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Testament: Souls Of Black

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Posted on October 17, 2014 at 23:35:51
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7338
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000



1990 was arguably thrash metal's peak. Check out some of these albums, which were released then:

Prong, Beg To Differ (3/12)
Death Angel, Act III (4/10)
Flotsam And Jetsam, When The Storm Comes Down (5/1)
Forbidden, Twisted Into Form (May)
Vio-lence, Oppressing The Masses (late spring)
Pantera, Cowboys From Hell (7/24)
Anthrax, Persistence Of Time (8/21)
Judas Priest, Painkiller (9/3)
Megadeth, Rust In Peace (9/24)
Slayer, Seasons In The Abyss (10/9)

Despite having success with 1989's Practice What You Preach, Testament somehow felt pressure to come out with another album. They rushed the writing, recording, and production of Souls Of Black. The under-developed songs and sloppy recording just killed Testament's hard-earned momentum. Arguably, they never recovered.

Not that I knew it back then, but Testament's Souls Of Black was actually released on the same day as Megadeth's Rust In Peace (9/24/90). Some people bought Souls Of Black on cassette, others got the CD. IIRC, mine actually came in a cardboard "long box." A small record store on Santa Cruz's Pacific Avenue mall had Souls Of Black on vinyl LP.

Well, Souls Of Black is now available on SHM-CD. Like most SHM-CDs I have, the transparency is enhanced. It's like a cleaner window, through which you can see the music more clearly. Unfortunately, this cleaner window confirms that the original recording is sloppy. It's also a frustrating listen in that, the ingredients and potential are there. Testament really should have taken more time to develop, refine, and complete the songs. After all, taking their time paid off for Metallica, when they made their eponymous album, which didn't come out until August 12, 1991. So imagine what Testament could have done with their songs, had they taken the time to make them better, fulfill their lofty potential.

Most likely in early '91, my friends and I saw Testament open for Slayer, at Oakland's Henry J. Kaiser auditorium.

Well, if you absolutely must have Souls Of Black, get it on SHM-CD.

The Audiophiles' DJ,
-Lummy The Loch Monster

 

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RE: Testament: Souls Of Black, posted on October 18, 2014 at 05:35:24
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Another great one! Lummy-

those 1st 5/6 titles are essential. Is 'Low' being released on SHM-CD?

 

Where are you buying SHM-CD from?, posted on October 18, 2014 at 12:31:57
Goober58
 I bought the Overkill CDs on standard CD - the cost of SHM-CD seems too high for trying new music. Couldn't find used vinyl if it ever existed.

Maybe you are getting better prices?

 

Boutique CDs, posted on October 18, 2014 at 13:27:31
Luminator
Audiophile

Posts: 7338
Location: Bay Area
Joined: December 11, 2000
 In the mid-to-late 80s, MFSL was located on the fringes of the Bay Area. The problem was, MFSL couldn't get the licensing of albums we music-buying public really wanted. And when I did pick up a gold MFSL CD, I was frequently disappointed with the sonics.

Some time in the 90s, I became aware of XRCD, which used JVC's K2 process. But again, without popular music titles, who gives a damn? The Stereotypical Audiophiles will buy these titles on vinyl, not CDs.

DCC then began to make their own gold CDs. Results were mixed. Too often, the sound was SA: warm, slow, thick, airless, bloated, and boring.

Now that physical media are on the outs, record companies smartly are reissuing back catalog on boutique CD formats, such as HQCD, SHM-CD, BSCD2, and K2HD+CD. All of these work on regular (redbook) CD players/transports.

I'm racking my brain, but maybe 5 years ago, one of the audiophiles who used to belong to my circle [with more and more audiophiles dropping out, that circle is getting smaller and smaller. Pretty soon it's going to be a dot, not a circle] waxed poetic about Steely Dan on SHM-CD*.

As you can tell from the hundreds of audio products I've reviewed, the same lenders also send me CDs. Eventually, some boutique CDs make their way to me.

I am fully aware that many of these boutique CDs cost 2-3 times that of a normal CD. Therefore, when I come across them, it behooves me to (a) say something about the music, and (b) arm you with enough information about the boutique CD format, so that you can decide for yourself, whether it is worth your time and expense to track it down.

Many of these boutique CDs are made in Japan. Therefore, vendors from Japan sell them. Several ship internationally. If you are here in the U.S., you can also try Ebay.

-Lummy The Loch Monster

* Steely Dan's Aja on Platinum SHM-CD is the worst-sounding ever. Avoid at all costs.

 

RE: Boutique CDs, posted on October 18, 2014 at 17:28:06
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 How many titles will Testament release on SHM-CD ?

 

RE: Boutique CDs, posted on October 24, 2014 at 17:47:30
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15524
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Lummy-

a f/u to my query;
Testament has 5/6 SHM-CD releases now on eBay (including LOW!).

 

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