The Formation of Damnation finds Testament’s original lineup (minus drummer Louis Clemente) coming together for the first time since 1992. The album is exactly what it needs to be: a reiteration of Testament’s patented Eighties thrash, injected with a renewed rage to match the meanness of the contemporary metal scene. Even though the band members are in their forties now, they sound positively fearsome on tracks like “Henchmen Ride,” “The Evil Has Landed,” and “The Persecuted Won’t Forget.” Having beat cancer, singer Chuck Billy comes on with a furor almost unmatched in today’s metal scene. While the title track features him in full-on grindcore growl, he thankfully revives his swaggering Testament throat for the majority of the tracks. It's hard to envision any band pulling off a merger of vintage thrash and contemporary attitude this masterful, and the fact that this no-filler album is the comeback work a 25-year-old band only makes The Formation of Damnation more impactful.