• Voto:
Il 1992 è, forse, il vero anno di transizione in casa Testament.
E l’album in questione può essere visto come il cosiddetto “pomo della discordia”…per i seguenti motivi:
1) In quegli anni il grunge stava prendendo il sopravento sulla scena internazionale;
2) Skolnick e Clemente volevano un evoluzione più easy del Testament-Sound, mettendosi così contro il resto della band;
3) La Blackalbumania era come un virus che colpiva le thrash metal band dell’epoca;
4) Proprio il thrash metal sembrava essere arrivato al capolinea;
5) E in sintesi “The ritual”, dopo le precedenti controversie, sembrava essere l’ultimo canto del cigno dei “figliocci” della Bay Thrasher’s Area…..(ho detto sembrava!!).
Da questi motivi si può dedurre che cosa rappresenti il 5° album ufficiale per l’intera discografia dei Testament, e per la scena thrash in generale.
La rabbia omicida che aveva caratterizzato i precedenti lavori di Chuck & family, non esiste più. È svanita via nel buio degli anni novanta, quelli neri per i thrasher’s, insieme alla velocità e alla potenza che tanto avevano contraddistinto un genere maledettamente pesante come il thrash (R.I.P.)
“The Ritual” sta quindi in mezzo alla storia dei Testament. Succede all’ottimo “Soul of black” e anticipa (ultimo canto del cigno…stì cazzi!) il feroce “Low”.
Ma questo non può essere indicato molto come un album dei Testament.
Skolnick alla fine l’avrà vinta: il sound è molto easy listing, la voce di Billy è pulita, gli arrangiamenti orecchiabili, i suoni lisciati, i ritmi accessibili e una produzione migliore rispetto al passato.
È un disco che fatica a far conoscere la sua vera natura.
Le chitarre danno spesso l’impressione di dar vita ad una specie di hard rock, a volte più heavy ed altre più pulito ed armonioso. Il basso è messo troppe volte in secondo piano e il doppio-pedale di Clemente sembra un miraggio. I riff sono rallentati e in rare occasioni prendono una certa velocità, nemmeno lontanamente parente della primordiale fottuta rapidità d’esecuzione, che tanto ha fatto la fortuna della band di San Francisco. La comandano gli arpeggi melodici e il riffing impostato sulle intuizioni di Skolnick ed i suoi guitar solo.
Le tracce da citare sono soprattutto “Eletric crown”, bello il suo ritornello e il suo ritmo incalzante, “Let go of my world”, la song più cupa del disco e che non avrebbe sfigurato in un disco come “Soul of Black”, la splendida, meravigliosa, unica “Return of serenity”, una delle più belle ballad metal della storia, che forse vale da sola l’acquisto del disco.
Non dispiace nemmeno il brano di chiusura “Troubled dreams”, facente parte ora degli spot MTViani. Il resto non è niente di echeggiante, e niente viene ricordato con tanto entusiasmo su questo album, se vogliamo “commerciale”.
Né carne, né pesce.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
02 Electric Crown (05:32)
Here we go,
the people show,
Victims of tomorrow.
The way it goes,
it never shows,
emptiness or sorrow.
There is nothing left inside,
nothing left to cry for.
So I justify my crimes,
things that I must die for.
So alone,
away it goes.
The life that you have wasted
You never know,
Where it might go.
The sweet success you've tasted
Tasted by a bitter frown,
Knowing I must die for.
Can't confide, to all the lies,
no one to inquire.
As I wander, change of seasons.
As I realize,
that I'll soon be there.
I'll let you know,
the reapers show.
Makes you beg or borrow.
He comes to see,
the tragedy.
His fate he will not follow.
Wearing your electric crown,
the preacher starts to pray.
Shiver as the lights go down,
heed these words I say...
As I wander,
change of seasons.
I can't ponder,
I got my reasons.
As I realize,
I don't care.
All I know is,
that I'll soon be there.
