Despite being one of the most underrated bands in American thrash metal, Testament stood out with great works throughout their history, starting with The Legacy (1987), which already showcased a highly technical, ferocious band ready for greater success. With this success, the band took their next step and in 1988 released their second album, The New Order , which catapulted them into the public eye.
Despite being rushed due to contracts with Atlantic and Megaforce , the band showed tremendous maturity compared to their debut album. We can hear one of the most acclaimed guitar duos in metal history, with Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick , the former providing excellent rhythm parts, and the latter showcasing an underrated virtuosity and deep knowledge of his instrument. In fact, in the early 2000s, Skolnick formed his own jazz trio, a notoriously complex genre to perform on virtually any instrument.
The New Order is a complete showcase of guitars from beginning to end; from the introduction of the first track “Eerie Inhabitants”, the introduction of “Disciples Of The Watch”, to the interlude “Hypnosis”, and even closing with the fast instrumental “Musical Death (A Dirge)”, in which the introduction features arpeggios reminiscent of the classical style.
Chuck Billy 's vocal performance on The New Order is particularly noteworthy, showcasing a vocalist who has honed his technique over the years, even venturing into guttural territory, as evidenced on albums like Demonic (1997). On The New Order , we hear a vocal style reminiscent of James Hetfield of Metallica , but on "steroids," with an intriguing speed that enhances the album's thrashish tone. The bass is very prominent, providing stability to the entire band, thanks to the excellent work of Greg Christian , who even dares to perform a brief solo in songs like "Disciples Of The Watch," also highlighted in "The Preacher" and "Trial by Fire," where he takes the lead in all verses. Louie Clemente delivers a solid performance on drums, establishing the classic Testament drum sound from their first five albums.
Despite being composed amidst the pressures of Testament's first tour, the album is superb. The New Order is undoubtedly a classic of thrash metal; great solos, great riffs, and above all, great compositions that demanded a very high level of musicianship to be executed correctly. The New Order demonstrates that Testament always deserved more within the thrash metal scene; if we could compare them to any band, it would certainly be Megadeth , for their technique and musical depth, two bands that never settled for mediocre tracks, and when they faced setbacks, they immediately compensated for them.
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