TESTAMENT - THE FORMATION OF DAMNATION

[Creeps]

Originally Posted by DonCoryson

I was really let down by this disc, where did all the energy from The Gathering go?

and I'm a big fan of their earlier works but this album does aboslutely nothing for me.

No energy? Wow.

Granted, the Gathering is a tremendous album by them, but I thought this new one has a lot of energy. Maybe it's the lineup change, Lombardo makes everything go to eleven, but FOD has a truer Testament sound.

If we're talking high energy songs that make you want to throw things through random windows I thought the new album had quite a handful. Formation of Damnation, the Persecuted Won't Forget, Henchmen Ride, FEAR and Leave Me Forever. The rest of the album has that classic Testament groove that got me into them when I first picked up the New Order. The next day I got the Legacy and I've been a fan since. The only album I didn't care for was the Ritual.

[rushzil2112]

Lombardo, for me at least, usually makes the number go down, not up, but I have never really been a fan of his. I prefered Bostaph's work in Slayer over Lombardo, because his drumming is just so stale sounding, and Bostaph's has groove to it. I love this new testament disc.

[TBJ]

Originally Posted by rushzil2112

Lombardo, for me at least, usually makes the number go down, not up, but I have never really been a fan of his. I prefered Bostaph's work in Slayer over Lombardo, because his drumming is just so stale sounding, and Bostaph's has groove to it. I love this new testament disc.

Blasphemy!!!

Lombardo has more groove in his pinky finger than....well, you know where i'm trying to go here.

IMHO the opposite of what you say is true. Bostaph is great, but maybe too technical.. Lombardo on the other hand, has this sound, this feel, this groove, that no other drummer can duplicate. When you listen to an album that he plays in, you know it's him, no one sounds like him.

Bostaph's playing on this testament album is no different than Tempesta's playing in the First Strike Still Deadly album, same exact sound almost. Nothing bad about this at all though, I like em all.

[rushzil2112]

No one sounds like Lombardo and that is sure a blessing, at least to my ears. His drumming has always been just so stale to me and so dry. He is a good drummer, don't get me wrong, but ever since I saw his playing on the Modern Drummer Festival dvd I saw, his playing and everything just completely turned me off. I prefer Bostaph's drumming and feel on God Hates us All, even though I do like South of Heaven and such, just Lombardo's drumming has never done much for me. To know how I like my drummers, my current favs are Neil Peart(and always will be), Dirk Verbeuren, Asgeir Mickelson, Hellhammer(mainly in Arcturus), Van Williams, Johan(ex-Pain of Salvation), Virgil Donati, Sean Kinney, Bobby Jarzombek, Gene Hoglan, Swano, and so forth.

[VenomGA]

Lombardo is twice the drummer of Bostaph.

[rushzil2112]

That seems to be most people's opinion, but Lombardo is now, has always been, and always will be a stale drummer that sounds no better than a drum machine.

[edgeofthorns]

Originally Posted by General Zod

Granted, Testament deserves some of the credit for some of the thrash influence that exists today. However, having listened to their earlier works and having listened to this new CD, it's clear to see that they've made an attempt freshen up their sound, by incorporating more modern influences. However, in doing so, they wind up sounding like a a lot bands who were already doing this. Regardless, in my opinion, originality is second to song quality. And in the end, these songs just aren't doing it for me.

Zod

I would 100% agree with what you're saying if you were talking about the Demonic effort. To my ears, the current lineup has brought back that 80's thrash, groove sound in TFOD that I grew to love so much as a kid. I'm really not trying to read your post as a fanboy, but as a person hearing the band for the first time. I do agree that the production gives the new disc more of a modern sound, but that's about it. Oh well, your still cool Zod!

~Brian~

[PurpleCrayonWriter]

I picked up The Formation of Damnation yesterday. It took some doing, too. I looked in five CD stores before I found a copy.

I really like it.

I'm not a Testament fan from way back, so I had no ideal Alex Skolnick was -- and is -- in the band. I know, I know. I'm revealing a bit of metal ignorance on my part. All I know of Alex is that he's a killer guitarist who's the perfect on-stage foil for Chris Caffery in TSO. He doesn't look like a thrash metal musician. He looks like a polite (albeit slightly shaggy) salesman at Men's Wearhouse.

I just bought tickets to the Metal Masters show at DTE in Detroit this August. I'm looking forward to seeing Testament, Motorhead, Heaven and Hell, and Judas Priest. Prior to the post here on the Forum -- and all of the rave reviews (the General notwithstanding) -- I wouldn't have checked into Testament's latest and, therefore, wouldn't have been as appreciative of their set as I otherwise might have been.

So, thanks for the info. The PPUSA Forum is the best place on the Web to learn of new music!

Bill

[TBJ]

Originally Posted by rushzil2112

No one sounds like Lombardo and that is sure a blessing, at least to my ears. His drumming has always been just so stale to me and so dry. He is a good drummer, don't get me wrong, but ever since I saw his playing on the Modern Drummer Festival dvd I saw, his playing and everything just completely turned me off. I prefer Bostaph's drumming and feel on God Hates us All, even though I do like South of Heaven and such, just Lombardo's drumming has never done much for me. To know how I like my drummers, my current favs are Neil Peart(and always will be), Dirk Verbeuren, Asgeir Mickelson, Hellhammer(mainly in Arcturus), Van Williams, Johan(ex-Pain of Salvation), Virgil Donati, Sean Kinney, Bobby Jarzombek, Gene Hoglan, Swano, and so forth.

Dude you don't have to prove your drumming tastes. We all got different opinions. The only thing I really disagree with you is with the "Lombardo sounds like a drum machine". Lombardo has this feel in his drum rolls that only he can do. I mean, listen to Seasons in the Abyss(the song) and tell me those fills can be duplicated with a drum machine..

[rushzil2112]

I am not talking about 100% of the time, but in general his drumming is just generic and machine-like, and not machine-like in a good way. I like some of what he has done, but I just don't hear any groove or much feel from him. I hear more feel and groove from Bostaph personally, in Testament and in Slayer, but Lombardo's drumming on The Gathering has more feel than he does with Slayer. Both of them aren't the greatest groove/feel drummers, but I just get more into it with Bostaph and the way he plays.

[es156]

Originally Posted by VenomGA

Lombardo is twice the drummer of Bostaph.

This statement is false.