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Over the wall indeed, the crowd might have been older fans, but that didn't dissuade crowd surfers and moshers from piercing the barricade. No walkers or canes spotted yet! OK, I'm over 50, but witness more than 200 bands a year (including festivals). Not sure how often original thrash fans/my contemporaries get out these days, but in Philly, the barrage of the debut seemed to fall on deaf ears. Showcasing material from the initial trio of releases, dating from '87-'89, including The Legacy in its entirety,with little/no emotional attachment, the kids (under 30?) on the floor sadly had just a passing interest in many of the tracks, only springing to life when The New Order material was aired.

Testament began with the quartet that opens their debut album. In fact, seven of the first nine songs were off The Legacy! Kicked out of the photo pit after two songs, despite the barrage of lights onstage, shinning bright enough to nearly obliterate the band from view, at points throughout the night, the choice of purples, reds and deep blues do the artist no visual favors. That said, even though it's computerized these days, the LD deserves a raise, programming/keeping track of the multi-colored hues. Upon our exit into the crowd, "Raging Waters" finally supplied some whites, albeit briefly, preferring yellow instead. Chuck Billy (who looks to have shed a few pounds, roamed to each side of the stage, flickering his tongue and playing air guitar on his half-stick mic, when not bellowing the lyrics. The guitar tandem of Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick came together, center stage, a few times (including "First Strike Is Deadly"), but mostly kept to their respective sides. The rhythm section is legendary, although not original Testament members, well traveled drummer Gene 'The Atomic Clock' Hoglan and bassist Steve DiGiorgio (who lost 60 pounds in the process of moving himself out of his Florida residence). Now alongside Skolnick, one could legitimately make a case for the ultimate thrash musicianship line-up!  

 "The Preacher" saw Skolnick take a solo, frequently holding his guitar vertically aloft, as the purple lights morphed into a blinding blitzkrieg of strobes. Billy offered a shout out to the opening bands prior to "Do Or Die". The imposing vision of The Chief onstage, is heightened by the sensory overload, pummeling music, glaring lights as "A Day Of Reckoning" alternates between rust colored illuminations sweeping to & fro, and plenty of greens. Relentless strobes, of many colors, seemed pegged to Hoglan's bass pedals, flickering at inhuman speed, for "Apocalyptic City". In a rare moment, Di Giorgio made a trip out of the background, three across the front of the stage, lit in purple. It ended with the four robotic light cannons at their feet repetitiously cascading into the teeth of the crowd.

On an empty, blue stage, a prerecorded acoustic bit signaled "Eerie Inhabitants", as the audience finally got moving. The six-string tandem met once again, center stage, under a sea of green, with white streaks criss-crossing overhead. While most had limited knowledge of the debut, the title cut, "The New Order" was met like a lost friend, as a chorus of voices sang along. That was but a teaser, for what followed, namely "Trial By Fire" (even singing along to the guitar leads: "Hey, this what the people say...Trial by fire") and "Trial By Fire". Senses coming to, they warmed up to The Legacy's "Alone In The Dark", again 'singing" the instrumental harmonies, but the proper set ending "Curse Of The Legion Of Death" (aka "C.O.T.L.O.D."), from that same album, whizzed by (and over most heads).

The lone selection off the third record was its well known (judging from the response) titular choice, "Practice What You Preach", which opened the short, but necessary encore (for most Philly fans, seemingly underwhelmed by the early portion of the setlist). Exiting into the night, strains of "Disciples Of The Watch" ringing in their ears and the chorus still dripping from their lips, it's safe to say the back end of the evening, with a wider array (spanning three discs, however sparingly) sent the people home happy.  

In contrast, despite having reunited with vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza, Exodus opted to virtually ignore his first go round with the band and offered only "A Lesson In Violence", the title track and set ending "Strike Of The Beast" from Bonded By Blood, one of the greatest thrash albums of all time. Know it was a Paul Baloff (RIP) staple, but no "Piranha"? OK, but no signature tune, "Metal Command", "And Then There Were None" or even a simple "Brain Dead" off Souza's first disc with the band: Pleasures of the Flesh? e did get "The Last Act Of Defiance", but at the expense of one of the aforementioned? Sort of weird seeing the band without mainstay guitarist Gary Holt (on permanent load to Slayer), Lee Altus' guitar partner in Heathen, Kragen Lum taking most of the leads. Amazing, as there was a time  when Exodus was the hottest band in the underground (as witnessed April 4, 1985: Variety Theater, Cleveland, Ohio saw Baloff, Holt & Co. dust both Slayer and headlining Venom) and now they open for a band who were mere kids, when they started.

"Black 13" and the title track from the current Blood In, Blood Out CD kicked things off ("Salt In The Wound", which was acknowledged as having been aided by Kirk Hammet, cropped up about midway through the hour long show), proud to announce Souza's return. However, the majority of the material came from the Rob Dukes (?) era. Sure, a decade ago Tempo Of The Damned and Shovel Headed Kill Machine (although ignored this tour) were the best Exodus platters since the Eighties and basically saved the band, but already hampered by a guest line-up, they should have pulled out all the Grade A stuff. Following "Iconoclasm", the singer offered some advise, "Thursday night at the Troc, moshing with Exodus and Testament. Call in sick tomorrow and start the weekend early!" A rather static performance throughout, it was four across the front of the stage as drummer Tom Hunting added backing vocals to "Children Of A Worthless God" as the circle pit action rise in ferocity. Souza would mutter "Fuck yeah" when the crowd (re)action met his liking. He reached the high pitched realm of Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth (Over Kill) on "Salt In The Wound". The studio prerecorded intro greeted "Last Act..". A diving/crashing airplane effect announced "Bonded By Blood". The trash-pop (can you tell I don't look fondly upon their biggest hit?) of "Toxic Waltz gave way to a "Strike Of The Beast finale, after which Souza promised, "Exodus will be back". Hopefully with motivational force Gary Holt in tow and a killer setlist to boot.