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Testament (band)
Encyclopedia
Testament is an American metal
band from Berkeley
, California
, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene. In the 28 years since its inception, Testament has had numerous lineup changes, and guitarist Eric Peterson
has been the only constant member, although the band currently also features two of its original members, Alex Skolnick
(guitarist) and Greg Christian
(bass). Chuck Billy
replaced former singer Steve Souza
in 1986, prior to the recording of their first studio album, The Legacy, and has been a member of the band since.
To date, Testament has released nine studio albums, four live albums, six compilation albums, and six singles. They were one of the early thrash metal bands to sign to a major label (Atlantic Records
, in 1986). The band released their debut album The Legacy in 1987 and achieved moderate success with its three follow-ups, The New Order
(1988), Practice What You Preach
(1989) and Souls of Black
(1990). Testament achieved its biggest success with their 1992 follow-up The Ritual, which debuted at #55 on the Billboard 200
charts, the band's highest ever chart position in the United States. The band also has two Top 40 albums and one Top 50 album to its credit in the UK. Their ninth studio album, The Formation of Damnation
(2008) entered the Top 20 in Germany
at #15, while its 1999 predecessor The Gathering entered the Top 50 in that country. Testament is currently recording a new album, entitled The Dark Roots of Earth
, which is tentatively due for release at the end of April or the beginning of May 2012.
in 1983 by guitarist Eric Peterson
and his cousin, vocalist Derrick Ramirez, also a guitarist, originally using the name Legacy. The band soon recruited bassist Greg Christian
and drummer Mike Ronchette. Ramirez was subsequently replaced on lead guitar by Alex Skolnick
, who had studied under SF Bay Area guitarist Joe Satriani
. Ramirez eventually departed and was replaced on vocals by Steve Souza
before the band released one self-titled 4 song demo in 1985. Ronchette left shortly after the recording and was replaced by Louie Clemente
. Steve Souza subsequently left the band to join Exodus
, and suggested that Chuck Billy
should replace him on lead vocals. While recording their first album, the band was forced to change their name to Testament (which, according to Maria Ferrero in the May 2007 issue of Revolver, was suggested by Billy Milano
of S.O.D.
) because "The Legacy" was already trademarked by a jazz band.
Testament's first album, The Legacy, was released in 1987 on Megaforce Records
. Testament received instant fame within thrash circles and were often compared with fellow Bay Area thrash pioneers Metallica
. The band quickly managed to increase their exposure by heading out on a successful tour of America and Europe with Anthrax
, who were then touring in support of their Among the Living
album. On this tour the Live at Eindhoven
EP was recorded.
, was released in 1988, and found the band continuing in a similar vein. After another successful world tour the band headed back into the studio to record Practice What You Preach
. Released in 1989, the album minimized the occult and gothic themes found in the lyrical content of their first two albums, instead focusing on real-life issues such as politics and corruption. The album was the band's most popular to date and even MTV took notice, giving the title track extensive airplay on Headbanger's Ball.
In 1990, Souls of Black
was released to mixed reviews and slow album sales. Attempting to reconnect with an audience distracted by the growing grunge
movement, Testament released The Ritual in 1992. The Ritual saw a stylistic move away from thrash to a slightly more traditional heavy metal sound. Sales were poor and the band began to implode.
, and later, would become involved with an acoustic jazz band. Drummer Louie Clemente, in the meantime, moved toward a more stable career outside of music, selling modern art and furniture.
In 1993, Skolnick and Clemente were temporarily replaced by Forbidden
members Glen Alvelais
and Paul Bostaph
, respectively. This lineup released the 1993 live EP, Return to Apocalyptic City. Soon after, Alvelais quit the band and Paul Bostaph departed to join Slayer
. 1994's Low
, featured John Tempesta
on drums and death metal
guitarist James Murphy, formerly of Death, Cancer
, and Obituary
. Low
was a diverse album, featuring various influences such as death metal
, groove metal
, and as well as a ballad: "Trail of Tears". The band's remaining fans reacted favorably to Low
although it did little to expand Testament's fanbase. Some fans, however, viewed Testament's move away from the mainstream as a liberation that allowed them to expand artistically, not being pressured by sales and success as they once were. Tempesta left after the recording of the album, being replaced by Jon Dette
for the following tour. In 1995, Jon Dette departed the band, during their 1994-1996 tour.
Dette departed temporarily to join Slayer to replace Bostaph, also a former member of Testament. Dette's temporary replacement was Chris Kontos, who had formerly been part of Machine Head
. This lineup is featured on the Judas Priest cover Rapid Fire. After the 1996 club tour, Greg Christian, James Murphy and Chris Kontos departed the band. During the time Kontos was in Testament he suggested the band drop the name altogether and call the band "Dog Faced Gods". This idea was turned down by Billy and Peterson who wanted to continue with the Testament name. The two later temporarily disbanded Testament.
The band's follow-up album, Demonic
, released in 1997, took a new approach, and found Testament experimenting with death metal more. The album featured Eric Peterson on both lead and rhythm guitar (although Glen Alvelais
made a guest appearance, and played on the subsequent tour), early member Derrick Ramirez on bass guitar, and former Dark Angel
drummer Gene Hoglan
. Hoglan left before the Demonic tour to join Strapping Young Lad
, with Steve Jacobs doing the South American leg of the tour and Jon Dette returning later. Hoglan's loyalty to Strapping Young Lad
and his desire to not remain a member of Testament actually came to realization during a published interview the band conducted with Metal Maniacs Magazine.
By 1998, Ramirez, Alvelais and Dette had departed and James Murphy had returned for the release of The Gathering. The rhythm section on The Gathering was highly respected, consisting of metal fretless bass pioneer Steve DiGiorgio
(formerly of Death and Sadus
) and original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo
. The sound of the album was largely a combination of death metal, thrash metal, and a minor black metal
influence from Eric Peterson's side project, Dragonlord
.
Soon after the release of The Gathering, lead guitarist James Murphy was diagnosed with a brain tumor
. Through various fundraisers, Murphy was able to afford surgery and eventually made a full recovery. Nevertheless, he now cannot recall anything from the recording of The Gathering. In 2001, Chuck Billy was also diagnosed with a type of cancer called germ cell seminoma. This kind of cancer is a rare form of testicular cancer, but it only affected Billy's lungs and heart. His cancer was also treated successfully. In August 2001, friends of Billy organized the Thrash of the Titans
benefit concert, featuring seminal Bay Area thrash bands Vio-Lence
, Death Angel
, Exodus
, Heathen
, and others. The show was headlined by a Legacy reunion, featuring Steve Souza
on vocals, and former guitarist Alex Skolnick
, who had not played with the band since 1992 and Greg Christian. Late in 2001, Testament released First Strike Still Deadly
, a collection of re-recordings (with modern studio technology) of songs from their first two albums. The album featured the lineup of Billy, Peterson, DiGiorgio, the return of Alex Skolnick on guitar and John Tempesta on drums.
also departed to join Nevermore
, and was replaced by ex-Halford
guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak. Shortly after Steve Smyth's departure, Eric Peterson fell down a flight of stairs, breaking his leg, and was unavailable for some dates. He was temporarily replaced by Steve Smyth.
In May 2005, it was announced that Testament would be doing a brief Europe-only reunion tour - known as the "10 Days in May Tour" - featuring the original lineup of Billy, Peterson, Skolnick and Christian, with drum duties shared between John Tempesta and Louie Clemente. After the success of the initial tour dates, Testament announced more dates in the U.S., Europe
and Japan
with the classic lineup. Alex has also been touring the East Coast with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
. The band went on to release a live DVD and CD from the tour entitled "Live in London". In interviews on the DVD Eric Peterson expressed his desire to record the follow-up to "The Gathering" with the classic Testament lineup. He also stated that Alex Skolnick had begun writing songs for the new album. Chuck Billy was very vocal about how happy he was to have Alex, Greg, Louie and John Tempesta in the band once again and hoped to maintain a stable lineup going forward.
Testament played for the first time in the Middle East
at the Dubai Desert Rock festival in March 2006. Other notable bands that performed for the Desert Rock Festival were Iron Maiden
, Megadeth
, Razed Ritual and 3 Doors Down
.
In July 2007, the band played a show at Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield, Virginia
, with Paul Bostaph
filling in on drum duties. It was later confirmed that Bostaph would be officially returning to the band to record the new album. The band debuted a new song at that show, currently entitled "The Afterlife", which they also played again at Earthshaker Fest
.
In February 2008, the band released the song "More Than Meets the Eye" from the new album on their MySpace
page.
In April 2008, Testament was confirmed for Ozzy Osbourne's
Monsters of Rock
festival to take place on July 26, 2008 in Calgary
, Canada
.
Testament released its new album, titled The Formation of Damnation
, on April 29, 2008 through Nuclear Blast Records. Their first studio album in nine years, it is the first Testament album to feature Alex Skolnick on guitar since 1992's The Ritual, also the first to feature bassist Greg Christian since 1994's Low
.
