LIVE REVIEW: Testament @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

Amidst the outbreak of COVID-19 and media-induced mass panic, few gigs are left uncancelled. At the centre of the hysteria; thrash veterans TESTAMENT. Having been forced to call off their Italy and Germany concert dates, for the London crowd, it is business as usual tonight. Battling through a half-infected Europe one city at a time, the Bay Strikes Back Tour is a union of the unholy thrash trio DEATH ANGEL, EXODUS and TESTAMENT, offering a three band value package for the price of one. Weeks before toilet paper becomes the new currency in the UK, all concerns of the pandemic are left outside the venue, which by 6pm is full to the brim and oozing anticipation and sweat.

Seemingly the babies of tonight’s bill, DEATH ANGEL show expert musicianship and talent in abundance. Not even remotely reminiscent of their DARK THEORY days of 1982, the Bay Thrashers today boast nine studio albums including latest release Humanicide under their current alias. Having undergone various lineup changes tonight’s set opens with album title track sung by frontman and original member Mark Osegueda. Launching into a heavily syncopated five minute display of heavy riffs, dual guitar harmonies, and fast paced double picking; the quintet sounds colossal. The material that follows, is career-spanning, travelling between classic sounds of The Ultra Violence-era and the more recent works from their last three albums. Harnessing an aggressive, testosterone fuelled tone throughout, the band take the audience on a musical roller coaster setting the expectations very high for the two acts that follow.

Rating: 8/10

Having lost Kirk Hammett to METALLICA before their debut release in 1984, EXODUS have gone through various line-up changes in their infant years until finally recruiting guitarist Gary Holt and former LEGACY vocalist Steve Souza. Debut release Bonded by Blood whilst not the Kill ‘Em All record of their career, was a solid thrash assault and paved way for growth and exposure resulting in 1989’s masterpiece Fabulous Disaster, within which lay the The Toxic Waltz, a gift to the world that keeps on giving 30 years in.

The riffs tonight sound vintage, a mixture of thick guitar tones with the classic style fast paced solos blend incredibly well with the melodic onslaught of Souza’s vocals carrying each listener back to the 80s. The latest hits all come early on in the set, with Body Harvest and Blood In Blood Out turning the room into a raw and aggressive affair where meaty riffs don’t have an end. Gary Holt’s SLAYER-esque solos and stage presence through The Toxic Waltz and Strike Of The Beast prove the highlights of the night. At points where our eyes meet the manic Zetro Souza running around spewing vocal fury it becomes undeniable that these veterans are a full foot deep in thrash metal history, a powerhouse live at the pinnacle of their success.

Rating: 9/10

40 years into their existence, the history of the Bay Area pioneers TESTAMENT is a well known topic. Originally formed as LEGACY and with Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza on vocals (now EXODUS) they’re among the few select bands including EXODUS and OVERKILL that truly deserve the claim for The Big Four title, the timing perhaps being the main hindrance. By the year TESTAMENT were having their first gigs circa 1986 METALLICA was pushing the genre into the mainstream with release of Master of Puppets, three records deep, METALLICA were simply the kids that got there first.

The catalogue tonight, feels like a greatest hits performance as the band opens with 1988’s Eerie Inhabitants and The New Order. Storming through a 16 song setlist it becomes obvious that we are on a rollercoaster of the past with recycled, repetitive riffs dominating the set and the vocal patterns of most songs mimicking one another. Debuting the second single Children Of The Next Level from their upcoming album release, the track is met with excitement that quickly transforms into boredom. The song, being fast and equally as aggressive as its predecessor Night of the Witch, fails to delve into a territory yet unknown for this quintet, despite the band itself claiming the upcoming album will explore different and new elements of sound through the use of blast beats and more melodic vocal tones. Expect the unexpected folks, a three-part harmony perhaps…

To say that TESTAMENT are upstaged by EXODUS would be an understatement. Today, as probably most other times we’ve seen them play live, we see everything you’d expect from a 1980s era thrash attack, that perhaps being their ultimate downfall, well trained musicians with a sound that echoes the eras gone by, feeling simply out dated with the likes of DEATH ANGEL and EXODUS on tonight’s bill.

Rating: 7/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in London from Karolina Janikunaite here: