Why Didn't Testament Make It Big?

I had read on Allmusic that Testament could have made the "Big Four of Thrash" into the "Big Five of Thrash." Why didn't this happen? Was it the difference in time of their first release that caused them to miss the "train?" Were they not as marketable as Slayer and Anthrax (both the least famous of the "Big Four," imo)? Any ideas?

xyz wrote:

I had read on Allmusic that Testament could have made the "Big Four of Thrash" into the "Big Five of Thrash." Why didn't this happen? Was it the difference in time of their first release that caused them to miss the "train?" Were they not as marketable as Slayer and Anthrax (both the least famous of the "Big Four," imo)? Any ideas?

Good question, dude! IMO, they WERE #5 on the totem pole in the early 90s.

My guess is because they were a second wave of thrash band and the others were originators.

My guess would be because unlike Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax or Slayer, they didnot have great management and also unlike those bands, Atlantic Records who Testament were signed to at that time, didnot know how market metal bands, look at what happened to Raven and Savatage when they were on that label.

I think it was just bad timing on their part.

"The Big Four" all formed in or around 1981 and had debut albums out by '83. Testament didn't form until '83 and didn't release their debut until '87. By that time, they were probably considered more as followers than leaders. Whether or not that's true is all a matter of opinion at this point.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I think it was just bad timing on their part.

"The Big Four" all formed in or around 1981 and had debut albums out by '83. Testament didn't form until '83 and didn't release their debut until '87. By that time, they were probably considered more as followers than leaders. Whether or not that's true is all a matter of opinion at this point.

With the exception of Megadeth who released the debut in 1985.

Troublezone wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I think it was just bad timing on their part.

"The Big Four" all formed in or around 1981 and had debut albums out by '83. Testament didn't form until '83 and didn't release their debut until '87. By that time, they were probably considered more as followers than leaders. Whether or not that's true is all a matter of opinion at this point.

With the exception of Megadeth who released the debut in 1985.

True, but I'm counting Dave's involement in the early days of Metallica. He had enough 'street cred' by '85 to be included in the Big Four.

I think Overkill should be in line for a "Big Five", before Testament. They had the warpaint on when Chuck Billy was sipping his first brew.

SAXON1500 wrote:

I think Overkill should be in line for a "Big Five", before Testament. They had the warpaint on when Chuck Billy was sipping his first brew.

Overkill are the most underrated of the bigger thrash bands and should have been revered at least as much as Anthrax.

What does that even mean? You've lost it Spec.

Btw, I know you are adventurous enough to at least try my delicious creation once your up here.

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Btw, I know you are adventurous enough to at least try my delicious creation once your up here.

Yeah, I'll try it.


The hot dog represents that you have a winning statement. Certainly you all understand what goes on in my mind.

SpectreFate wrote:

Certainly you all understand what goes on in my mind.

It is really dark in there. Every thought about hooking up some lights?

SAXON1500 wrote:

I think Overkill should be in line for a "Big Five", before Testament. They had the warpaint on when Chuck Billy was sipping his first brew.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in their early days, weren't Overkill more of a punk band? I thought they developed a more 'metal' style later on (along with the warpaint), which could account for them being labeled as followers or second-tier.

Anthrax started as a hardcore band as well. So did Husker Du, The Replacements, Bad Brains - and Tori Amos was in a metal band.

Let's not forget Billy Joel's short lived metal band:

manny wrote:

Let's not forget Billy Joel's short lived metal band:

No, let's. PLease?

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Anthrax started as a hardcore band as well.

Fair enough. But when did they adopt a more 'metal' style? If, for example, let's say Anthrax went 'more metal' in 1981 while Overkill was still doing the hardcore punk thing, people in and around the scene at the time could look at Overkill as followers moreso than leaders.

I don't know the answer, I'm just asking a question. I wasn't there, so my timeline could be way outta wack.

Well, then Testament sure would not belong on top then. But I hear what you're saying.

manny wrote:

Let's not forget Billy Joel's short lived metal band:

I'm sure Mr. Joel would like this removed from the history books as well. Has anyone actually heard this album? Are there any redeeming qualities to it?

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but in their early days, weren't Overkill more of a punk band? I thought they developed a more 'metal' style later on (along with the warpaint), which could account for them being labeled as followers or second-tier.

Punk in a Motorhead way. They were still metal.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

manny wrote:

Let's not forget Billy Joel's short lived metal band:

I'm sure Mr. Joel would like this removed from the history books as well. Has anyone actually heard this album? Are there any redeeming qualities to it?

I used to have it on cassette and it is crap!!! Billy Joel is very talented musician and is a metal fan but his heart was not into creating this type of music, it is sounds sort of like a Deep Purple wanna be.

Attila (band)



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Attila was the name of a band featuring a young Billy Joel. Billy was a member of a band called The Hassles; he and the drummer, Jon Small, broke away from the Hassles and formed Attila in 1969. The instrumentation was mostly organ and drums, with Billy Joel also handling the bass lines with a keyboard, like the Doors' Ray Manzarek. Their creative partnership ended in 1970 when Joel allegedly ran off with Small's wife, Elizabeth, although this did not end their collaborations, as Small produced Joel's концерт video as well as the "live at Shea stadium" performance
They released only one album, Attila, in 1970, later reissued by CBS Inc in 1985. Attila is often selected by critics and other music journalists as one of the worst rock albums of all time, but also receives a significant amount of praise from people who normally would not listen to Billy Joel. Joel himself has gone on record as describing the album as "psychedelic bullshit".

MetalGuy71 wrote:

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Anthrax started as a hardcore band as well.

Fair enough. But when did they adopt a more 'metal' style? If, for example, let's say Anthrax went 'more metal' in 1981 while Overkill was still doing the hardcore punk thing, people in and around the scene at the time could look at Overkill as followers moreso than leaders.

I don't know the answer, I'm just asking a question. I wasn't there, so my timeline could be way outta wack.

No no no. Not true. Anthrax were a local band from our part of the globe back in the day. Before going into the speed metal/thrash direction they were doing more of the NWOBHM/Iron Maiden/Judas Priest thing. They were not a hardcore band ever, at least not that I remember. I also remember reading how Megaforce owner (name slips my mind right now) kept turning them down, demo after demo. It wasn't until the No Life Til Leather demo inspired Anthrax into the thrash direction that Megaforce owner took notice.

Regardless, I'm of the opinion that Overkill belonged in that BIG FIVE group before Testament. As well, EXODUS were around as early as Slayer and Metallica.

SAXON1500 wrote:

Well, then Testament sure would not belong on top then. But I hear what you're saying.

Cool, and by the way, this isn't a knock against Overkill either. I'm just trying to figure out why some bands got "Big Four" status while the other guys got labeled second-teir. I'm still thinking it's a timing issue. When were they playing gigs in the thrash style and when did they release their debuts? Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer all fall within that same time frame (except for Megadeth's debut, which we've already addressed).

Both Testament and Overkill had distinctive sounds, which is what I always thought about the Big Four. I've never confused an Anthrax song with a Slayer song or Overkill with Metallica. They all had certain qualities that made them same (thrash), yet different. But their styles and debuts all came slightly later.

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I also remember reading how Megaforce owner (name slips my mind right now) kept turning them down, demo after demo

Johnny Zazula