Testament is often credited as one of the most popular and influential
bands of the thrash metal scene. Their debut album The Legacy
immediately made an impact when it was first released in 1987. Music
critic Alex Henderson of AllMusic gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising
the record for its “thrash circles” and for being “a relentlessly heavy
and promising effort focusing on such subjects as the occult, witchcraft,
nuclear war, and global destruction”. It made many year-end lists
including those of renowned metal publishers Metal Injection. Loudwire
lists the album among the ten best thrash records that weren’t released
by The Big 4. The album spawned one single release, lead-off track
“Over The Wall”, which the band still plays live during nearly every show
they play and remains one of the most popular songs among fans.