hell
The sound of a deadly lead remains
The noise of the lethal metal resonates in the air
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER NATHAN SKOLNICK, ERIC STANLEY PETERSON, GREG CHRISTIAN, STEVEN SOUZA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind