LIVE REVIEW: Testament @ The Ritz, Manchester

TESTAMENT may not boast the same commercial success as the other heavy hitters in American thrash metal, but a career spanning over three decades and the simple fact that their show at The Ritz in Manchester is completely sold out shows that there is still a buzz surrounding this old beast. Arriving on our shores still in support of 2016’s Brotherhood of the Snake, we hit up The Ritz to see whether, after all years, they still have the ability to whip up a storm.

As a result of conflicting information surrounding the evening’s running times, we missed the opening barrage from Polish death metallers VADER so ANNIHILATOR served as the appetiser to the evening’s main event. With a career spanning nearly the same length as TESTAMENT, The Great White North’s crème de la crème of thrash have a worthy reputation and their supporting performance was tight and precise. Packing a concise set full of fan favourites and a sprinkling of new cuts from last year’s For The Demented, ANNIHILATOR intended to make a positive impression with their time on stage and they achieved just that. The chugging riffing from Aaron Homma and blistering solos from Jeff Waters acted as the dominant force to their live makeup whilst Rich Hinks and Fabio Alessandrini operated as a unit together and kept the pace flowing in top gear throughout. Waters himself, charismatic and witty as ever, held the audience’s attention effortlessly and his commanding vocal lines held their own against the chaotic sound. It was a neat and impressive performance, one which demonstrates that ANNIHILATOR are still a force to be reckoned with.

Rating: 8/10

Like with any veteran band, as time inevitably rolls on, question marks begin to surround whether you can still deliver performances to the same quality as is expected. Such questions surely must surround TESTAMENT who hit the stage now 35 years deep into their career. But, such doubts over their ability to bring the same intensity as their records were instantly squashed as the thrash titans hit the ground running through the explosive title track from their latest opus. Gene Hoglan‘s gargantuan blasts behind the drumkit and Steve Di Giorgio‘s thick bass tones acted as the backbone to the band’s mighty sound, allowing guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson to drive the pace forward whilst Chuck Billy stood in the heart of their sonic storm delivering bout after bout of his heavy trademark vocal shouts. It was energetic to say the least and demonstrated their utter professionalism.

With the tour coming on the back off 2016’s Brotherhood of the Snake, it seemed reasonable that a healthy chunk of new material made the cut for this tour and whilst the new material came across well live, where TESTAMENT truly hit their stride was when they dropped their most revered and adored tracks. Into The Pit did exactly what it says on the tin and spawned the biggest moshpit of the evening, Over The Wall had bodies flooding over the barriers and Practise What You Preach‘s slick guitar lines and lengthy solo was effortlessly dispatched by the proficient Alex Skolnick. What hindered TESTAMENT‘s impact somewhat though, was the unnecessary breaks. At several points throughout their lengthy set one individual member of the band took it upon themselves to showcase their ability on their chose instrument. Whilst it was technically impressive and did allow for a degree of respite for the band, it unfortunately did interrupt the flow and momentum of their impact.

Despite that putting a slight dampener of things, as far as performances go, TESTAMENT really brought their A-game to Manchester. In a set packed to the brim of tunes covering their expansive career and boasting the professionalism and skill of a band so deep into their career, rest assured, TESTAMENT still have what it takes to deliver the goods all these years after they first exploded onto the scene.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: