Testament - Souls of Black
On October 9, 1990, "Testament" released "Souls of Black", their fourth studio album.
Some albums suffer when measured against their predecessors and benefit from being heard without expectations. "Souls of Black" is one of them. It followed three records that had placed "Testament" at the forefront of American thrash, leaving almost every riff to justify its place alongside what had come before. Yet this album, made too quickly and not always fully cohesive, contains some of the classic lineup's finest moments. The bass opening of the title track, "Souls of Black", and the guitar work on "The Legacy" are enough to remind us why we keep returning to it.
By 1990, the band were no longer simply a promising young act from the San Francisco Bay Area. "The Legacy", "The New Order" and "Practice What You Preach" had established their distinctive combination of cutting riffs, commanding vocals and solos you could hum long after the amplifier had fallen silent. Singer Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, bassist Greg Christian and drummer Louie Clemente had learned to work together exceptionally well. The problem was that the industry's pace left them little time to stop and think.
The European "Clash of the Titans" tour was on the horizon, with "Slayer", "Megadeth" and "Suicidal Tendencies" sharing the bill. Peterson later explained that the record label required a new album for the band to join the tour, and they were unwilling to miss the opportunity. "Testament" consequently found themselves preparing their fourth album in roughly three and a half years. Some of the material drew on earlier ideas and songs that were reworked. There is a real hunger to move forward here, but also a pressure that comes through in the unevenness of the songs.
Recording took place in June 1990 at "Fantasy" Studios in Berkeley, California. Michael Rosen, who had worked as an engineer on the previous album, stepped into the producer's role, sharing production duties with the band. Clemente described the process simply. He and Peterson recorded the basic tracks together, after which Skolnick, Christian and Billy added their parts. The connection between drums and rhythm guitar is clearly audible, even if the overall sound sometimes feels a little boxed in and the guitars do not always have the room they deserve.
After the brief acoustic introduction "Beginning of the End", "Face in the Sky" brings us straight back to familiar headbanging territory. The guitars alternate between rapid runs and sharp stops, while Billy holds everything together with a voice that is both rough-edged and musical. "Falling Fast" follows, and together the two songs make it clear that the band have not abandoned thrash. Still, the album becomes more interesting when it stops demonstrating how fast they can play and gives the musicians' personalities room to emerge.
That happens on "Souls of Black". Christian opens with a bass line that immediately stands out, and when the guitars join in, it remains clearly audible beneath them. The main riff has momentum and a rhythm you can feel in your body, while the chorus is built for a crowd to shout back at the stage. The lyrics depict a damaged world of war, callousness and power, but what grabs us is how all that anger is compressed into a short, focused song with a clear identity from its opening seconds.
Then comes the solo. Skolnick can play fast, but here he also knows when to sustain a note and let a string bend do the work. In a 2024 interview, he explained that he had players such as Gary Moore and Leslie West in mind, aiming for a direct, memorable solo with less reliance on the tremolo arm. You can hear it. The melodic phrases, vibrato and shifts from a quick burst to a sustained note bring something to the song that the riff alone cannot provide. This is guitar playing with something to say and a voice of its own.
Further into the album, we particularly love "Malpractice", whose riffs and transitions create a nervous tension that suits its title. It reminds us how effective Peterson and Skolnick can be when they allow a song's structure to change without losing its intensity. Alongside moments like these are tracks whose riffs are more convincing than their choruses, and which leave less of an impression after the music ends. That is part of the album's problem. The playing remains strong throughout, but the songwriting does not maintain the same consistency.
The ballad "The Legacy" arrives near the other end of the album, bringing an emotional depth that is sometimes missing elsewhere. It should be distinguished from the debut album of the same name. This song appears here, opening with clean guitar and a relatively exposed vocal from Billy before the arrangement expands. The lyrics look back on the past, on youth and on the feeling that nothing remains as it once was. Skolnick does more than embellish the song. His guitar carries on where the voice leaves off, with melodies that develop patiently and grow in intensity. In a 2025 interview, Skolnick explained that this early song had been brought back because the band needed more material and were running out of time. There is a wonderful irony in that. A decision made out of necessity produced one of the moments that keeps the album close to us. Anyone who loves the melodic side of "The Ritual" will find part of the journey toward it here.
The closing "Seven Days of May" is a song worth seeking out beyond the hits. It addresses the protests and repression in Tiananmen Square, a connection Skolnick has confirmed in interviews. Despite the song's title, the deadly military crackdown took place in June 1989. The music develops through shifting riffs and guitar passages, and the band bring the album to a close still tense and full of anger.
Released through "Megaforce" and "Atlantic", the album reached No. 73 on the US album chart and No. 35 in the UK. Alongside their European shows, the band also joined "Judas Priest" on their American tour. Their exposure grew, but "Souls of Black" never earned the same widespread esteem as "The New Order". The musicians themselves later acknowledged how hurriedly it had been made.
For us, "Souls of Black" is an album that is easy to judge harshly but very difficult to let go of. It captures a talented band who already knew who they were. What they needed was a little more time to turn all those ideas into a cohesive record.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
Comments