Transcending Reality
(self-financed)
35:54min
Previously known as QUIETUS in 2009, this Northwest, Indiana-based 5-piece progressive-tinged Thrash Metal act does a pretty decent job on their self-released 6-song EP, titled "Transcending Reality". Even if the production lacks basically this and that (they would definitely need more power to the sound of guitars on this release – and I would not mind at all if the drums would have been brought closer to the surface on this EP as well), gladly it’s the band’s music that makes it all up for them. TESTIMONY’s brand of Thrash Metal brings heavily one other band in mind – and that band is the Swiss masters of progressive Thrash Metal, CORONER. Add small portions of some later era DEATH and a few drops of DREAM THEATER’s complexity into them – and then spice it all up with Adrian Harris’ raspy vocal lines that remind a little bit of both Mille of KREATOR’s and Ron Royce of CORONER’s – and even perhaps teeny-weeny Paul Baloff of EXODUS’ here and there. Both guitarists – Martin (Bowman) and Michael (Gawel), have surely spent a few precious moments with some of the notebooks of Chuck Schuldiner due similar riffage and amazingly catchy melody lines on the EP that can also be found from some later era DEATH records. The songs overall are all really well executed – and I bet the guys still have so much ambition left that they may even be capable of surprising everyone of us on their next release. In the meantime, I warmly encourage each of you to check out "Transcending Reality". More about TESTIMONY at: http://testimonyofficial.bandcamp.com
Luxi Lahtinen