Low would be Testament's last album with Atlantic Records, leading group members to create their own label Burnt Offerings Inc. as part of the change. The record was recorded with primary band members Eric Peterson, Greg Christian, and Chuck Billy. It also saw the first of two Testament album appearances by artist John Tempesta, and three for artist James Murphy. Long time Testament collaborator Del James is given composer and vocal credits on the album. Additionally, a music video was filmed for the title track. Low is dedicated to Savatage guitarist Criss Oliva, who died while Testament was working on the album, and is thanked in the liner notes. Alex Skolnick, who had left Testament two years earlier, briefly replaced Oliva when Savatage was recording their eighth studio album Handful of Rain, which was released a month before Low.
Artwork
Album cover artwork for Low was designed by Dave McKean. He would go on to do the next two Testament studio album covers Demonic and The Gathering.
Reception and legacy
Reviews for Low have generally been mixed. AllMusic's John Franck awards the album four stars out of five, and states, "Testament's sixth studio album literally saw the boys from the Bay Area fighting for their lives in the unfriendly surroundings of the alternative nation. Wisely, the band decided to try something completely different and join forces with Rage Against the Machine/Melvins producer GGGarth Richardson. With temporary drummer John Tempesta in place behind the skins, the band began tracking at A&M studios in Los Angeles. Wanting to return to the no-holds-barred yet musically challenging sounds of works past, the GGGarth teaming proved to be the perfect fodder necessary for Testament to regain their confidence." Low failed to match the critical or popular acclaim of Testament's previous albums, peaking at #122 on the Billboard 200, the band's second lowest chart position after 1988's The New Order, which debuted at #136. "Low" and "Dog Faced Gods" were released as singles to promote the album, but did not chart. However, "Low" and the cover version of Scorpions' "Sails of Charon" received regular airplay on modern rock stations, the most notable being KNAC. In July 2014, Guitar World placed Low at number 40 in their "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.
