Testify: Mmmyaoooo Reviews

First the band sounded a lot like NIN with their 1994 debut _01_ and their remix album, _Ballroom Killer_, and now with their sophomore record, _Mmmyaooo_ (great name eh?), they sound like Ministry. What's next down the line of industrial bands to imitate? But hold on... hold on. The axe ain't gonna fall too quickly on Testify, not this time at least. Beyond my negative points of this record stands strong a solid, hard-hitting dose of fierce industrial music. From the get-go of opener "Pink Goblin" onto "Head of Compassion" and "Block in the Eye", Testify rarely slows it down, bit by bit breaking the listener into a heaping pile of human flesh. Samples, loud bangs, screams and solid riffs pour out of this rather surprisingly enjoyable second outing. Also, the help of co-producer Adam Grossman (singer/guitarist of Skrew) helped strengthen many of the band's flaws off the first album. _Mmmyaooo_ radiates industrial music and channelled noise to the best of their ability. Good effort (7 out of 10). - Adrian Bromley, Chronicles of Chaos #11


Speed and anger characterize the bulk of what Testify delivers. Originally founded in 1992 by Rascal, from the German based, hard electronic dance band The Fair Sex, Testify strikes with a piston of sound like a cane on seared flesh. "Pink Goblin" lashes forth in a lethal mist of screams and drums. Floods of energy rush from every aspect of the album, from the vocals to the music production, which was handled by the band Skrew. Lead vocalist/programmer Myk Jung spews forth a constant, foaming stream of blasphermous wrathful words. The bridge on "Block in the Eye" contains a few familar sounding,screaming guitar licks, but prepare to guard your senses before diving into "Legal Viper" and "Mouth" as they'll take you on a ferocious ride with their snarling, biting growls. "Quest of Nothing" begins its trek slowly with a sound that's vaguely human, yet still unidentifiable and spine chilling,before it twists and swirls into a violin passage that culminates in a winding labyrinth of intertwined lyrics. - Donna Rodger, CMJ
Testify's second full length release is one of the hardest of the year, and it's a safe bet that it will stay this way. Competitors? Think of only one the American band Skrew. Impressive is the fact that Adam Grossman (main songwriter of Skrew) had the interest to co-produce the CD. Another fact is Testify is capable of gaining more support from hardcore fans. The band has become more practiced in their delivery of harsh computerized metal.. Very loud are the scratchy guitars and very dangerous is this combination boosted by speed. One particular gem is "Lethal Viper" which has to be the most polished. Within this song vocalist Myk Jung shows that one can kick ass with vocals alone. "Under Queen Whore's Grim Protection" is prime fusion of electro and metal. I'm not going to get rid of Skrew's new CD to help buy Testify's backcatalogue. MMMYAOOOO will just be on my player more often. - defunkt, New Industrial Sounds
Through the early 90's as bands such as Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM became more and more popular, an increasing number of gruops started adding electronics to their metallic assault. But too many were obsessed with hooking into the sounds of the present to consider the possibilities of the future. One such group is Testify whose new album Mmmyaoooo (Van Richter***) is filled with punchy, sample - ladden songs in the vein of Ministry and album producer Skrew. - Jon Wiederhorn, Pulse Magazine
Produced by the guys in Skrew, the new Testify album is just as good as theirs is. Sounding somewher between KMFDM and Skrew, Testify shreds you with their pounding guitar sound. One of many bands meshing metal and industrial sounds, the band has alot of crossover appeal (though I hope that soon I can check out some remixes!). Although I am not big into the industrial scene, Testify is one of the better bands that I've heard from the ones I do know. I'm surprised that more people haven't heard of them, considering they have the right sound to get airplay all over the place. Germany is a haven for bands like this, and Testify is one of the leaders of the pack. Maybe Van Richter can get them over here for a tour in the near future. Definitely get this one! (check out the interview with them this issue!) - Gerry Saracco, Urban Warfare Digizine #8
Since Ministry has become rather soft in their old age now we have the new blood of Testify to keep the mosh pit burning with their harsh beats, heavy guitars, and hyper-inteligent nihilistic/ Doom generation lyrics. With this new release, enigmatically entitled MMMYAOOOO,we find a harder and more heinous Testify, more metal than ever,but still retaining quite a bit of weird electronic noises. Myk's vocals are untreated but still extremely raw and powerful. I wonder how he can sustain that level of harshness? Most of the movie samples are obscure enoughthat they will keep you guessing. MMMYAOOOO is one of those disks that hits you very hard at first, but the more you listen , the more you'll appreciate the monumental effort put into this disk. At first it sounds really hard and raw, but then you listen and there is just so much more than you originally noticed. The layering and the engineering by Mathias Black are extremely intense, Moses W. makes the sounds of one hundred guitars, and there is so much in each song; noises,effects, that you can definately get lost in the walls of crunchy sound. If you can actually sit and listen (as opposed to getting up and trashing the room), you'll hear that MMMYAOOOO is a very artfully done disk. This is the sort of disk that will definitely not appeal to those whose taste is limited only to synth/euro-disco sounds, but will appeal to just about everyone else,especially fans of guitar oriented industrial,speed metal and old-school hardcore. - Marie, Cyberia Magazine
