TESTIFY - review added 19th November 2010
Album Review: Pushing Back Darkness (2010)
For fans of: Power Rock/Metal... and meaty female vocals
Southern Californian band Testify - featuring modern-day Vixen bassist Lynn Louise Lowrey (here on vocals), Scott Weisenborn on guitar, John Angle Jr on bass, and Chuck Hernandez on drums - is listed as a 'Christian' outfit, but you wouldn't know unless you took real notice of the meaning behind the lyrics.
Scott and John have been playing together for over twenty years, and that shows in the music. "Pushing Back Darkness" displays a maturity in it's sound, and a relaxed air that cleverly balances the often-massively-heavy music.
3L, as we'll call her, has a cool meaty voice that belies her usual position of bassist. I'm not claiming she's the next big thing vocally, but her sound suits the music here remarkably well.
Good:
The musicianship throughout the album is capable of bringing a smile to the ears (maybe not from a medical standpoint). It isn't always mind blowing, but there's plenty of justified showing off and the ambience is spot on. The drums are a real stand out feature, often heading down the double-kick road. And that's a good thing.
The Christian messages are there if you want them, but they don't overpower the music meaning the album should appeal to everyone - even people who would normally be put off by pro-religious sentiment.
Not So Good:
The production doesn't do these guys justice. It's okay, but nothing more. The album could have coped with a couple more tracks too. It feels short at nine songs. The quality of tracks is inconsistent, but there is definitely more good than bad.
The Songs:
Best moments include the speedy 'Eyes Of Fire', which rollocks along at a fair old pace and makes for an entertaining opening. 'Pillar Of Salt' is mighty and would have done 1980s Iron Maiden justice. 'Hells Gate' isn't a long way away from death metal and makes me want this band to experiment with even heavier styles. It really suits them and demonstrates what they are capable of when they go for it..
In Summation:
"Pushing Back Darkness" mixes flashes of genius and moments of tedium into an appealing package. Here's hoping they go ultra heavy next time, because I suspect they'll win a whole heap of people over if they do.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall:
Check out... The oomph behind 'Hell's Gate'.
Track List:
01. Eyes Of Fire
02. Pushing Back Darkness
03. From The Grave
04. Time To Burn
05. Pillar Of Salt
06. Hells Gate
07. Sound The Alarm
08. Way Truth Life
Artist's website(s): Testify | MySpace
