Testament

“Live in London” (Spitfire)

Compare to: Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica

On “Live in London,” heavy metal stalwarts Testament invite fans to relive the late ’80s heyday of San Francisco Bay Area thrash. To further enhance the nostalgic feeling, the band’s perennial leaders – vocalist Chuck Billy and rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson – managed to call members of the band’s classic lineup back into service, including long lost guitar hero Alex Skolnick and drummer Louie Clemente.

Listening to the 14 tracks on “Live in London,” you’d never know it has been 10 years or more since some of these guys had shared the stage. The band tears through classics like “Disciples of the Watch,” “The Haunting” and quintessential mosh anthem “Into the Pit” with the savage finesse and bludgeoning heaviness that could level a million younger bands. Many live albums often suffer from subpar recording quality, but the mix on “Live in London” is crystal clear from start to finish, with each instrument easily discernible amid the sonic beating Testament delivers.

It’s true the members of Testament are getting up there in age, but they play with the speed and dexterity that only a group of seasoned veterans could pull off. The performance gives off the vibe of a group of old friends rocking out and having a blast.

The glory days of “Thrash of the Titans” may have been replaced by the corporate schlock of “Ozzfest,” but as far as Testament is concerned, hard-hitting, skillfully played metal is timeless

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