Gene Hoglan on TESTAMENT

I enjoy both Souls and the Ritual immensely. Too slick ? Maybe but both sound good to my ears.

The Ritual is a better album than Souls Of Black, I used to own it and still like a couple tracks, but not enough to buy it again.

I currently own 2 Testament CDs, "The best of Testament" and The Gathering, doubt any more will be added because it's just not my thing anymore.

DallasBlack wrote:

SlaytanicPOWER wrote:

Shawn D. wrote:

Testament was a good band, I like their first couple records, but by the time Practice came out it just sounded like they were recycling their own ideas and the compositions kept getting more generic and boring.

I listened to "Souls of Black" once and decided my attention would be better suited elsewhere.

I have no problem with Gene doing the gig for money, everyone has to make a living.

This pretty much, although I thought The Ritual while slower, was very heavy and had awesome hooks and melody to complement it.

Such a criminally underrated Testament album. The guitar solo to Return To Serenity has to be one of the best solos in metal history.

It is the best solo in metal history!

I don't think they ever topped The Legacy, but I find something to enjoy in every Testament album. Will be buying this new one as soon as it's available

Eyesore wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

Such a criminally underrated Testament album. The guitar solo to Return To Serenity has to be one of the best solos in metal history.

It is the best solo in metal history!

It's rather good, yeah. Have you two ever heard the acoustic version on Life At The Fillmore? When the solo goes from acoustic to electric, it's something else.

Random trivia: 'Return to Serenity' was the first Testament song I ever heard. Absolutely love it.

That live acoustic/electric version is missing something, though. Plus it's played a bit differently. Still great, but The Ritual version is, in my opinion, just perfect. The tone is amazing, the playing smooth, and goddamn...I don't think I've ever heard a more emotional solo.

And that's why I love it so much; it gives me goose bumps. I don't even like the song a whole lot. It's good, but not great. That solo, though...perfection.

The acoustic version has those great, soaring vocal harmonies though. That really makes it for me. Both are good, though. It's a simple song, but there's really something quite special about the entire thing (well, maybe not the lyrics - they're a little pants).

I agree with Eyesore,it has to be the best solo(at least for Testament).I can find something to enjoy in every Testament album with the exception of Demonic.

you guys must be hearing something in Return To Serenity that's never revealed itself to me. It's a good song and a good solo. That's about as far as I could go with that.

Shawn D. wrote:

you guys must be hearing something in Return To Serenity that's never revealed itself to me. It's a good song and a good solo. That's about as far as I could go with that.

+1 I always thought it was tolerable at best. After "Souls Of Black", I quickly lost interest in this band.

Thrasher73 wrote:

I agree with Eyesore,it has to be the best solo(at least for Testament).I can find something to enjoy in every Testament album with the exception of Demonic.

Not even "Hatreds Rise?" I used to not care for Demonic much, but it's grown on me. I still rank it as their worst. But still, "Hatreds Rise" was always awesome to me. It's actually a bit out of place on that album.

Demonic is great. true, it's not traditional thrash, but neither was The Ritual.

mc666 wrote:

Demonic is great. true, it's not traditional thrash, but neither was The Ritual.

I like it now, but it's a bit plodding at times, far less dynamic than what they're capable of.

Eyesore wrote:

Thrasher73 wrote:

I agree with Eyesore,it has to be the best solo(at least for Testament).I can find something to enjoy in every Testament album with the exception of Demonic.

Not even "Hatreds Rise?" I used to not care for Demonic much, but it's grown on me. I still rank it as their worst. But still, "Hatreds Rise" was always awesome to me. It's actually a bit out of place on that album.

Yeah,not a bad song.Dont get me wrong there are some good songs musically on there,I just dont care much for the vocal approach.

SpectreFate wrote:

Shawn D. wrote:

you guys must be hearing something in Return To Serenity that's never revealed itself to me. It's a good song and a good solo. That's about as far as I could go with that.

+1

+2

Thrasher73 wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Thrasher73 wrote:

I agree with Eyesore,it has to be the best solo(at least for Testament).I can find something to enjoy in every Testament album with the exception of Demonic.

Not even "Hatreds Rise?" I used to not care for Demonic much, but it's grown on me. I still rank it as their worst. But still, "Hatreds Rise" was always awesome to me. It's actually a bit out of place on that album.

Yeah,not a bad song.Dont get me wrong there are some good songs musically on there,I just dont care much for the vocal approach.

I hear ya. But "Hatreds Rise" has no death vocals. That's what I mean by saying it's out of place. It just doesn't fit.

Eyesore wrote:

Thrasher73 wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Thrasher73 wrote:

I agree with Eyesore,it has to be the best solo(at least for Testament).I can find something to enjoy in every Testament album with the exception of Demonic.

Not even "Hatreds Rise?" I used to not care for Demonic much, but it's grown on me. I still rank it as their worst. But still, "Hatreds Rise" was always awesome to me. It's actually a bit out of place on that album.

Yeah,not a bad song.Dont get me wrong there are some good songs musically on there,I just dont care much for the vocal approach.

I hear ya. But "Hatreds Rise" has no death vocals. That's what I mean by saying it's out of place. It just doesn't fit.

Agreed. Demonic is my least favorite of the Testament catalog (because of the vocals) but Hatred's Rise is a good little tune (albeit out of place). I hold onto it mostly for completist sake but it's the one I listen to the least.

"Hatred's Rise" is a cool song, but it almost sounds like it was just a reworked version of the The Scorpions song "Sails of Charon" which they covered on their SIGNS OF CHAOS comp.

Joe wrote:

"Hatred's Rise" is a cool song, but it almost sounds like it was just a reworked version of the The Scorpions song "Sails of Charon" which they covered on their SIGNS OF CHAOS comp.

I've always thought that myself!

I also was told by a fellow Yngwie fan that Eric Peterson used an Yngwie Strat on Hatred's Rise, and of course Yngwie also covered Sails of Charon about two years prior. Not that any of that matters but I did find it interesting

Joe wrote:

"Hatred's Rise" is a cool song, but it almost sounds like it was just a reworked version of the The Scorpions song "Sails of Charon" which they covered on their SIGNS OF CHAOS comp.

Winner winner chicken dinner! That's what I always thought too.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Ouch, Gene!

I can sort of agree with what he's saying though. The first couple of Testaments were great, but they started to slide (or sound "safe") circa PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH (though I still dig that record) and they were phoning it in on most of SOULS OF BLACK. They stopped the skid with the LOW record, but after that they were sorta flailing around for a few albums, throwing stuff at the walls to see what would stick (i.e. DEMONIC, THE GATHERING, etc.).

I have an issue of Metal Maniacs with a hilarious Testament article in it from the time Hoglan was still involved with'em. The writer sez he was out at a restaurant with the band, in the middle of doing the interview, when Gene Hoglan picked that exact moment to tell Chuck and Greg that he couldn't tour with Testament because he'd just accepted an offer from Strapping Young Lad. Haha. Awkward!!

Disagree. I personally think "Souls" is a great thrash record, and a step up from the somewhat sterile sounding "Practice". "Souls" is probably my favorite overall early-era Testament record. As much as I love "New World Order" for its classic songs, "Souls" is just so much more consistent.

Quote :

As much as I love "New World Order" for its classic songs, "Souls" is just so much more consistent.

Close... but not quite. It's called The New Order.

^^ Grr, yeah, typed that in a hurry. Oops, guess I need to turn in my metal card now... lol

New clip...sorta.



Not much to go on, but it sounds promising.