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)
Legions
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With razor blade smiles
Infested with anger
A well hidden crime
Teaching those lessons so cruel
Ah, the torment spreads
War inside my head
You call this, a family?
Battered, abusive
There's no wrong or right
When you're enslaved in your room
Hiding from demons
In urban daylight
Knowing that they'll be here soon
Confusion and bruises
And scars left for life
When physical evidence fades
Silently screaming
Just to be loved
Their innocence taken away
Ah, the torment spreads
War inside my head
Please just set me free
You call this, a family?
Virtues are shattered
By parents they trust
When all love they give is misued
The next generation
The damaged will learn
To keep spinning wheels of abuse
Ah, the torment spreads
War inside my head
Please just set me free
You call this, a family?
The opening lines of Testament's "Legions" describe the experience of domestic violence through a metaphor -- "razor blade smiles" and hidden anger. The violence is internalized by the singer, who is "enslaved in [their] room" and hides from their "demons" during the day. The trauma of abuse leaves "confusion and bruises" and "scars left for life," but the effects of violence are not always visible -- "when physical evidence fades" -- and the singer is left "silently screaming" for love and safety.
The second verse introduces the idea that abuse is cyclical, passed down from generation to generation. The damage done by parents will be learned by the next generation, and "keep spinning wheels of abuse." The final lines of the song bring the focus back to the personal toll of violence, asking if what the singer has experienced can truly be called a "family."
Overall, "Legions" is a powerful and harrowing depiction of the long-term effects of domestic violence on an individual and on society as a whole. The lyrics, written by frontman Chuck Billy and guitarist Eric Peterson, were inspired by Billy's own experiences of growing up in an abusive household.
Line by Line Meaning
Domestically violent
There is violence that happens within the home.
With razor blade smiles
The person committing the violence looks happy on the outside but can be very dangerous on the inside.
Infested with anger
The person committing the violence is filled with a lot of anger.
A well hidden crime
The violence that happens inside the home is not easily seen from outside, so it can go unnoticed and unreported.
Teaching those lessons so cruel
The person committing the violence is teaching their victims very harmful and mean things.
Ah, the torment spreads
The torment and pain that the victims go through spreads to the people around them.
War inside my head
The victim has a constant battle going on in their head due to the violence they are experiencing.
Please just set me free
The victim wants to be freed from the violence and abuse they are experiencing.
You call this, a family?
The victim questions whether the violence they are experiencing truly qualifies as a family.
Battered, abusive
The victim is being physically abused.
There's no wrong or right
The abuser seems to believe that their abusive actions are acceptable.
When you're enslaved in your room
The victim feels like they are trapped or imprisoned inside their own home.
Hiding from demons
The victim is hiding from the aggressor who acts as if they were a demon.
In urban daylight
The violence is not just confined to the home, but can happen even in public.
Knowing that they'll be here soon
The victim can anticipate the abuser's return and the inevitable abuse that follows.
Confusion and bruises
The victim is not only physically hurt, but also mentally confused and disoriented.
And scars left for life
The physical and mental pain can have lasting effects on the victim.
When physical evidence fades
Even though the physical evidence of abuse may heal, the victim still carries the mental scars and trauma.
Silently screaming
The victim is screaming out for help but their cries go unheard or ignored.
Just to be loved
The victim just wants to feel loved and cared for, and not be subjected to violence and abuse.
Their innocence taken away
The victim is robbed of their childhood and their right to live freely and without fear.
Virtues are shattered
The abuser has no moral or ethical values and is destroying the same in their victim.
By parents they trust
The abuser is often someone the victim trusts and looks up to, such as a parent.
When all love they give is misued
The abuser manipulates the love and trust the victim has for them to continue the abuse cycle.
The next generation
The damage caused by the abuser could be passed down to the victim's children if not addressed and treated.
The damaged will learn
The victim who has been abused may grow up to repeat the cycle of abuse themselves.
To keep spinning wheels of abuse
The cycle of abuse may continue through actions passed down from past generations.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES BILLY, DEL JAMES, ERIC STANLEY PETERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind