Testament – Souls of Black

‘Souls of Black’ is neither a poor nor a great album, which suffers from some similar songs, a weak production, and a slightly limited vocal performance, though makes up for it with some creative riffs, exquisite melodic soloing, and songwriting focus (say what you like about ‘Practice What You Preach’ and ‘The Ritual’, they could both have been cut down a bit). For die-hard 80s thrashers, this might be a little slow and hooky; for lovers of more modern-sounding metal, it might sound weak and puny; for those who are willing to be forgiving of some small flaws, it’s a more than worthwhile listen.