Now it's gone,
the time has come.
The people stand in silence.
Another dawn,
has come and gone.
His fate has been decided.
There is no one left inside,
a brain without a mind.
Traces of a bitter man,
are all that you will find.
As I wander,
change of seasons.
I can't ponder,
I got my reasons.
As I realize,
I don't care.
All I know is:
that I'll soon be there.
That I'll soon be there.
That I'll soon be there.
That I'll soon be there.
03 So Many Lies (06:06)
I didn't mean to offend you
But you were way out of line
And I can't help the way I feel
Who sad I feel fine?
I'll only give you one warning
Then you must realize
The day of judgement is closing in
Your selfish ways bring your demise
He who lies
Evil pays
Who are you?
Who made you anyway?
Wrong or right
Who's to say
I wanna know
Who made you God today
Slave to the ways of the system
Soon to be crucified
I've seen into your darkest fears
The ones you cannot hide
I know where you go when
Your fears start showing
You run
You cannot hide
Will they respect you when
You ask of the world
'Forgive me for so many lies'?
Is there a need to pretend
To be a man, so divine
And even if I offended you
My truth you can't deny
I know where you go when
Your fears start showing
You run
You cannot hide
Will they respect you when
You ask of the world
'Forgive me for so many lies'?
04 Let Go of My World (03:49)
Listen now to my sordid tale
My words they speak to you
They testify
You can't deny
You see it's oh so true
I dwell in thoughts
Of the universe
What's immortality ?
It's said to be
The lies they breed
The pages start to bleed
How can this be ?
Let go of my world
Let it go...
Touch my soul
With subliminal sin
Deceptions they induce
Ingest the lies
Dissect the mind
You can't control the youth
Enslave the free
With conformity
Oppression takes it's toll
Hey little man
Who are you
To try to take control
Of my soul...
Let go of my world
Let me go...
Bleed me dry
Read between the lies
Filter out the truth
Pick at my brain
Brand me insane
I know what I must do
Take my life into my own hands
My sins I will atone
If I don't try
I will reside
Inside a mental home
Home sweet home...
Let go of my world
Let it go...
05 The Ritual (07:29)
Say hello again, my friends
I've got to go
The ritual calls to me
Screams twist in harmony
Blinding lights reveal
Thoughts that should not be
The ritual calls to me
Silent insanity
You really thought you'd never
Be the one who bleeds
It's all so clear to me now
Why can't they see ?
Revelations breaking through
The truth distorts
Untimely accident
Your precious mind is lost
Try to regain again my friend
Your sanity
The ritual calls to me
Melodic agony
You really never thought you would never
Be the one who bleeds
It's all so clear to me now
Why they can't see ?
Fry away your mind
Walk behind the blind
Kill yourself killing time
Oooh, what'cha gonna do
When your life is sold
To a world so cold ?
Hey, what'cha gonna say
When you're on your way
On your darkest day ?
Hey
Darkest day
Say goodbye again, my friends
I'm coming home
The ritual calls to me
Distant reality
Unseen images expose
What I can't see
The ritual calls to me
Won't ever set me free
You really thought you'd never
Be the one who bleeds
It's all so clear to me now
Why can't you see ?
Fry away your mind
Walk behind the blind
Kill yourself killing time
06 Deadline (04:48)
Take a look away
Think about the things you say
The day awaits your soul in chains
Ya got to make it today
Or there will be hell to pay
And there is no other way
Look at how you're living now
Life can always bring you down
The cradle to the grave
All I give is all I save...
Every day's the same
Can you still feel the pain
You lose your mind then go insane
I can't talk to you
You can't tell me what to do
What I need is up to you
Look at how you're living now
Life can always bring me down
The cradle to the grave
All I give is all I save...
And I wonder how they live
Always taking what they give
Never far, always near, lose your mind
Gripping you with...fear...
What's done is done...
