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)
The Formation Of Damnation
Testament Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't wash the lies away death messiah to whom people pray
Election day spitting bullshit to the enslaved
Make them believe compromised insanity
[Chorus]
The time is now, rise up from destitution
We won't lay down, resist the persecution
Inspired hate controlled by endless faith
Sins washed away the bloody shores of humanity
Unholy war, mankind is blind and bleeding
Indoctrinate, shatter all of the people's faith
[Chorus: x2]
I will fight relentlessly
I stand tall defiantly
I see what you cannot see
I invoke the beast in me
I fear not the agony
I breathe hope inside of thee
I will kill the enemy
I fulfill my destiny
A swarm of death engulfs the sky forever
Blocks out the sun, the desecration of salvation
The end is near, elected false messiah
Plan put in gear, the formation of damnation
[Chorus: x2]
Eyes, see, hands bleed
Set, free, the formation of damnation
The lyrics of Testament's song The Formation Of Damnation discuss the dangers of false leaders and their manipulation of the masses for their own power and gain. The song starts off by describing the world as being in a state of mass destruction, with lies being perpetuated by those in power who are referred to as "false leaders." These leaders are so corrupt that they have even created a "death messiah" to whom people blindly pray. The lyrics are critical of the leaders who manipulate the people, especially on election day, by spitting out "bullshit" in order to keep them enslaved and believing in the lies they promote.
The chorus represents an uprising and resistance against the persecution of these false leaders. The time is now for the people to rise up from their state of destitution and fight back against those in power. The song calls for individuals to fight relentlessly and stand tall defiantly against these false leaders. They must see what others cannot and invoke the "beast in me" in order to overcome and fulfill their destiny.
The lyrics of The Formation of Damnation warn against groupthink and the dangers of allowing oneself to be blindly indoctrinated with faith. The song culminates in a vision of the end of the world, where a "swarm of death" engulfs the sky and blocks out the sun, leading to the "desecration of salvation." The "false messiah" that was elected is revealed to have been part of a "plan" that leads to the "formation of damnation."
Line by Line Meaning
False leaders crowned, a world of mass destruction
Leaders who are untrustworthy are given power in a world that is being destroyed.
Can't wash the lies away death messiah to whom people pray
The lies are so ingrained that even after death, people still believe in the false messiah.
Election day spitting bullshit to the enslaved
On election day, politicians speak empty promises to the oppressed masses.
Make them believe compromised insanity
The lies are so convincing that people end up believing in compromised insanity.
The time is now, rise up from destitution
It is time to take action and rise up from poverty and oppression.
We won't lay down, resist the persecution
We will not accept being persecuted and will resist.
Inspired hate controlled by endless faith
Hate fueled by blind faith is being controlled and directed towards the wrong targets.
Sins washed away the bloody shores of humanity
The atrocities of humanity are being forgiven and forgotten through religion.
Unholy war, mankind is blind and bleeding
A war that should not be fought is causing humanity to suffer and is being ignored.
Indoctrinate, shatter all of the people's faith
People are being brainwashed to lose faith in themselves and believe in lies.
I will fight relentlessly
I will fight with all my strength and never give up.
I stand tall defiantly
I am standing strong against oppression and not backing down.
I see what you cannot see
I understand what others cannot comprehend.
I invoke the beast in me
I am unleashing my inner strength to fight back.
I fear not the agony
I am not afraid of pain and suffering.
I breathe hope inside of thee
I give hope to others who have lost it.
I will kill the enemy
I will defeat those who are oppressing and discriminating against others.
I fulfill my destiny
I am fulfilling my purpose in life.
A swarm of death engulfs the sky forever
Death and destruction have taken over and will continue for a long time.
Blocks out the sun, the desecration of salvation
The destruction is so severe that it even blocks out the possibility of hope and salvation.
The end is near, elected false messiah
The end of humanity is approaching because of the false messiah who was chosen to lead them.
Plan put in gear, the formation of damnation
The plan to bring about destruction has been set in motion.
Eyes, see, hands bleed
People are witnessing the horror and cannot do anything to stop it.
