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Testament: Practice What You Preach

75.25.149.110
Posted on October 10, 2014 at 12:35:16
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000






Okay, I finally obtained Testament's Practice What You Preach on SHM-CD. This has the words, "SHM-CD" imprinted in white lettering on the disc's inner circle.

As expected from an SHM-CD, the sound (versus the regular-issue CD) is a little bit cleaner, less hazy. You get a better feel for the instruments' true sounds and textures. Images are slightly bigger, with better separation from each other. Said images are more firmly anchored in the soundstage.

The SHM-CD isn't a radical change from the regular CD. Rather, it is an evolutionary step better. But at this point, we'll take what we can get. Practice What You Preach is perhaps the band's most technical album. That doesn't mean you'll like it. But if this album means anything to you, the cleaner sonics of the SHM-CD will allow you to like and appreciate it more deeply. If you are the intellectual type who likes to play along to the music, I think you'll have an easier time with the SHM-CD. Whether I listen to this in my main system, or via the bedroom headphone rig, I can easily tell that Alex Skolnick's leads possess Joe Satriani's [Skolnick took guitar lessons from Satch] fingerprints, theory, technique, and influence.

As I was listening to this SHM-CD on the way to work, I sighed that the album is now a quarter century old. F---, we're old. Actually, I think the SHM-CD's greater impact is in the car. Cars tend to have noisy environments and hashy-sounding decks. So on the road, the SHM-CD's cleaner sonics pay off.

Back in the day, my brother and I had the "Practice What You Preach," "Perilous Nation," and "Greenhouse Effect" t-shirts. My "Perilous Nation" shirt lasted until 1993. So some of you who ran into me at audio stores back then may have seen me wearing that shirt!

The Audiophiles' DJ,
-Lummy The Loch Monster

 

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Any new releases that you like?, posted on October 10, 2014 at 12:37:18
Joe Appierto
Audiophile

Posts: 1051
Location: Central NJ
Joined: January 3, 2004
 Not reissues of older music. Something new?
Joe

 

Testament Are Working On A New Album, posted on October 10, 2014 at 12:51:02
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



Bassist Greg Christian has left, so Testament have brought back Steve DiGiorgio. If all goes well, the new album will be released in spring 2015.

Exodus have a new album, Blood In, Blood Out. The physical media will hit record stores next week. It marks the return of Steve Souza, who sounds like AC/DC's late Bon Scott. Long-time fans love original singer Paul Baloff, but I've always preferred Exodus with Souza.

There is nothing like an Exodus concert in a club.


Anyway, if you can't wait for Testament's new album, their last one, Dark Roots Of Earth is very good. Smartly, they recruited "The Atomic Clock," drummer Gene Hoglan, formerly of Dark Angel. Any audiophile worth his or her salt must hear Hoglan's drumming.

Sorry, I'm not aware of Dark Roots Of Earth being available on (a) BSCD2, HQCD, or SHM-CD; (b) DVD-A; or (c) SACD.

 

RE: Testament: Practice What You Preach, posted on October 10, 2014 at 12:54:33
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Killer album, I mean, CD!

 

RE: Testament Are Working On A New Album, posted on October 10, 2014 at 12:55:24
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Lummy-

how does the ML sound w/ Hard Rock/Metal music? Is that a Rotel spinner underneath it?

 

Go To My Homepage, posted on October 10, 2014 at 13:07:26
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



Do a search of the tags for "Mark Levinson." Over 11 posts, I've reviewed the No. 37 CD transport. You'll also, FWIW, find my other posts on Mark Levinson gear.

Likewise, if you do a search of the tags for "Rotel," you'll find my review posts of the Rotel RCC-1055.

 

RE: Go To My Homepage, posted on October 10, 2014 at 16:29:13
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Thank You! Lummy-

are you using PranaWire throughout your system (power cords, interconnects & speaker cables)?

Do you still have Totem 'The One' speakers?

 

Not Just Testament, posted on October 10, 2014 at 20:49:35
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



I only use Pranawire's powercords, not the signal cables. More specifically, I have their Satori (with Acrolink CF plugs); Cosmos PC (with Acrolink CF plugs); Vajra (with Acrolink CF plugs); and Maha Samadhi (with Oyaide M1/F1 plugs). These cords are frequently shown, when I review electronic components. However, I seldom review the Pranawire powercords themselves. My readers are begging me to do a formal review on Cable Asylum about the Vajra. I'll have to think about what to say, how to frame it.

These things are expensive. Yeah, yeah, the audiophiles complain that the Maha Samadhi costs more than the Mark Levinson No. 37 itself. Tough. It's what I have, and what I'm sticking with.

Each of these sounds different from each other. So you have to choose the one which works best for that particular application.

