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)
Low
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's man against mankind
Bruises that they bear
Been beaten down with time
Innocent people suffer the loss
Your broken hope so close to the cross
Sometimes, you just don't know
So low it's sickening
Low, low, show some mercy
Hey you piece of shit
Just leave the kids alone
Why can't you bear
The things that we endure
Innocent people suffer the loss
Lost hope with faith to the cross
Sometimes, you just don't know
How low, how low you can go,
Show some sympathy
Low, low, show some mercy,
I don't like you for your warped demented ways
I hope the lock you down, so you never get away
Low, low, show some sympathy
Low, low, show some mercy,
The lyrics of Testament's song "Low" paint a picture of the atrocities of war and violence. The verses speak about the bruises and suffering of innocent people who have been beaten down over time. The chorus beckons for mercy and sympathy in the face of the unspeakable horrors of war. The lyrics also refer to perpetrators, calling them "pieces of shit" who should leave the children alone. The song seems to be a call to action, urging people to stop the cycle of violence and to show compassion and mercy to those suffering from its effects.
The lyrics of this song serve to evoke a sense of disgust and anger towards the injustices of war, violence, and abuse. The emotional intensity of the song is further intensified by the driving guitar riffs and thundering drum beats. Testament's lead singer Chuck Billy brings raw emotion to the song's lyrics, allowing the audience to feel the frustration and pain he is expressing.
Line by Line Meaning
Fuel the fire for war
Stoking the flames of conflict
It's man against mankind
A battle between people
Bruises that they bear
Physical scars of trauma
Been beaten down with time
Suffering that never goes away
Innocent people suffer the loss
Victims of tragedy
Your broken hope so close to the cross
Loss of faith or belief
Sometimes, you just don't know
Uncertainty and confusion
How low, how low you can go
The depths of depravity
So low it's sickening
Revulsion and disgust
Low, low, show some mercy
Compassion and empathy
Hey you piece of shit
Addressing an offender with anger
Just leave the kids alone
Protecting the innocent
Why can't you bear
Questioning the motives of the offender
The things that we endure
Suffering caused by others
Lost hope with faith to the cross
Desperate loss of belief
Show some sympathy
Seeking understanding
I don't like you for your warped demented ways
Disgust for the offender's behavior
I hope they lock you down, so you never get away
Wishing for justice and punishment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES BILLY, ERIC STANLEY PETERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MetalBere
Fuel the fire for war
It's man against mankind
Bruises that they bear
Been beaten down with time
Innocent people suffer the loss
Your broken hope so close to the cross
Sometimes, you just don't know
How low, how low you can go
So low it's sickening
Low, low, show some mercy
Hey you piece of shit
Just leave the kids alone
Why can't you bear
The things that we endure
Innocent people suffer the loss
Lost hope with faith to the cross
Sometimes, you just don't know
How low, how low you can go,
Show some sympathy
Low, low, show some mercy,
I don't like you for your warped demented ways
I hope the lock you down, so you never get away
Low, low, show some sympathy
Low, low, show some mercy,
@YouTube_gets_dumber_each_year
@@scottwoodham1880 MTV has always sucked since day one.
Jello Biafra was right when he wrote about them in the mid 80s.
Imo, there was def some cool stuff on mtv but overall it was no different from any other channel in the sense that it encouraged complacency. The music that was featured was easily accessible and many viewers probably never even thought to venture outside its programmed parameters.
Bird-brained teens could just sit on their couch all day and consume whatever MTV would regurgitate their in mouth. That's why I always viewed "Beavis and Butthead" as being satirical commentary on that lifestyle. It's hilariously ironic when you think about it.
In essence MTV has always reflected the herd mentality of youth culture. At least to a certain degree.
@damianlee5438
This whole album was fucking amazing. Not a single filler song. A shame that James Murphy came into the band so late in the recording process that he only co-wrote "Hail Mary" which is a master class in his style. And he nails that solo live like it was a studio recording without an overdub.
His solo's on this album are so out of this world that Alex Skolnick wrote new solo's for all the songs on this album.
Meanwhile James played EVERY Alex Skolnick solo like a pro.
The most underrated thrash lead guitarist of all time.
And the duo of him and Eric Petersen was special, and very evident from their live performances.
@zootedsuit
One of the best vocalists in metal ever. Chuck Billy's voice shakes floors (literally)!
@thundervee
Yes he is in the top 3 IMO. His voice in metal just belongs!!!
@novachroma8219
Thundervee so versatile
@louiscsanko3673
Great Gutteral Vokills.💯🤜🤜🤘🤘💪💪💪💪💪
@Jsing6946
yes! he can sing and then shake foundations with the best cookie monster voice ever that you can still understand! chuck rules!
@pranjal70
When there was music on MTV...
@kakiharatempura7219
James Murphy crushes solos on this album.
@richardnoggin697
When you want to spam the fuck out of a like button. I remember the day this album came out. My truck sounded like a herd of elephants about to trample your house down when i pulled up in the driveway. I played that tape to death for a solid two months. So fucking heavy.
@austinanglin9818
James Murphy is my favoriye metal guitarist because of this album lol
@jarekz1938
Yes, he does. His solo record "Convergence" is amazing, too!