Set, free, the formation of damnation
The formation of damnation is now free to happen without any resistance.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charles Billy, Del James, Eric Stanley Peterson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheUnbeholden
Timestamps:
(00:00) 1. For the Glory of...
(1:12) 2. More Than Meets the Eye
(5:43) 3. The Evil Has Landed
(10:30) 4. The Formation of Damnation
(15:39) 5. Dangers of the Faithless
(21:26) 6. The Persecuted Won't Forget
(27:27) 7. Henchmen Ride
(31:18) 8. Killing Season
(36:10) 9. Afterlife
(40:23) 10. F.E.A.R.
(45:10) 11. Leave Me Forever
Dargombez
* Band : TESTAMENT
* Album "The Formation of Damnation"
* Copyright : 2008 Nuclear Blast Records
* Genre : Thrash Metal
* Origin : USA (Oakland, CA)
* Years Active : 1987 - Now
* Producer : Chuck Billy & Eric Petersson
* Recording & Engineering : Andy Sneap & Vincent Wojno
* Mixing & Mastering : Andy Sneap
* Additional Recording : Eric Petersson
* Cover Artwork : Eliran Kantor
* Photography : Tyler Clinton
* Art Direction : Eric Petersson
* Recorded at Driftwood Studios Oakland, CA & Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA, USA
* Additional Recorded at Backstage Studios, Derby, UK & Cotton Hill Studios, Albany, NY
* Pre-Production Recorded at Trident Studios, Martinez, CA, USA
* Mixed at Backstage Studios, Derby, UK
* TESTAMENT are :
1. Charles Billy (Vox)
2. Alex Skolnick (Guitars)
3. Eric Petersson (Guitars)
4. Greg Christian (Bass)
5. Paul Bostaph (Drums)
* Guest Player :
1. Steve Souza of EXODUS (back Vox)
2. Steev Esquivel of DEFIANCE (back Vox)
3. Nick Souza of HATRIOT (back Vox)
John Priest
1. For the Glory of... - 1:12
2. More Than Meets the Eye - 4:31
3. The Evil Has Landed - 4:44
4. The Formation of Damnation - 5:10
5. Dangers of the Faithless - 5:47
6. The Persecuted Won't Forget - 5:49
7. Henchmen Ride - 4:00
8. Killing Season - 4:52
9. Afterlife - 4:13
10. F.E.A.R. - 4:46
11. Leave Me Forever - 4:28
TheUnbeholden
Timestamps:
(00:00) 1. For the Glory of...
(1:12) 2. More Than Meets the Eye
(5:43) 3. The Evil Has Landed
(10:30) 4. The Formation of Damnation
(15:39) 5. Dangers of the Faithless
(21:26) 6. The Persecuted Won't Forget
(27:27) 7. Henchmen Ride
(31:18) 8. Killing Season
(36:10) 9. Afterlife
(40:23) 10. F.E.A.R.
(45:10) 11. Leave Me Forever
Alex Saucedo
FANTASTIC ALBUM HERE
A THRASH MASTERPIECE IN MY OPINION. A SOLID FUCKIN 10. WITH OUTSTANDING GUITAR WORK AND GUITAR SOLOS BY ALEX SKOLNICK
I SAW THIS ALBUM TOUR TWICE. KICK ASS CONCERT BOTH TIMES
TESTAMENT DELIVERS
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Kashton Mario
@Ares Hudson glad I could help :)
Ares Hudson
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Thank you so much you saved my account :D
Kashton Mario
@Ares Hudson instablaster =)
Troydon Wainwright
This album is a testament to the brilliance of Testament.
Charles White
An immediate go to
אלעד וינברג
God damn it, I forgot how badass this album was! Every song on here kicks ass, and it seems like Testament were firing on all cylinders on here... That's exactly how you make a comeback album!!!
Jack James Godsell
Chuck Billy – lead vocals
Alex Skolnick – lead guitar
Eric Peterson – lead and rhythm guitar
Greg Christian – bass
Paul Bostaph – drums
Matt McC
Some of SAINT Petersons finest riffs. I remember having to stop my conversation at a party the first time I heard the opening of The persecuted wont forget. Absolute god of thrash metal riffs.