Testament Headline Bone-Crunching ‘Thrash of the Titans’ Night at Kentish Town Forum [Show Review]

What a night we have in store, as The Thrash Of The Titans tour makes its way to the Kentish Town Forum in London. Celebrating the new, the old and the legendary of Thrash Metal, it’s a line-up that undoubtedly represents the same genre but is truly diverse in its powers.

São Paulo, Brazil’s all-female four-piece Nervosa, opens tonight’s show. After five albums, eleven years on the road and multiple line-up changes, it’s truly since releasing one of the best thrash records of the past few years with Jailbreak in 2023, that Nervosa have been considered a beacon of hope for the future of new and progressive thrash.

With a vocal that edges more towards the black metal end of the spectrum in its caustic and aggressive nature, they feel and sound terrifyingly heavy. Shredding unmercifully through their now vast back catalogue, they play at an unrelenting pace, with a technical menace that cuts a hole through the forum. They dominate their thirty-minute set like a band with a point to prove, and I don’t think there’s a single soul in the venue that isn’t begging for more.

Destruction started life in 1982 as a black metal band. Fast forward 22 years, and they are widely considered one of the big four German thrash metal bands. With sixteen studio albums under their belt, the latest of which came earlier this year, it’s fair to say Destruction deserves its place amongst this legendary line-up. They storm the stage with “Curse The Gods,” a song that opens with an absolutely paralysing riff that sounds like the floor is falling out from under us.

A seizure-inducing wall of red strobe lights up the room and feels apt when accompanied by the brutal onslaught of songs like “Mad Butcher,” “No Kings No Masters,” and “Thrash Till Death.” Destruction’s breakneck pace is driven by mountains of blasting beats, the most technical of riffs and soaring solos. There is zero let-up between the opening explosion and the closing riff of 1984’s “Destruction,” which brings a close to this honouring of one of Germany’s thrash greats.

If there was ever a band that defined the term “reliable,” it’s Florida’s favourite metal sons, Obituary. It feels like out of all of the bands on this bill, Obituary stands out as a band definitely influenced by thrash but with much heavier leanings on death and doom. In the four decades that have passed, they have arguably never released anything other than stone wall classic records, always delivered perfection on the stage and have remained ambitious and progressive.

It always feels like a special occasion watching Obituary, and today is no exception. As the unmistakable menacing chug of “Redneck Stomp” echoes round the Forum, nearly two and a half thousand metalheads lose their minds. John Tardy takes to the stage to a hero’s welcome as they launch into the razor-sharp riffs of “Sentence Day.” Obituary have the power to change course in the blink of an eye, from the doom and sludge of “Infected,” to the heavy grooves of “The Wrong Time” and the thrash-death powerhouse “Turned Inside Out,” they are consistently varied in their attack.

What band other than Obituary could get away with covering the mighty Celtic Frost and making it a staple of their shows for 25 years, but “Circle Of Tyrants” still sounds every bit the murderous, soul-crushing anthem it always has. It’s an hour of unsettling, gory, metal excellence capped off with what should be the crowned thrash death anthem, “Slowly We Rot.” Never take this band still being on the road for granted, and if you get the chance to see them live, I can guarantee a horribly wonderful time.

And if that wasn’t enough for you, we have metal royalty as our headliners.

Testament is widely credited as being one of the most influential bands in Thrash Metal history, as well as being one of the Bay Area Big Six, who led the second wave of thrash in the late ’80s. One day removed from the release of their fourteenth studio record, Para Bellum, which, in my opinion, is one of the metal albums of the year, Testament are here to remind everyone who’s still in charge.

First thing to note is how incredible the stage set-up is for this performance. The drums are set atop a 6-foot riser covered in a skull motif, with stairs on either side leading to a platform for guitar shenanigans throughout the set. Behind this is a 20ft high, 3D skeletal effigy of Satan… this is about as metal as it gets! Then, when the opening riff of “D.N.R” finally hits, the forum absolutely explodes with limbs.

Undoubtedly one of metal’s greatest frontmen, Chuck Billy, vocals sound immense, and the band sound like they’re playing with military grade precision. You can feel the heft and stomp of songs like “Practice What You Preach,” “Sins Of Omission,” and “First Strike Is Deadly” reverberate through the crowd like a shock wave. Whilst on the other end of the spectrum, “Trail of Tears” may argue for the greatest metal ballad ever written. It’s a moment of calm from the storm that lets you appreciate the iconic musicianship of this behemoth of a band.

They continue to shred back the years with songs like “Electric Crown” and “Low,” whilst the set highlight for me comes by the way of “Native Blood.” A symphony of galloping riffs, a solo that sounds otherworldly and sledgehammer drum blasts, it’s got everything and demands the biggest sing-along of the evening. Ending this mammoth evening with the toe-curling thrashfest that is “Into The Pit,” it almost seems unfair how many legitimate 10/10 songs this band have. Testament is a genuinely iconic band who are still creating generational music and are still very much a force to behold live. Bloodstock 2026 can’t come soon enough!