Though these guys used to balance their metal and industrial inclinations evenly , the power has definately shifted on this new disc. There's more guitars than keyboards, sound effects, or samples, the rhythms are less precise, and the vocals, while distorted, sound more like those of a Florida death metal screamer than a suburban kid with a distortion box. In other words, Testify are far more metal than industrial these days. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, mind you - if anything it shows how close the two genres have become - but this may not be the direction Testify's fans wanted them to go. - Paul Semel, Huh Magazine
TESTIFY (interviewed in WG issue#2) is a band that always seems to be compared to the likes of Ministry and Skrew. Although understandable, these comparisons are unfair as TESTIFY easily surpass anyone in the "Guitar Industrial" genre. Their latest "Mmmyaoooo" further proves the this fact. It may not be quite as catchy as previous releases, but it is heavier and the production is better(this release was actually produced by Adam Grossman of Skrew). The electronics are more apparent as well which further layers the band's sound. If you like your industrial intense and aggressive then you must experience TESTIFY. - Bob, Worm Gear
This oddly titled disk marks Testify's second full lengther and sees the band pounding out some tough industrial tunage with the emphasis on metallic guitars and savage rhythms. Testify will likely be accused of sounding a lot like Skrew and Ministry, and the similarity is there but I think that this band has something unique to call its own. It can be found in the expeditios lashings of energetic opener "Pink Goblin", in the haunting closer, "Quest for Nothing",and littered throughout the middle with tracks such as "Lethal Viper", "Dumb" and "Blaster" presenting some interesting ideas. Further Testify's fantastical lyrical escapades are different than the norm, and contribute to the unique atmosphere that pervades "Mmmyaoooo". Like most industrial albums, the vocals are treated more as an instrument than showpiece, melding into the destructive guitar riffs and boosting the aggression. Hopefully the band will continue to expound upon the ideas hinted at in the impressive "Quest for Nothing", retaining the same level of sonic density (thick) while attacking different concepts. - Tate Bengtson, Chaotic Critiques
Though I haven't yet been able to uncover the secrets lying behind Testify's latest album title, I'm fairly sure that it's not something from their native tongue. After all, I grew up in a German-descended household, and the word's completely foreign to me. However, I have noted that if said properly and at the appropriate volume; the resultant sound is eerily similiar to the exact vocal delivery style of frontman Myk Jung. Not quite metal, Testify is nonetheless far more guitar oriented than their alter ego, The Fair Sex. Early press returns and record sales indicate that the band has already begun to bridge the industrial metal gap, and anyone appreciative of that crossover style will cherish this record. - Rik Millhouse, Cyberlogue
TESTIFY 'Dumb' single. This tough snarling industrial track is already getting airplay on stations such as C89.5 in Seattle, KXLU in LA and WRCX in Chicago and it's no wonder- a feerocious battering ram of a cut, it's a heavy - music and modern rock natural. 'Dumb' off of the band's second disc, MMMYAOOOO, which was co-produced by Metal Blade artist Skrew. - Daina Darzin, Cashbox Magazine
Heavy industrial CD. "Lethal Viper" and "Quest for Nothing" caught my attention. This is a very good release for Testify. I think Van Richter has a winner here. - Black Moon Magazine
This is a surprisingly good CD, though I still have not figured out how to pronounce its title. It's industrial at its finest, which means that it sounds industrial without sounding like every other industrial band. - Bryon Bean, Pulp Magazine
With the release of Mmmyaooo, Testify steps further into the trash zone from their previous release, Ballroom Killer. Mmmyaoooo is strongly influenced by heavy metal, such as Ministry's "Psalm 69", and beats this masterwork in the areas of lyrics (printed in Testify's CD liner) and album art. MMMYAOOOO is less layered and more cohesive than Ministry, though Testify does not stray into the noisy grindcore of "Psalm 69's" last two tracks, and maintains a fairly steady rhythm throughout their album. - Don Smith Moorman, IndieScent Magazine
