Return to Form

[Paul keohane]

Enemy Of Tbe Music Buisness by Naplam is definitely a return to form after their experimental phase. I don't mind that phase, but back to more aggressive songs on enemy

Definitely,good call.

Uprising by Entombed felt like a bit of a return of sorts at the time!.

[Carnage]

Didn't like that one at all, I thought Morning Star was the return to form album. But then again I like Same Difference, so what do I know?

[Anton Arcane]

Low was a return to form for Testament I would say. They were on a gradual downward trajectory from The New Order onwards with more and more fillers clogging up the albums. But Low, for my money anyway, was at least up there quality wise with the first two albums, albeit with a very different sound.

[ldj]

If I was to listen to any Testament it's usually The Gathering or Low, not that I don't like the earlier stuff, I suppose it's just a bit more 'standard' thrash, The Gathering especially has a really cool mix of death and thrash metal.

Other return to forms, the past two Voivod albums have been fantastic imo, not that the one's preceding were bad really, just that now the guitarist has settled their really hitting their stride with the new lineup.

[jobrok1]

The Gathering is definitely a return to form.
Especially after the utterly rubbish Demonic.

[Paul keohane]

Low and The Gathering are my go to Testament albums,Demonic has some great tracks I think.

[Squigs]

Scars of the Crucifix is a way more enjoyable album to me than Stench but even then, neither are albums that come close to Deicide at their peak. Stench a shift in style and production, sure, but I never really wanted that from Deicide, just write good DM riffs. Stench is like a can of Lilt, feels refreshing at first but really you'd be happier with a solid glass of water.

I think for Mastodon Once More Round the Sun kinda falls into this category. Crack the Skye was the culmination of the first four records, it had kinda gone as far as it could in diff directions while still maintaining that typcial Mastodon sound. While I'd have happily listened to variations on this for years, I expect the band felt a change of pace was needed. The Hunter had zero staying power only a small handful of tracks that felt distinct and interesting. OMRTS kinda shifts that notion into proper gear and everything since has been like Phase2 of the band, with Hushed and Grim kinda having that CTS expanse but with their newer "poppier" sensibilities. Maybe not expressly return to form, but definitely an example of hitting their stride for me.

[jobrok1]

Low and The Gathering are my go to Testament albums,Dominic has some great tracks I think.

I'm sure Dominic is a grand fella. 

But Demonic was a terrible album. The songs were there, but just needed to be fleshed out a LOT more.
It was such a let down after Low, but The Gathering more than made up for it.

[Circlepit]

Low and The Gathering are brilliant. As is The Formation Of Damnation. The three that came after that are variations of Formation.

The Mastodon thing is spot on. Emperor Of Sand is the only album of theirs I can't get through. It's so boring I can never remember one song when the next song starts on the album.

[Paul keohane]

Low and The Gathering are my go to Testament albums,Dominic has some great tracks I think.

I'm sure Dominic is a grand fella. 

woops 

[StoutAndAle]

I would say that AC/DC's "Power Up" is a return to form.

Not to be held up to their very best obviously but it's probably their most consistently solid and straight-through listenable album since "The Razor's Edge" if not "Flick Of The Switch".

[Jward]

Low and The Gathering are my go to Testament albums,Dominic has some great tracks I think.

I'm sure Dominic is a grand fella. 

But Demonic was a terrible album. The songs were there, but just needed to be fleshed out a LOT more.
It was such a let down after Low, but The Gathering more than made up for it.

I must get onto Dominic, and get a few of those tracks