Well, there are a lot of Testament albums. Luckily, they’re one of the most consistent bands out there, especially for being a thrash metal band. Since the new album kicks ass, I decided to listen to them all again. Here are all Testament full-length albums ranked from worst to best. Do you agree?
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- Stefan Nordström
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Testament full-length discography
- “The Legacy” (1987)
- “The New Order” (1988)
- “Practice What You Preach” (1989)
- “Souls of Black” (1990)
- “The Ritual” (1992)
- “Low” (1994)
- “Demonic” (1997)
- “The Gathering” (1999)
- “The Formation of Damnation” (2008)
- “Dark Roots of Earth” (2012)
- “Brotherhood of the Snake” (2016)
- “Titans of Creation” (2020)
- “Para Bellum” (2025)
I’ve been a Testament fan for a loooong time. I heard them for the first time around 2002 or so, being crushed by “The Gathering” and the “First Strike Still Deadly” re-recordings. It’s always a pleasure to see them live, and to revisit the classics now and then.
Testament album ranking
The Testament discography is massive, so let’s get this going!
13. “Souls of Black” (1990)
Naaah, this one doesn’t do it for me. Non-extreme thrash that leans too far into traditional metal is not for me at all, and this one is largely a lesser version of the preceeding “Practice What You Preach” album. I’ll keep the catchy title track and the ballad, the rest of the songs don’t stick at all.
Fav track(s): “Souls of Black” & “The Legacy”
12. “The Ritual” (1992)
The Black Album and groove metal days have hit thrash metal, and you can really notice it here. Most of the things I don’t enjoy about the last two albums escalate here, placing us in firm heavy metal-tinged territory. Nah, this is not for me. That said, “Return to Serenity” is an excellent song. Alex Skolnick also goes pretty hard in some of the songs, which motivates placing it above “Souls of Black”.
Fav track(s): “Return to Serenity”
11. “Low” (1994)
After Alex Skolnick’s departure, it’s clear that Testament are looking to go down the more brutal side of the ongoing groove metal trend. “Low” has never been a favorite of mine, but it was fun to revisit it after many years. All in all, it’s a pretty fun album where Chuck’s vocal performance and the title track are the main takeaways.
Fav track(s): “Low” & “Dog Faced Gods”
10. “Practice What You Preach” (1989)
The Metallica influence here is undeniable, and the unfortunate effect is that Testament chill down a little bit. But it’s not a bad album by any means, just not entirely my cup of tea. Title track is a classic with a cool groove, and “Sins of Omission” is a sweet deep cut. This is pretty cool for what it is, but not among my favorites, especially since it’s so one-sided.
Fav track(s): “Practice What You Preach” & “Sins of Omission”
9. “Titans of Creation” (2020)
The third chapter of the “pretty cool” era of Testament in the 2010’s. Some quite good tracks, but overall I don’t remember so much of it. Doesn’t quite feel like the songwriting is clicking, which might just be the reason.
Fav track(s): “Night of the Witch”
8. “Brotherhood of the Snake” (2016)
This album is another solid one, and a testament (hey, woah omgz funniez) to the band’s consistency. Quite equal to “Dark Roots of Earth” in quality, but I’d probably choose the latter based on “Native Blood”. Anyway, it’s a pretty cool album even if I don’t return to it much.
Fav track(s): “The Pale King” & “Centuries of Suffering”
7. “Dark Roots of Earth” (2012)
Lots of peaks and valleys on this album, opening with the very stock singalong “Rise Up” that I’ve never been a fan on and going straight into “Native Blood” which I love, love, loooove. Excellent playing and audio production aside, it’s not one that I return to much. Pales in comparison to rather similar “The Formation of Damnation”, but I definitely spin the best few songs once in a while
Fav track(s): “Native Blood” & “True American Hate”
6. “Para Bellum” (2025)
Unexpectedly brutal album filled with death and black metal nods. Feels really fresh and hits super hard. Can’t deny that I’m very impressed by how energetic Testament sounds at album 13. I hope they can continue digging out unique angles like this, as it’s vastly more interesting than the previous three releases for me.
Fav track(s): “Infanticide A.I.” & “High Noon”
5. “Demonic” (1997)
This album is widely considered to be Testament’s worst. I’ve never agreed, but I’m not so much of a fan either. The brutality is appealing, and the opening track is an absolute banger that should be part of their live set. It’s not their most refined offering, and the groove gets a bit tedious. On the other hand, Chuck Billy puts in a super-brutal vocal performance that carries many of the lesser musical moments.
Fav track(s): “Demonic Refusal” & “Murky Waters”
Watch me grind some “Demonic Refusal” on Youtube ->
4. “The Formation of Damnation” (2008)
Testament obviously had big shoes to fill to follow up “The Gathering”, but the return of Alex Skolnick sure helps. This album leans into the more brutal side of the band while keeping a healthy dose of traditional thrash in there as well. Several bangers on this one, especially the main single “More Than Meets the Eye”. It also aged pretty well when I returned to it after many years.
Fav track(s): “More Than Meets the Eye” & “Henchmen Ride”
3. “The Legacy” (1987)
Just like its reputation, this is a certified banger. Knockout start with three 10/10 classics, and the rest of the 38 min running time is high-quality youthful thrash action. Lots of great riffs and hooks. All you need and more from an 80’s thrash metal album.
Fav track(s): “The Haunting” & “Burnt Offerings”
2. “The New Order” (1988)
Well, if “The Legacy” starts out with three perfect songs, this one actually kicks off with four of them. And classics “Disciples of the Watch” and “The Preacher” are still to come later in the tracklist. Suffice to say, this is a pure kickass release. One of the best Testament albums and an absolute thrash classic.
Fav track(s): “The New Order” & “Disciples of the Watch”
1. “The Gathering” (1999)
With all due respects for the first two classics, this is my Testament album. It hits a perfect balance between classic late 80’s thrash, modern extreme metal and 90’s groove metal, pretty much summarizing what Testament has been up to so far. The Andy Sneap production is huge, Chuck Billy sounds amazing, and most importantly: the songwriting is killer. More than half of the tracklist consists of songs I would consider classics, and the rest are just great, brutal thrash songs. Near-perfect album.
Fav track(s): “D.N.R.” & “3 Days in Darkness”
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So, that’s my countdown of Testament albums from worst to best. Definitely one of the most consistent long-running metal bands out there. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Tell me on Instagram!
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