Since we are talking about A-number one, blow up the roof stuff, the strangely named MMMYAYOOOO from Testify on Van Richter (100 South Sunrise Way Ste. 219, Palm Springs, CA 92262) is something worth checking out if automated aggro-churn burns your circuit boards. There are more than a few moments during the record's 11 song electroshock that turns these Teutonic industrial thugs into a greater than most droid core contenders, and soliciting Skrew's Adam Grossman as co-producer here has done alot for their sophmore sessions. But don't expect to escape typical drillpress samples, screams loops and brittle, buzzchugging guitar either. Nevertheless Testify beats the hell out of the geeks like Gravity Kills during numbers such as the blisteringly convulsive "Legal Viper" or "Dumb"'s corrosive dance chop. If the idea of Skinny Puppy punching Filter in the face puts a silly grin on your mug as much as it does mine, hock dad's Hootie discs and do some mail order. - Jerry Rutherford, RIP Magazine
One of the best electro - metal albums of recent by a band only started as a side - project from the Fair Sex. Produced by Skrew, fans of thrash and metal, ala Ministry Psalm 69 or Kreater, should check out Testify. For a country known more for dancefloor music, which the Fair Sex is, Germany's Testify cranks up the Marshalls and churns out some heavy and stylized shit. While Testify isn't redneck metal by any means, they are heavy enough to satisfy even the most diligent metal fan, while keeping a foot in the electro scene, with sequencers and samples adding to the mayhem. This, their second full length release, shows them at a good point in their career and being in Germany may keep them at an accessible level - translation; you won't have to worry about MTV overplaying this. - David Sexton, Interface Magazine
Metal mayhem sounds somewhere between Minstry and Metallica. Very intense thrash Industrial from Germany. - Isolation Tank
Testify's press sheet states that this full length album, "...embodies a new step of computerized metal". It becomes apparent upon hearing it that what we have here is a metal band with a drum machine and a scattering of samples. If thrash metal is what you crave, then this is a great buy, but the computerized part is low key. Some fans who have tracked this trend of metal will draw instant parallels to numerous other bands in this industrial sub-genre. The music consists of chunky guitar riffs interspersed with occasional passages of minimal, almost mellow fill. Though every song contains elements of programmed electronics, even the repetitive drill samples point a finger at the band who opened up this area of music. This album is extremely heavy and tends to instill a desire to mosh, and the manic vocals of frontman Myk Jung seem to punch their way through the wall of sound guitar riffs in a screaming rage. If Ministry, KMFDM, or White Zombie are your thing this comes highly recommended - Jason, Apocalypse Magazine
Il y a assurement du vrai dans le props, mais les terroristes de Chicago ayant amorce un serieux virage, il revient aux premiers de prendre la releve - se qu'ils font avec talant. Le coup d'essai se voit donc plus que confirme: bass rythmique essouffflante et guitares hargneuses se font la part belle; la difference essentielle par rapport au premier opus etant un travail plus riche au niveau des samples. - Estats Limites Magazine
OK...this sounds nooothing like MINISTRY (sarcasm)...right. This is definately what Ministry wished they sounded like these days. There is a new Aggro king now and their name is TESTIFY! HEAVY guitars over a HEAVY drum machine. When I reach the second song, I'm thinking...this is better than SKREW - the band who produced this record! The whole thing is great from start to finish. I would to this hard Aggro assault time and again if my brain doesn't turn to mush first. By the end, I'm wondering what kind of amp stacks they have. The guitars are the crunchiest I have ever heard. Oh well, maybe I'm just into bands that actually play their instruments well like Testify! - Elektrik Tranfusion E Zine
Blasting industrial/metal crossover that is firmly entrenched in the well-known territory of Ministry ("The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" era). Heavy, pounding drums intermix with thrashy riffs and screaming, distorted vocals. Some occasional samples are mixed into the background, but they clearly play a secondary role. This album was produced by the guys from Skrew and it shows: the sound is incredibly thick and heavy, which really helps "MMMYA0000" nail its point. This CD is a vast improvement over the punkish, primitive debut that came out 2-3 years ago and even if Testify does not go much beyond what Ministry already covered a few years back, their burning intensity and aggression still make this something worth getting into. Overall, a very positive surprise from a band that I wasn't expecting much from. Songs such as "Block In The Eye" or "Lethal Viper" should get anyone moshing in a crazed frenzy in no time...Typical industrial/metal, but really well done. (7/10) Corridor of Cells Webzine
O alternativă pentru Ministry? Eu cred că nu. Testify are destule elemente în stil și compoziție pentru a fi o individualitate. Noul lor produs are 11 motive pentru a fi luat în considerație: "Pink Goblin", "Head Of Compassion", "Block In The Eye", "Lethal Viper", "Dumb", "Under Queen Whore's Grim Protection", "B. Blaster", "Trash 21", "Mouth", "Persistant Circulation" și "Quest Of Nothing".

Cu acest nou album, cei de la Testify au arătat că au trecut de zona undergroundului, chiar dacă, la MTv sunt încă prezenți în cadrul emisiunii "Music From The Underground". Lăsând la o parte calitatea sunetului care caracterizează producțiile americane, deosebit de bună, fapt esențial pentru acest gen muzical, "Mmmyaoooo" este ceva deosebit, începînd chiar prin titlul albumului, continuînd apoi piesă cu cu piesă.

