Heavy, Brutal, Great backing vocals, great main vocals...IT'S ALL SO GOOD! Where does one start with such a masterpiece? I believe this is Testament's best album. Regardless of the merits of my position I do believe this is a major step up from thier debut the previous year. The album starts off with Skolnick's "Bach-rock" errie guitar playing intro only to then descend into a heavy mid-tempo Thrash song. The Vocals are great. Chuck Billy's talents are showcased here: There are high points where he screams and there are low points where his growl makes you quiver. Very Talented. The guitar work is one of a kind. Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson make a great duo. The work is overall very heavy (for the time) and insanely complex (listen to some of the solos and intros.) The bassist does a good job of making himself known unlike in their '87 release. Other than the bass-only parts, he blends in pretty well with the rest of the crew. The drumming is generic but better than in their debut. Mostly just normal rock beats. There is a little bit more double-bass than in their debut -not much however if you are the usual '80s Thrash fan. The overall speed is mid-tempo, not slow but certainly not fast (exception: "The Preacher"). I would say that this is their finest effort. If you have even a passing interest in 80s Thrash Metal you need this album NOW. It is more intricate than some of the 80s counterparts but is just as intense.