CoC : Testament - Signs of Chaos: The Best of Testament : Review

Testament - _Signs of Chaos: The Best of Testament_
(Mayhem, 1997)
by: Drew Snow (6.5 out of 10)

It was bound to happen. With so many tribute albums and "best of" compilations flooding the metal market in the past couple of years, sooner or later someone had to release a Testament collection, and now here it is. Even though _Demonic_ was disappointing, the announcement of _SoC_ certainly piqued my interest; for now instead of picking what Testament albums I want to play and what songs I wish to hear, I can have someone else's views of the fifteen best Testament songs placed on one CD for my enjoyment! Of course, as is the problem with nearly all albums of its ilk, _SoC_ suffers from one inescapable flaw: poor song selection. The most glaring omission, and without a doubt the most disappointing to me, is the timeless "Disciples of the Watch." How the hell can such a classic be overlooked? Especially when its replacement is the meager at best "Trial By Fire," a choice which I really don't understand at all. Moving onwards, the mediocre yet aptly titled "The Ballad" really deserves no place in such a compilation; its spot would have been much better reserved for tracks like the aforementioned, or perhaps "Burnt Offerings," off _The Legacy_. But alas, what we get instead is a compilation of the band's singles and other more well known songs, ignoring the lesser known but often better crafted efforts such as "Trail Of Tears" and "Seven Days in May." I suppose what it all comes down to is that a band with seven excellent albums (I'm excluding _The Ritual_ and _Demonic_, my least favorite) and a countless number of brilliant songs deserves, and should demand, much more than a fifteen track (well, seventeen, the final two songs are average covers) "best of" compilation disc; a double-disc would have been much preferred. Or, if the label was simply too stingy, a much better solution would have been to just glance at _Live at the Fillmore_; the seventeen songs presented there -truly- represent the best of Testament. So if you're an old time Testament fan and absolutely need a new album, take a look, but make sure you know what songs you're getting for your cash . If you're someone just getting into the band, I'd say a better place to start is _LatF_, for sure.

(article published 1/1/1998)

CHATS
7/7/1999	A Bromley	Testament: A Testament to Longevity
8/12/1997	D Schinzel	Testament: Thrash Up Yo Ass, Muthafucka

ALBUMS
8/13/2012	A El Naby	7.5	Testament - Dark Roots of Earth
4/27/2008	J Smit	9	Testament - The Formation of Damnation
4/12/2002	A McKay	8	Testament - First Strike Still Deadly
6/15/1999	A Bromley	9	Testament - The Gathering
7/14/1997	D Schinzel	7	Testament - Demonic

GIGS
9/14/1997	S Hoeltzel	Testament / Stuck Mojo / Strapping Young Lad	Demonic Pigwalk