Genul industrial, care începe și la noi să fie din ce în ce mai bine apreciat, deschide largi perspective pentru trupele cu un real talent. Violența din piese precum "Pink Goblin", "Block In The Eye", "B. Blaster" și altele, îmbinată cu vocile cavernoase și metalice dau ca rezultat un stil interesant, cu fragmente greu de uitat. Personal mi s-au părut foarte interesante piesele "Dumb" și "Head Of Compassion", piese ce fac acest album să mergă bine în metalotecile care mai există prin țară și au și capacități de sonorizare satisfăcătoare.

Chiar dacă pe alocuri se mai simt influențe străine, ceea ce este de așteptat pentru o trupă așa de tânără, albumul poate fi considerat original. Cert este că dintre cei care l-au ascultat, marea majoritate și-au exprimat păreri pozitive la adresa acestui produs, ceea ce confirmă faptul că Testify este un nume de care o sa mai auzim. - Drakula Fanzine On-Line
Testify is extremly hard german aggro industrial. It may not be for everyone, but its definitely for those who want heavy guitar driven industrial. If you like bands like Fear Factory & Rammstein, then you should definetly check out Testify's latest release. With mixes by Die Krupps, Die Warzau & Plastic Noise Experience, it's music to listen to while you're angry and want to stomp around. There are definetly some good songs on this album. I caught myself chanting "Crack my mind" (the chorus of The War Of Minds) several times, after listening to the album several times. - Squid, Tentacles E-Zine
Mmmyaoooo is the second complete album by Testify to be released in the U.S. Their first album, Testify 01, seemed to be a copy of the early 90's Ministry sound. Mmmyaoooo still follows that same path forged by Ministry and it has not strayed, whereas with Filth Pig Al and Paul seem to have gotten lost in the woods. This album is finely produced (by Adam Grossman of SKREW) and the overall sound has more form and tightness. The music has a constant flow from track to track and is well rooted in the hard / aggro dance genre. Fans of good electro-thrash should not be disappointed. - UBL
"Dumb": this is a song from the new masters of Industrial music. The song is heavy with a cool groove. The screaming vocals are just absolutely awesome. This song is well worth checking out. - Gunther G., TheGlobalMuse.com
German metal band Testify seems to have found their niche with "Dumb." The song has strong industrial metal elements and is very reminiscent of bands like Ministry and Skinny Puppy. The band even claims to be called the "next Ministry" by several prominent publications.The song I am reviewing unfortunately seems to be a lo-fi recording and thus sounds a lot worse than I imagine the song does in its true form. In order to hear "Dumb," which is already noisy by nature, one must wade through a wall of additional noise.In spite of this, the technical aspects seem to be the strong point of this track. The guitar parts are heavy and tight and the drums are sharp and perfect. The vocals are very similar to Ministry and Skinny Puppy's atonal, effect-laden voices. The combination of these elements gives a great pulse to "Dumb." The lyrics are better than average for an industrial metal song but are still a bit silly in some places. They fit nicely with the song however and are sung in a rhythm that works great. Testify has chosen a great vocalist for their band who fits perfectly with their music.This track could use a little bit more in the mix, however. Though I wouldn't call it repetitive, I felt like I wanted something else to happen besides what I was hearing. Perhaps some more sound effects or an extra synth line would make "Dumb" a bit fuller and more interesting. If you're a fan of industrial metal or Ministry in particular, you will undoubtedly like "Dumb." Testify is a hard, strong track that doesn't disappoint. - Jimmy Cuadra, Gods of Music
Through the early '90s, as bands like Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM became more and more popular, and growing legions of groups started adding electronics to their metallic assault, too many were obsessed with hooking into the sounds of the present to consider the possibilities of the future. One such group is Testify, whose album Mmmyaooo is filled with punchy, sample-laden songs in the vein of Ministry and Skrew (who produced the album). - Jon Wiederhorn, Amazon.com
So because I'm a girl and it may therefore present fairly, without my reputation forever and ever to harm, I do hereby: This is the new album by electro - hardcore formation Testify just too hard. Eleven songs of fully unbridled, aggressive intensity and a good dose of Death Metal - embossed hatred are just too much for my simple, romantic mood. Or to put it a little to rephrase: Ministry behave to Testify much like Chris De Burgh to Metallica. And tracks like "Pink Goblin" or "Mouth" are determined class for testosterone controlled beatings or for that matter, as a sound track for the deliberate march plates other people loved Kuschelkatzchen. No wonder Skrew mastermind Adam Grossman recorded yet for the responsible production of MMMYAOOOO ... (class disk, my friend says otherwise .... ) - Sonja Angerer, Metal Hammer Magazine

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