Hey, slave, take it to the grave
Walk in someone else's shoes
That's the path you paved
Live, die, take off that disguise
Find your own reflection now
In the pool it lies
Now you know the score
You can't take this hell anymore
You feel like you never did before
Go and find the way
You're closer to it everyday
Yes, this is the price you pay
And I wonder how they live
Always taking what they give
Never far, always near, lose your mind
Gripping you with fear...
When the fist comes down...
07 As the Seasons Grey (06:14)
[Music: Peterson, Skolnick]
[Lyrics: Billy, James]
Take a look, what do you see
Image in the mirror
Yesterday is yesteryear
You'll meet your maker
I know that time grows old
Can't stop the seasons
Shifting sands slip through your hands
Time is gone before it's begun...
Die
A little more
A little more for every day
Lord why
Oh tell me why
Do the seasons slowly grey?
Days of blue just turn to grey
The picture slowly aging
Nothing left to the memory
Death will not forsake them
God fearing people say
They are not afraid of dying
So why do they turn to faith
When faith has no meaning in life?
[Chorus :]
Time worn, worn time
Say goodbye to yesterday
After life, life after
It's all the same
The golden years bring out the pain
Death rolls in like the seasons change
You've lost all hope but still you pray
Aging eyes that fail to see
The mirror has been shattered
Death's knocking on their door
A vision filled with laughter
I know that time grows old
Can't stop the seasons
And as the end draws near
The story's over before it's begun...
[Chorus]
08 Agony (04:02)
Trapped in a nightmare
Prisoners of warfare
Days gone become years
Of suffering ...
Fight on but what's to gain ?
Misfortune leads to pain ...
Fearless they won't die
Caged in they ask why
Cry out but don't cry
In agony ...
Live on but what's to gain
Die slowly everyday
Misfortune leads to pain
Will they ever be saved
From agony, Agony, Agony
In silent suffering
It's never ending
They pray to end their
Misery ...
Fight on but what's to gain
Die slowly everyday
Misfortune leads to pain
Will they ever be saved
From agony, Agony, Agony
Agony
Missing in action
Never forgotten
America the mighty
Set them free ...
Fight on but what's to gain
Die slowly everyday
Misfortune leads to pain
Will they ever be saved
From agony, Agony, Agony
Agony
10 Return to Serenity (06:31)
I'm gonna take you
To a place far from here
No one will see us
Watch the pain as it disappears
No time for anger
No time for despair
Won't you come with me
There's room for us there
This innocent beauty
My words can't describe
This rebirth to purity
Brings a sullen tear right to your eyes
No time for anger
No time for despair
Please let me take you
'Cause I'm already there
I'm so alone
My head's my home
I'll return to serenity
Rhyme without reason
Is why children cry
They see through the system
That's breeding them just so they die
So please let me take you
And I'll show you the truth
Inside my reality
We shared in my youth
I'm so alone
My head's my home
And I feel
So alone
You know
At last
I return to serenity
Now that I've taken you
To a place far from here
I really must go back
Close your eyes and we'll disappear
Won't you come with me
Salvation we'll share
Inside of my head now
There's room for us there
CHORUS
11 Troubled Dreams (05:05)
Troubled dreams
Of a wandering nomad
Damned to be all by myself I travelled far
Following bright stars
Through the endless desert sands
Starring off into the sky
Down on Myself
Loneliness brings my demise
Oh,what a nightmare
Here we go
Leave me be
Why must I please them
When I can't even please myself
Deep in thoughts
But I still feel so
Lost in endless despair
Starring off into the sky
Down on myself
Loneliness brings my demise
Oh,what a nightmare
Here we go
As you soon realize
The nights so black I feel blind
Should I keep wandering on
On and on and on
There's just one thing you should know
No I can't take it no more
Two wrongs don't make it right
Right or wrong I can't take it
And in the end you will find
Find me a peace of mind
Forever lost
Severing my thoughts
From the dream I must seek
Time to end
This aggravation
The nomad spirit lives in me
[Chorus]
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