Testament – Return To Serenity

Album

The Ritual is the fifth album by American thrash metal band Testament, released in 1992 via Atlantic/Megaforce Records. It was the last studio album to feature drummer Louie Clemente and guitarist Alex Skolnick, until the latter rejoined the band in 2005.

Background

The Ritual was recorded throughout 1991 and early 1992 at One on One Recording in Los Angeles under producer Tony Platt, with six to seven months spent writing, followed by six weeks of recording. Given their time off from touring, after having completed the tour for Souls of Black as early as the spring of 1991, this was Testament's first studio album not to be released a year after their previous one, as guitarist Eric Peterson noted,

"By the end of the [Souls of Black] tour, we were exhausted. We had been doing so much touring and we needed to write a new record. So we went back home and started working on The Ritual."

 In a 1992 interview with the Deseret News, drummer Louie Clemente noted that, with Platt's involvement in the production, the band had more time to work on the album compared to their limited previous experience in recording studios:

"We took the longest time to produce The Ritual. It was a much-needed change. It got to a time when we were pumping out a record every year"

and added that the band "needed to slow down" and "needed to chill", following the hurried production of Souls of Black.

On The Ritual, Testament began exploring a slower and more melodic approach while still maintaining their thrash roots. Certain songs on the album, including the title track (the longest song they had recorded at the time) and "Return to Serenity", also see the band continuing to explore a technical and progressive vein that was used on Practice What You Preach and Souls of Black.

Slower

Clemente has also acknowledged the musical change compared to their previous albums, explaining to Deseret News: "The Ritual is slower and geared toward the old style of metal while The Legacy was pure thrash. In fact, every release has been different. We've progressed naturally." He also stated that Platt's production role within the album helped Testament "get more of a vibe" and "a fresh set of ears to listen to the mix."

In support of The Ritual, Testament toured for over a year with bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, White Zombie, Corrosion of Conformity, Pro-Pain, D.R.I., Green Jellÿ, Body Count and GWAR. By the end of 1992, during the middle of the tour, guitarist Alex Skolnick had decided to leave the band, with Clemente following suit. Several lineup changes took place before guitarist James Murphy and drummer John Tempesta were hired for the band's next album Low.

The Ritual è il quinto album in studio dei Testament.

Artist

I Testament sono un gruppo thrash metal statunitense, nato a San Francisco (California) nel 1983 inizialmente con il nome di Legacy.

Sono considerati una delle più grandi band thrash metal della storia: il quintetto, infatti, sembrava sul punto di mettere in discussione la supremazia dei Metallica (la loro influenza più evidente) nel thrash melodico.

Nei primi anni '90 scomparirono rapidamente dalle scene ma rimasero comunque molto attivi all'interno del metal underground

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 a room for us there
This innocent beauty
My words can't describe
This rebirth 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 youth

I'm so alone
My head's my home
And I feel
So alone
You know
At last
I'll 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 a room for us there

I'm so alone
My head's my home
And I feel
So alone
You know
At last
I'll return to serenity

Sto per portarti
in un posto lontano da qui
Nessuno ci vedrà
guarda il dolore che scompare
Non c'è tempo per la rabbia.
Nessun tempo per la disperazione.
Non verresti con me?..
C'è un posto per noi qui
Questa bellezza innocente,
che le mie parole non possono descrivere.
Questa rinascita della purezza,
che porta una lacrima ai tuoi occhi
Non c'è tempo per la rabbia.
Non c'è tempo per la disperazione.
Ti prego lascia che ti porti,
perché io sono gia qui

Sono cosi solo
La mia testa è la mia casa
Ritornerò alla serenità

Rime senza ragione
è per questo che i bambini piangono
Loro vedono attraverso il sistema
che li sta allevando così muoiono
Quindi per favore lascia che ti porti,
e ti farò vedere la verità.
Dentro la mia realtà,
che abbiamo condiviso nella mia giovinezza.

Sono così solo
La mia testa è la mia casa
e mi sento
così solo
Lo sai
che alla fine
ritornerò alla mia serenità

Ora che ti ho portato
in un posto lontano da qui,
devo veramente tornare indietro.
Chiudi gli occhi e scompariremo
Non verresti con me?
Divideremo la salvezza..
Ora dentro la mia testa
c'è un posto per noi..

Sono così solo
La mia testa è la mia casa
e mi sento
così solo
Lo sai
che alla fine
ritornerò alla mia serenità