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)
Together As One
Testament Lyrics
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OVER CROWDED CAUSE WE SHARE THE SAME VEINS
YOU CAN NOT BE...
MORE MAN THAN ME...
I...WILL NOT BE THE OTHER
I AM THE ONE...THE CHOSEN SON...
WHO DEVOURS AND SMOTHERS
WHAT AM I ANYWAY...
IMPLANTATION AS THEY RIP US APART
JOINED TOGETHER CAUSE WE SHARE THE SAME HEART
YOU WILL NOT BE...
MORE MAN THAN ME...
I AM THE ONE...THE CHOSEN SON
WHO DEVOURS HIS BROTHER...
HURT...HELP..HELL...
AND NOW YOU WILL SEE...THAT WE WILL BE
ALWAYS...TOGETHER AS ONE
ALWAYS TOGETHER AS...
THE DOMINANT SON, WHO WAS JOINED AS ONE
ALWAYS...TOGETHER AS ONE
ALWAYS TOGETHER AS...
THE DOMINANT SON, WHO WAS JOINED AS ONE
ALWAYS WONDER WHY
THE UNBORN SON, WHO LIVES INSIDE HIS HEAD
CAN NEVER DIE
VIOLENCE IS NOT THE WAY...
DAMAGING VOWS I TAKE...
THE ONE WHO WAS BUILT OF RAGE
BOW DOWN BEFORE I
PRAYED FORGIVENESS
FROM THE FATHER ABOVE
JOINED TOGETHER
BUT NOT BONDED BY LOVE
I WILL NOT BE...
MORE MAN THAT HE...
WE...WILL NOT HAVE EACH OTHER...
I AM THE ONE...THE BURDEN SON...
WHO...DEVOURED HIS BROTHER...
HURT...HELP...HELL...
AND NOW YOU WILL SEE...THAT WE WILL BE
ALWAYS...TOGETHER AS ONE
WILL NOT BE HALF A MAN...
WE'RE JOIN TOGETHER AS...ONE...
The song "Together As One" by Testament is about the bond between two brothers who are twins sharing the same womb. The lyrics describe a life that is "insane" due to being overpopulated, with the twins being forced to share their mother's womb. Despite the difficult conditions they endure, the dominant brother is determined to come out as the superior twin, the chosen son who devours and smothers his brother. Yet he simultaneously acknowledges that violence is not the way and wonders what he is anyway.
Line by Line Meaning
I WAS BORN INTO A WOMB SO INSANE
I entered this world through a birth that was overwhelmed and insane.
OVER CROWDED CAUSE WE SHARE THE SAME VEINS
There were too many of us in the same place because we all share the same blood.
YOU CAN NOT BE...
You are not capable of being...
MORE MAN THAN ME...
more of a man than I am.
I...WILL NOT BE THE OTHER
I refuse to be someone else.
I AM THE ONE...THE CHOSEN SON...
I am the chosen one, the son.
WHO DEVOURS AND SMOTHERS
I devour and suffocate everything in my path.
VIOLENCE IS NOT THE WAY...
Violence is not the answer.
WHAT AM I ANYWAY...
Who am I, really?
IMPLANTATION AS THEY RIP US APART
During implantation, we are torn apart.
JOINED TOGETHER CAUSE WE SHARE THE SAME HEART
We are linked together because we share the same heart.
YOU WILL NOT BE...
You cannot be...
MORE MAN THAN ME...
more of a man than I am.
I AM THE ONE...THE CHOSEN SON
I am the chosen one, the son.
WHO DEVOURS HIS BROTHER...
I consume my brother.
HURT...HELP..HELL...
Pain, assistance, and suffering...
AND NOW YOU WILL SEE...THAT WE WILL BE
Now you will witness that we'll always be...
ALWAYS...TOGETHER AS ONE
...always together as one.
ALWAYS TOGETHER AS...
...always together as...
THE DOMINANT SON, WHO WAS JOINED AS ONE
The dominant son, fused into one.
ALWAYS...TOGETHER AS ONE
...always together as one.
ALWAYS TOGETHER AS...
...always together as...
THE DOMINANT SON, WHO WAS JOINED AS ONE
The dominant son, merged into one.
ALWAYS WONDER WHY
I often ask myself why...
THE UNBORN SON, WHO LIVES INSIDE HIS HEAD
The son who never saw the light of day, who only exists in his mind.
CAN NEVER DIE
Will never perish.
VIOLENCE IS NOT THE WAY...
Violence is not the answer.
DAMAGING VOWS I TAKE...
I make harmful promises...
THE ONE WHO WAS BUILT OF RAGE
I am the one who was constructed from fury.
BOW DOWN BEFORE I
Kneel before me.
PRAYED FORGIVENESS
I asked for forgiveness.
FROM THE FATHER ABOVE
From God himself.
JOINED TOGETHER
Linked together.
BUT NOT BONDED BY LOVE
But not united by love.
I WILL NOT BE...
I refuse to be...
MORE MAN THAN HE...
more of a man than he is.
WE...WILL NOT HAVE EACH OTHER...
We do not need one another.
I AM THE ONE...THE BURDEN SON...
I am the one who carries the weight of my mistakes.
WHO...DEVOURED HIS BROTHER...
I consumed my brother.
HURT...HELP...HELL...
Pain, assistance, and suffering...
AND NOW YOU WILL SEE...THAT WE WILL BE
Now you will realize that we will always be...
ALWAYS...TOGETHER AS ONE
...always together as one.
WILL NOT BE HALF A MAN...
I will not be incomplete...
WE'RE JOIN TOGETHER AS...ONE...
We are fused together as one.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES BILLY, ERIC STANLEY PETERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind