European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 7, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                We at 1 s on stage testament looks and sounds like a High Speed thrash band dumping the thrash by Anita Gosch stall writer on stage they play loud task and Unous. Bul Oil stage the heavy Metal Thrashers of testament Are a Laid Back Bunch of Guys at least Leafs How they appeared a few hours before Showtime in Frankfurt. West Germany recently four of the live Bay area rockers passed the Lime in their dressing room playing Rummy a certainly not what you d expect from a group of musicians prone to exploding into the High Speed ept septic Ikic a lacks common among thrash bands to used 10 party a lot. But when you play show alter show every Day m a Row it gets pretty Hung explained drummer Louie Clemente dealing Cyl another hand to his ban Maies Quot it s like doing aerobics for hours and hours Quot even Lead Singer Chuck Billy mild mannered and relatively eloquent of stage. Gave no hint of his on stage propensity Lor Errol log Long Tow growls a much like Bigfoot might sound belching after a Good meal the growl which Billy says he first discovered when he used to scare kids Quot As a child has become Tesla enl s trademark Quot a Tol of people Tomk chucks using some kind of an effect. But he a  said Clemenis there s just a hire delay Quot testament was on a Short Lour of Europe m support of practice what you preach the band s latest release the album was a big step for Nifte group said Billy m that the musicians veered away from the pure thrash of their previous two releases with its More melodic heavy Metal. Testament Hopes to attract a larger More diverse audience Quot we want this band to be known As More than just a thrash  Billy said Quot you can l make a living Oil of .3 what s not record a review Selling 2do.ooo records for the rest of your life Quot practice what you preach also Marks a departure from the group s usual Waling style. The album contains two tracks Thal steer away Tram typical heavy Metal Lynch greenhouse f Fleer is about global warming caused by pollution and perilous nation attacks totalitarian states we were sick of writing about negative things at the time said Billy Quot the average kid who listens to oui music is 14 to 20 years old. And at that age. They re not worrying about what a going on in the world they re Only worried about getting drunk. They have no idea what the greenhouse effect is about. Quot they listen to heavy Metal music though so Why not try to get a message across to them instead of just writing about blood and guts and everything else Quot testament was formed in 1983 by Clemente guitarist Eric Peterson and Bass player Greg Christian Afier frequent changes in the lineup Billy and guitarist lox Skolick joined the troupe. Billy had studied music at Chabot Junior College in Hayward. Calif. And look private voice lessons before Loining testament to prepare Lor the now album to said he studied Wilh Judy Davis a 78-year-old voice Leacher who has taught the tikes of Janis Joplin Frank Sinatra and Aero Smith s Sieve Perry following the european tour and a Short trek through Japan testament will embark on a two month tour or the United Stales. Then it s Back into the studio to begin work on anole or Alburn. Fans of testament s music Don t have to worry that the group will change is style again. For the moment the band members Are Content with their new sound and they re certainly not interest cd m gelling a top 40 he. Quot this is about As tar say commercial that we ii gel said Billy Quot Well probably be like this Lor a  Jett the hit list ii seems Joan Jolt has always had a Way with cover lunch pulling authoritative performances from material As diverse As James Semi psyche Dolic Crimson and Clover and 3y amp the family stones everyday people even so she has never seemed More convincing than she does on the hit list a 10 song tribute to Mavorite records Thal covers everything from the doors love me two times to the sex pistols pretty vacant some of the songs like acc s dirty deeds or the modern lovers roadrunner elicit hard hitting it predictable performances bul jell shows unexpected depth Wilh love hurts a performance that somehow Sugg cols both the sweetness of the Everly Brothers and the Gril of Nazareth and no Small amount of spunk through her forthright rendition of 1 z top s Tush company of wolves company of wolves it docs t Lake much to assemble a credible hard Rock band these Days just a Strong Singer a capable guitarist and a sturdy dependable rhythm Section getting a great hard Rock band together Calls Tor some thing More however it demands passion commitment and an ability to make the listener believe in the music As much As the group does. Needless to say such acts Don t come along every Day. But the debut of company of wolves indicates that a new one May be in the works although the band in t Able to till every song on company of wolves above the cliche threshold the Besl of the Bunch a hell s Kitchen and the Rod Stewart styled jilted a suggests that this is definitely a band to  Ryder amp the Detroit wheels Rev up thanks to Soutul insistent rockers like Jenny take a ride and Little latin Lupe lug nol to mention Bruce Springsteen a legendary revival of Devil Wilh a Blue dress Good Golly miss Molly a Mitch Ryder and the Detroit wheels have Boon synonymous with danceable supercharged Rock n Rolt since the band first burst onto the scene in the mid 60s. But As demonstrated by Rev up the Besl of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit wheels Thero was More to Ryder s reign than Thal. In addition to lesser known ravers like too Many fish in the sea or i like la like that this set offers such insightful rarities As the Dylan esque baby Jane Momo Jane and an unexpectedly Tierce rendition of Lou Teod s Rock Roll. A classic collection the billboard charts were not available this  Burton reunion although reunion reunites Vibra harpist Gary Burton with several Stellar sex sidemen including bassist will Lee and drummer Peter Erskine the real news Here is that the album once again pairs Burton with the most accomplished member of his alumni club guitarist Pat Metheny. As expected the interplay Between these two provides the album with some of its Best playing from the dreamy House on the Hill to the lightly latin title Lune. Bul the Best thing about reunion is hat it always comes across As an ensemble Effort making the most of the rhythm Section s interplay even when 1he music seems to be built around Burton and Metheny s soloing. Quite a treat Miriam Makeba Welela Between joining Paul Simon for his Quot Graceland tour and publishing her autobiography Miriam Makeba has lately Onjo Yod a higher profile in America than at any Lime since her 1967 i i a a Para. Vet instead of trying to Cash in on Thal increased visibility Makeba has simply proceeded apace with the end result that Welela her new album is As understated As it is unaffected. As always her songs arc firmly rooted in the Folk music of her native South Tanca. But she and her backing musicians have no qualms about adding other flavors to the music from reggae african suns of to Calypso a Lula Continua to Salsa Diu de Galinha. And Pata Pata a heard Here in a Lively a Banga arrangement a is As endearing now As it was 23 years ago. Fly j o. Considine Baltimore Sun Page 16 a the stars and stripes wednesday february 7,1990