Demonic was originally released in 1997, and Testament's lineup for this album included vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Glen Alvelais, bassist Derek Ramirez and drummer Gene Hoglan. It didn't receive great reviews when it was released, but Demonic is probably Testament's darkest and heaviest album.
Testament's trademark thrash was pushed to the back burner on this album in favor of slower, groovier riffs with more of a death metal vibe. Billy's vocals are mainly growls with some melodic singing. It's an intense effort, and although it's not typical Testament, still has some good songs. Looking back ten years later, Demonic was an interesting experiment, but Testament's strength is thrash metal, which they would incorporate more of on their next album.
(released January 8, 2008)
