The Gathering Review
| Band | |
|---|---|
| Album |  The Gathering |
| Type | Album (Studio full-length) |
| Released | June 28, 1999 |
| Genres | Thrash Metal |
| Labels | Spitfire Records |
| Length | 42:40 |
| Ranked | #12 for 1999 , #303 all-time |
Album rating : 87.7 / 100
Votes : 83 (7 reviews)
Votes : 83 (7 reviews)
July 29, 2024
Considering all the classic 80’s Thrash bands that collapsed into chaos and failure during the 90’s, Testament stood their ground much better than most. Many consider the preceding “Demonic” one of the only missteps in their discography (and not a severe one at that), but I still see it as quite a strong album. Not only that, it was a necessary step towards this album – “The Gathering.”
The Gathering takes the experimentation with Death Metal from Demonic and and avoids the monotonous limit in style. Instead, we have a great variety of Thrash, Groove, and Death Metal, each taking center stage on certain songs while falling back on others. Thanks to the consistency in quality from song to song, the willingness to change up in style makes the album sound fresh and filled with vitality. The drumming in particular here is very strong (wasn’t until after writing this I found out it was Dave Lombardo!), and Chuck’s vocal variety is on point.
Unfortunately, it drags a bit in the second half. I much prefer Testament when they’re playing faster and heavier (such as on the opener or the insane “Legions of the Dead”), but they falter to slower grooves too often for my taste. “Careful What You Wish For” and “Allegiance” are examples of the band on low gear and not sounding particularly dark, either (their version of stadium anthems? No thanks). This is alleviated with the closing track, a fantastic burst of energy, darkness, and aggression that closes the album out perfectly.
I’d say this is probably the band’s best since Souls of Black, though I wouldn’t peg it as a mid-career masterpiece like many seem to.
The Gathering takes the experimentation with Death Metal from Demonic and and avoids the monotonous limit in style. Instead, we have a great variety of Thrash, Groove, and Death Metal, each taking center stage on certain songs while falling back on others. Thanks to the consistency in quality from song to song, the willingness to change up in style makes the album sound fresh and filled with vitality. The drumming in particular here is very strong (wasn’t until after writing this I found out it was Dave Lombardo!), and Chuck’s vocal variety is on point.
Unfortunately, it drags a bit in the second half. I much prefer Testament when they’re playing faster and heavier (such as on the opener or the insane “Legions of the Dead”), but they falter to slower grooves too often for my taste. “Careful What You Wish For” and “Allegiance” are examples of the band on low gear and not sounding particularly dark, either (their version of stadium anthems? No thanks). This is alleviated with the closing track, a fantastic burst of energy, darkness, and aggression that closes the album out perfectly.
I’d say this is probably the band’s best since Souls of Black, though I wouldn’t peg it as a mid-career masterpiece like many seem to.
Track listing (Songs)
| title | rating | votes | video | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate) | 3:32 | 94.6 | 16 | Audio |
| 2. | Down for Life | 3:23 | 92.7 | 15 | Audio |
| 3. | Eyes of Wrath | 5:27 | 88 | 12 | Audio |
| 4. | True Believer | 3:37 | 89.5 | 12 | |
| 5. | 3 Days in Darkness | 4:42 | 86.5 | 12 | |
| 6. | Legions of the Dead | 2:37 | 89 | 12 | |
| 7. | Careful What You Wish For | 3:31 | 86.1 | 11 | |
| 8. | Riding the Snake | 4:13 | 86.7 | 11 | |
| 9. | Allegiance | 2:38 | 86.1 | 11 | |
| 10. | Sewn Shut Eyes | 4:15 | 85 | 11 | |
| 11. | Fall of Sipledome | 4:48 | 89.5 | 12 | Audio |
Line-up (members)
- Chuck Billy : Vocals
- Eric Peterson : Guitars
- James Murphy : Guitars
- Steve DiGiorgio : Bass
- Dave Lombardo : Drums
10,378 reviews
| cover art | Artist | Album review | Reviewer | Rating | Date | Likes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | 15 Review (2006) | 100 | Aug 3, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | 90 | Aug 3, 2024 | 0 | |||
 | | Cryptic Writings Review (1997) | 85 | Aug 2, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | 90 | Aug 1, 2024 | 0 | |||
 | | Death Revenge Review (2017) | 85 | Aug 1, 2024 | 1 | ||
 | | Ancient Dreams Review (1988) | 90 | Jul 30, 2024 | 1 | ||
 | | Totem Review (2022) | 85 | Jul 30, 2024 | 1 | ||
 | | The Razor's Edge Review (1990) | 85 | Jul 30, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | 90 | Jul 29, 2024 | 1 | |||
 | | 70 | Jul 29, 2024 | 0 | |||
 | | The Maze Review (1999) | 80 | Jul 29, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | World Coming Down Review (1999) | 50 | Jul 29, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | ▶ The Gathering Review (1999) | 80 | Jul 29, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | Jerusalem Review (1999) | 40 | Jul 29, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | 45 | Jul 29, 2024 | 0 | |||
 | | The Blackening Review (2007) | 75 | Jul 28, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | Terra incognita Review (2001) | 85 | Jul 28, 2024 | 1 | ||
 | | Magma Review (2016) | 85 | Jul 28, 2024 | 1 | ||
 | | The Link Review (2003) | 70 | Jul 28, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | Still Life Review (1999) | 95 | Jul 28, 2024 | 2 |
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