In 2012, American Thrash Metallers TESTIMONY, released their first debut EP "Transcending Reality" and received very good reviews almost immediately, since then they have shared the stage with high profile Thrash Metal bands such as D.R.I, LICH KING, LAZARUS AD, and many others. Now here in 2014, the band releases their second highly awaited EP entitled "The Beast That Prays", but will it do as well as its predecessors?

I can safely say that this album was a huge success. TESTIMONY have set the bar high for most other new Thrash Metal bands out there, "The Beast That Prays" showcases fast paced complexity with riffs, and also highly technical rhythms and structures. I've always preferred Thrash Metal with a lot of progressive qualities rather than just speed picking for 3/4 minutes every track so this album was very pleasing to my ears in that sense. For an Independent band, the production is of an outstanding quality! Every instrument is crystal clear and complements each other extremely well.

The album kicks off with a very atmospheric 2 and a half minute instrumental piece, "Twisted Visage" opens this album perfectly and I was almost instantly reminded of "Eerie Inhabitants" from TESTAMENT's 1988 release "The New Order". The influence of TESTAMENT is very prominent in this new release, but that being said, TESTIMONY don't seem to struggle finding their own unique style of writing and playing which could potentially in a few years make them stand tall above other Independent bands among their status. "Spectral Thoughts" then kicks in and packs a hell of a punch, I found myself uncontrollably head banging as Adrian Harris opens his first vocal appearance with a loud guttural scream. This track is Thrash Metal at its finest and hooked me on the band and album straight away! After the blistering second track of the album which is certain to grab every thrasher by the gut, TESTIMONY take the opportunity to add a lot more technicality to this album, "Thrillers Pray" opens up with classic thrash metal sounding riffs, but with the addition of various time signatures and rhythmic changes, the talent is bleeding off of these musicians unlike anything I have encountered from a new wave of thrash metal band in some time, and I would say that this release is one of the best thrash albums this year! "Suffer For Salvation" is quite similar to the previous track in the sense of the speed and technicality, although there are a few pretty cool changes in dynamics throughout this song, making it one of the stand out tracks of the EP. The self-titled track "The Beast That Prays" is an epic 8 minute monster of a track and a perfect way to sum up the album, it has everything that the album has offered us so far all combined into one track, its fast, technical, dark, and very well written, and closes the album with a very satisfying fading out guitar solo. All four musicians in this band really are performing at their best here and the complexity just seems to sound so natural for these guys. It's rare that I can feel how tight of a musical connection a band have together without seeing them live, but this band seem to demonstrate an understanding of each other in a way that most studio releases don't seem to offer, especially from such a low profile band!

I highly recommend buying this album, you will not be disappointed!<