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)
Rise Up
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I say war
That means the time is now
To even up the score
The leader speaks
His plan has failed before
Enlisted soldiers
It's time for justice
Just like before
Our troops protect and serve
Are they ever coming home
So much regret
Another killed by war
Such a tragedy
Enlisted soldiers
Obey their orders
When I say rise up
You say war!
When I say rise up
You say war!
Rise up, war!
Rise up, war!
Rise up, war!
Rise up, war!
The smell of death
Reeks through the air
The stench of burning bodies
Bloodshed everywhere
Scattered remains
And bullet shells
Send in the dogs of war
Unleash the hounds of hell
It's time to rise up!
It's time to rise for war!
It's time to rise up!
Black is death!
And red is war!
Yeah I said rise up
And you said war
All for one and one for all
The perfect world war
All of the rest
Will fail just like before
Such a tragedy
The fallen soldiers
They followed orders
When I say rise up
You say war
When I say rise up
You say war!
Rise up, war!
Rise up, war!
Rise up, war!
Rise up, war!
The song "Rise Up" by Testament represents a call to action, a call to arms. The lyrics address the brutality of war as well as the sacrifices made by enlisted soldiers, highlighting the ugly truth of war as well as the perpetual cycle of violence. The lyrics also seem to suggest that justice is not always served, and that it is sometimes necessary to rise up and fight for it. The leader's plan has failed before, and the troops are left wondering if they will ever come home. The chorus "When I say rise up, you say war" signifies the band's attempt to incite a revolution, to inspire people to take a stand and fight for what they believe in. The song's imagery is vivid, with references to the "stench of burning bodies" and "bloodshed everywhere." Overall, the song is a powerful call to action, serving to remind us of the tragic consequences of war, as well as the importance of standing up for what we believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
When I say rise up
I am calling for action and rebellion
When I say war
I am calling for armed struggle and conflict
That means the time is now
We cannot wait any longer, the situation demands immediate action
To even up the score
To achieve justice and retribution for past wrongs
The leader speaks
The person who holds power is addressing the people
His plan has failed before
The leader's previous attempts to solve the problem have not succeeded
Enlisted soldiers
The soldiers who have been officially registered and committed to military service
Awaiting orders
They are waiting for instructions from their superiors
It's time for justice
The moment of fairness and righteousness has come
Just like before
Similar to previous situations where justice was sought
Our troops protect and serve
Our military forces are responsible for safeguarding and caring for the people
Are they ever coming home
We are uncertain if the soldiers will return alive from the battlefield
So much regret
There is a feeling of sadness, disappointment and remorse
Another killed by war
Yet another person has lost their life in the armed conflict
Such a tragedy
It is an unfortunate and devastating event
Enlisted soldiers
Those who have signed up to the military
Obey their orders
They follow the commands given to them, no matter what
The smell of death
There is a distinctive odor of decay and mortality
Reeks through the air
The smell is so strong and overwhelming that it can be sensed from a distance
The stench of burning bodies
The sickly sweet smell of flesh being burnt
Bloodshed everywhere
There is widespread violence and carnage
Scattered remains
The fragments or pieces of the destroyed, mutilated or disbursed bodies
And bullet shells
The empty casings that are left over after a gun is fired
Send in the dogs of war
Release the fierce and ruthless troops
Unleash the hounds of hell
Let loose the armies of the underworld
Black is death!
The color black is a symbol of death
And red is war!
The color red is a symbol of conflict
All for one and one for all
We must all unite and fight together
The perfect world war
A conflict that is ideal in every way, in terms of tactics, strategies, achievements, and outcomes
All of the rest
Everyone else besides the soldiers and those who benefit from the war
Will fail just like before
Their attempts to stop the war will be unsuccessful, just as they have been in the past
The fallen soldiers
The soldiers who died while serving
They followed orders
They carried out their superiors' commands, regardless of their personal beliefs or opinions
Rise up, war!
It is time to take up arms and start fighting
Rise up, war!
We must raise our voices and call for war
Rise up, war!
We need to act quickly and aggressively
Rise up, war!
War is the solution to our problems
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charles Billy, Eric Stanley Peterson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thiago lima Dahmer
Rise Up
When I say rise up
When I say war
That means the time is now
To even up the score
The leader speaks
His plan has failed before
Enlisted soldiers
Awaiting orders
It's time for justice
Just like before
Our troops protect and serve
Are they ever coming home
So much regret
Another killed by war
Such a tragedy
Enlisted soldiers
Obey their orders
When I say rise up
You say war
When I say rise up
You say War!
Rise Up... War!
Rise Up... War!
Rise Up... War!
Rise Up... War!
The smell of death
Reeks through the air
The stench of burning bodies
Bloodshed everywhere
Scattered remains
And bullet shells
Send in the dogs of war
Unleash the hounds of hell
It's time to rise up!
It's time to rise for war!
It's time to rise up!
Black is death!
And red is war!
Yeah I said rise up
And you said war...
All for one and one for all
The perfect world war
All of the rest
Will fail just like before
Such a tragedy
The fallen soldiers
They followed orders
When I say rise up
You say war
When I say rise up
You say War!
Rise Up... War!
Rise Up... War!
Rise Up... War!
Rise Up... War!
Levantar
Quando eu digo levantar
Quando eu digo guerra
Isso significa que a hora é agora
Para igualar o placar
O líder fala
Seu plano falhou antes
Soldados alistados
Aguardando ordens
É hora de justiça
Assim como antes
Nossos soldados protegem e servem
Eles estão sempre voltando para casa
Muito lamentamos
Outro morto pela guerra
Essa tragédia
Soldados alistados
Obedecem suas ordens
Quando eu digo levantar
Vocês dizem guerra
Quando eu digo levantar
Vocês dizem Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
O cheiro da morte
Exala através do ar
O fedor de corpos queimados
Derramamento de sangue em todos os lugares
Restos espalhados
E cápsulas de balas
Envie os cães de guerra
Liberte os cães do inferno
É hora de levantar!
É hora de levantar-se para a guerra!
É hora de levantar!
Negro é a morte!
E o vermelho é a guerra!
Sim, eu disse levantar
E você disse guerra...
Todos por um e um por todos
A guerra do mundo perfeito
Todo o resto
Irá falhar como antes
Essa tragédia
Os soldados caídos
Eles seguiram ordens
Quando eu digo levantar
Vocês dizem guerra
Quando eu digo levantar
Vocês dizem Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
Levantar... Guerra!
Nuclear Blast Records
Production value adds to the experience ;) It's something that many can appreciate!
Biff Butkus
Don't let music like this disappear into history. support bands like this so they can continue making great records like this one
Ramsey1010
All of Alex's solos are just so good. He really deserves wayyyyy more recognition for his brilliant guitar playing.
Saul Martinez
Yeah, and erick is great also
João Ferreira
One of most underrated metal bands ever
Comrade Kappa
Testament is legendary !
Othmane CHENGUITI
Metallica is better than you, Dave.
becks0816
You really want to compare a band with an album called "lulu" with these guys here?
bodomsticker
Metallica is not thrash
becks0816
Well, you must be young then. Otherwise you would remember the Bay area thrash metal (search wiki for it). Both bands - Testament and Metallica - are part of it, and in the past when Metallica played harder metal (before the black album), they could be compared. The "and justice" album appeared in the same period like the "practice what you preach"...