I've tried powercords ranging from the throwaways which come with equipment, to the Nordost Odin PC. All were properly burned-in on an audiodharma Cable Cooker, one of the few devices which can treat powercords. These Pranawire powercords are simply superb, making others sound woefully unacceptable, colored, inaccurate, and unmusical.

As much as I like the performance of Pranawire's signal cables, they are simply too fat for practical use. There's just no room behind an audio/video rack for such wide and thick cables.

These Pranawire powercords keep the noise and distortion away, allowing you to hear into all music, not just Testament.

 

"Perilous Nations", posted on October 10, 2014 at 21:23:39
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



Kickin' it on the back of the 22-Fillmore, summer '92.

 

"Greenhouse Effect", posted on October 10, 2014 at 21:32:38
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



This is from the summer of 1990. We were at Honolulu's Washington Saimin. My brother was rockin' Testament's "Greenhouse Effect" t-shirt. I was wearing a Queensryche "Operation: Mindcrime" t-shirt. You can't see it, but our cousin was sportin' a Van Halen "Monsters Of Rock" shirt.

 

RE: Not Just Testament, posted on October 11, 2014 at 04:38:09
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Beautiful pics! Lummy.

As a cable guy, I could not agree more. It is all about the cables/cords delivering superb performance, at any cost. We both know this can be achieved, it is a trial-and-error- process, system synergy.

The Pranawire, Jorma, Elrod and Kubala Sousna are on my short-list to audition.

 

RE: "Perilous Nations", posted on October 11, 2014 at 04:39:24
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 I know you rode the bus a lot- did you ever catch a cable-car?

 

RE: "Greenhouse Effect", posted on October 11, 2014 at 04:40:15
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Testament, Queensryche & VH- you guys had it covered.

 

Cable Cars, posted on October 11, 2014 at 08:19:47
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



I didn't live near San Francisco's cable car lines. In addition, the normal bus passes didn't cover the entire cost of a cable car ride. Thus, I generally did not ride the cable cars.

To get to high school, I had to take both MUNI buses and the Metro light rail. Thus, I had plenty of time to put on the Walkman, listen to music, and daydream about girls, music, and sports.

 

Have Earplugs, Will Travel, posted on October 11, 2014 at 10:11:24
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000
 Back in the day, my motto was, "Have earplugs, will travel." You see, while the Bay Area had the usual arena and stadium venues, it also had a smattering of small clubs. Scroll down below, and you learn about, for example, the Warfield.

In the 80s, there was no internet. So you had to wait for the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle. In it was the so-called "pink section," for entertainment. Here, you could find listings from the small clubs. Tickets were rarely above $20, even including the ticket tax. However, many of the venues forced you to pay for the 2-drink minimum. We underage kids couldn't redeem the drink tickets for alcohol, so we got Coke, Sprite, or pineapple juice.

The audiophiles constantly find out about me, and give me the "wow you were the real deal" quotes. Look, the audiophiles cannot magically go back in time, and see the bands in their heyday. But I did see many of these metal bands, was a veteran of mosh pits. I can certainly share my experiences, put the music into perspective.

Ah yes, the music. The recordings are a time capsule. So if the audiophiles cannot go back in time and see the shows, they can listen to and enjoy the albums. Because I did attend the shows, and lived the life, I have the valuable position and responsibility of educating newbies or those wanting to further their knowledge, expand their library.

 

RE: Have Earplugs, Will Travel, posted on October 11, 2014 at 14:38:42
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 I see.

are you using a separate DAC for the ML? If so, which DAC are you using?

 

Seen 'em many times live..., posted on October 12, 2014 at 22:04:13
jamesgarvin
Audiophile

Posts: 5011
Location: southern ohio
Joined: July 9, 2004
 Here are some shots from the last two times I've seen them. They still bring the goods, although it does suck that Christian has now left the band. Again.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68620057@N05/sets/72157632841645924/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/68620057@N05/sets/72157629139713872/

 

Hell Yeah!, posted on October 12, 2014 at 22:36:15
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7330
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



Thank you very much for sharing your photos. I especially find interesting your photo albums of Death Angel (the original lineup was from here in Daly City and Concord), Doro, and Megadeth (Ellefson appears to be using a Jackson 5-string bass).

Testament's Greg Christian was very underrated. He has a very effortless way of playing. Very versatile, he is equally adept at power/crunch and nimble bass runs. He will be missed.

 

The best part of the Doro show.., posted on October 12, 2014 at 23:46:20
jamesgarvin
Audiophile

Posts: 5011
Location: southern ohio
Joined: July 9, 2004
 was me singing the first verse of Breakin' the Law with her when she put the microphone in my face. A career was born that evening.

 

RE: The best part of the Doro show.., posted on October 16, 2014 at 16:34:35
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Nice! Jamesgarvin.

 

RE: Testament: Practice What You Preach, posted on October 24, 2014 at 17:48:36
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Lummy-

are you buying all of these 'Testament' SHM-CD releases?

 

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