Testament - The Legacy

Shortly after Metallica became marketable, the heavy metal community began to focus on several other thrash bands from the San Francisco Bay area. Most came and went in the span of time it took to play side one of Master of Puppets, but Testament began a musical crusade that continues today. The band's debut album The Legacy (1987) still holds up as a fine example of hook-laden thrash music. Songs like "Over the Wall" and "The Haunting" balance barreling blast beats and caustic screams with tuneful guitar licks and semi-melodic vocals. Although he eventually quit the band because he didn't approve of its ultra-heavy direction, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick was a large part of Testament's early appeal. And on The Legacy, his euphoric leads and intricate bridge work makes the music enjoyable even when the rest of band sounds somewhat generic. --Jon Wiederhorn