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)
Henchmen Ride
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This prison captures me, my cell is all I know
I thought I knew it all, stubborn in my ways
My sentence has begun, my future's what I waste
Next chapter of my life is filled with violent scenes
I stay awake at night hiding from my dreams
The voices haunting me, driving me insane
I feel that I am slipping
Are they out to get me
My life is upside down
More than meets the eye
For now I am in control, choosing my own fate
And now I sleep at night because I'm not afraid
My demons haunting me, I chased them all away
I've conquered all my fears, my destiny awaits
I'm no longer slipping
I'm not slipping away
No one's out to get me
No one will get in my way
No longer upside down
I've turned my life around
More than meets the eye
More than [Repeats x3]
More than meets the eye
In Testament's song Henchmen Ride, the lyrics touch upon themes of imprisonment, fear, and conquering one's inner demons. The song begins by expressing a sense of entrapment in a world that is unknown, leaving the singer to question his own existence. The second line, "This prison captures me, my cell is all I know," can be interpreted both literally and figuratively. It may suggest that the singer is physically incarcerated, or it may allude to a mental or emotional imprisonment, where the singer is trapped within his own mind and unable to escape his past mistakes.
The following lines, "I thought I knew it all, stubborn in my ways / My sentence has begun, my future's what I waste," suggest regret and a desire to do things differently. The singer may have been too confident or set in his ways before, leading to his downfall. As a result, he is left to ponder his future and what could have been.
The second verse reveals the singer's inner turmoil, as he struggles with violent and haunting dreams that leave him feeling paranoid and afraid. However, he eventually conquers his fears and takes control of his life. The final lines, "More than meets the eye," leave the listener with a sense of mystery, as if there is still more to the story that is left unsaid.
Line by Line Meaning
Life in the world untold, question the unknown
Life is full of mysteries that we don't have answers to
This prison captures me, my cell is all I know
Feeling trapped in a situation where you don't see a way out
I thought I knew it all, stubborn in my ways
Being overconfident in your abilities and not open to different perspectives
My sentence has begun, my future's what I waste
Suffering the consequences of your actions and not realizing the value of time
Next chapter of my life is filled with violent scenes
The future seems bleak and dangerous
I stay awake at night hiding from my dreams
Fear of what the future holds keeps you up at night
The voices haunting me, driving me insane
Internal struggles and doubts causing distress and confusion
Can't seem to get away, they're calling out my name
Feeling like you can't escape the negative thoughts and influences in your life
I feel that I am slipping
Sense of losing control and direction in life
Are they out to get me
Feeling like others are conspiring against you
My life is upside down
Feeling like everything is going wrong
More than meets the eye
There is more to the situation than what is immediately apparent
For now I am in control, choosing my own fate
Taking charge of your life and making your own decisions
And now I sleep at night because I'm not afraid
Overcoming fear and finding peace in life
My demons haunting me, I chased them all away
Conquering personal obstacles and struggles
I've conquered all my fears, my destiny awaits
Overcoming adversity and ready to face the future with confidence
I'm no longer slipping
Feeling in control and stable
I'm not slipping away
Not losing progress or having setbacks in life
No one's out to get me
Not feeling like others are working against you
No one will get in my way
Determined to succeed, and not letting anything stop you
No longer upside down
Things are going right in life
I've turned my life around
Making positive changes to improve one's situation
More than meets the eye
There is more to the situation than what is immediately apparent
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charles Billy, Eric Stanley Peterson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheRyanhegerty
2020 and I’m still jamming to this. It’s impossible to NOT headbang to this song!
J PR
One of testament's finest songs from one of the greatest metal albums ever made.
jcp1977
Man I can't stop listening to this song,it's frickin' AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
Fariz Adnan
My favourite song from Testament so far. Awesome sound quality!!!
Underfell Sans
Fariz Adnan agreed
mmmitsdesean
This album surprised the shit out of me when I first heard it, actually thought it couldn't live up to The Gathering but it did if not kicked its ass. Their new album is going to be the most brutal album of the year.
Kevin Morales
powerful riff at the beginning of the song, great
chris
awesome tune!
DiscountWolverine
I can picture James Hetfield singing this for some reason especialy the part at 2:45 "Forward, shifting gears. In the wind, the henchmen ride" LOVE IT!!!!!!
Russian Black Metalist
@Mark Gelling They have different vibe in vocals - cowboy vs demon )