Also, the band was confirmed to be the main event on the first day of the "Gillmanfest," a rock festival to be held on May 24, 2008, in Valencia, Venezuela
. Testament will also be visiting Colombia
for the second time in the band's extensive career. In June 2008 Testament headlined the 3rd stage at Download Festival, held at Donington Park, UK. Testament also toured the U.S., as a supporting act for Judas Priest
, Heaven & Hell, and Motörhead on the "Metal Masters Tour
". On the 22 Oct 2008 Testament announced that they have recruited guitarist Glen Drover
ex Megadeth
and King Diamond
to fill in on their upcoming Mexican tour dates with Judas Priest, Due to Alex Skolnick's prior commitment to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
.
In late September 2008, it was announced that Testament would embark on the "Priest Feast" European tour with headliners Judas Priest
and Megadeth
in February and March 2009. On March 25, 2009, Testament played a special One Night Only show at the O2 Islington Academy in London, where they played the first two albums (The Legacy and The New Order) back to back with thrashcore band Sylosis in support. Also in 2009, Testament set out on a 6 week tour across the U.S. to promote The Formation of Damnation, touring with Unearth
and Lazarus A.D.
. In early 2010, Testament toured the United States with Megadeth
and Exodus
; Alex Skolnick
did not participate in that tour, due to personal reasons (Glen Drover
filled in for him). In August, Testament toured Australia
. Testament also headlined for the first time in the Philippines for the annual PULP Summer Slam on April 17, 2010 with heavy metal band Lamb of God
.
stated that there were about four songs written and that "there's other guys in the band who like to play the more rock melodic style but the next one is gonna be a bit heavier." In a January 2011 interview during the 70000 Tons of Metal
cruise, frontman Chuck Billy
revealed that Testament has been working on six new songs and four or five "maybe left to write" and then begin recording their new album by the end of February or early March. On May 18, 2011, guitarist Alex Skolnick
posted an update on his Twitter, saying "Another tune done! My riffs from last week [plus] some of [fellow Testament guitarist Eric Peterson's plus] new ones we wrote today. Planning one more, then we've got more than we need."
Testament began recording their new album on June 20, 2011. Paul Bostaph
is unable to take part in the recording due to a "serious injury"; however, he will rejoin when the band tours to support the album. Gene Hoglan
, who played drums on the band's 1997 album Demonic
, is filling in for Paul on the drum tracks. It was also reported that Lamb of God
drummer Chris Adler will make a special guest appearance on a couple of bonus tracks.
Testament appeared at the California dates of the summer 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival
, replacing In Flames
.
On July 14, 2011, it was announced that the tenth Testament studio album would be called The Dark Roots of Earth
. According to Chuck Billy
, the tour supporting the album will feature Anthrax
, Death Angel
and Overkill
. However, due to the pre-production of their next album, Overkill will not take part in this tour. It was announced on December 1st that Paul Bostaph left Testament. The band has yet to decide on who their new drummer will be.
Guitar
Bass
Drums
Touring members
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene. In the 28 years since its inception, Testament has had numerous lineup changes, and guitarist Eric Peterson
Eric Peterson (musician)
Eric Peterson is an American guitarist. He is best known as the only constant member of the US thrash metal band Testament. Eric has also formed a side-project black metal band called Dragonlord, in which he plays guitar and also sings. In Testament, Eric was originally a rhythm guitarist while...
has been the only constant member, although the band currently also features two of its original members, Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
(guitarist) and Greg Christian
Greg Christian
Greg Christian is the bassist for the American thrash metal band Testament. He left the band in 1996, but rejoined in 2004.-Testament:...
(bass). Chuck Billy
Chuck Billy (vocalist)
Chuck Billy is an American vocalist, who is best known as the vocalist for the thrash metal band Testament.-Testament:Chuck Billy replaced Steve "Zetro" Souza, future Exodus vocalist, in the mid-1980s when the band was still called Legacy. Following his arrival, Testament released their first...
replaced former singer Steve Souza
Steve Souza
Steve 'Zetro' Souza is one of the two singers, with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. He also sings for the death/thrash metal band Tenet, and recently announced his new thrash metal project Hatriot...
in 1986, prior to the recording of their first studio album, The Legacy, and has been a member of the band since.
To date, Testament has released nine studio albums, four live albums, six compilation albums, and six singles. They were one of the early thrash metal bands to sign to a major label (Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, in 1986). The band released their debut album The Legacy in 1987 and achieved moderate success with its three follow-ups, The New Order
The New Order
The New Order is the second album by American heavy metal band Testament, released on May 10, 1988. It is the album that broke Testament into the thrash metal mainstream, with singles "Trial by Fire" and "The Preacher"...
(1988), Practice What You Preach
Practice What You Preach
"Practice What You Preach" is the title of a number-one R&B single by singer Barry White from his 1994 album The Icon Is Love. The hit song spent three weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart and reached 18 on the pop chart. The 1994 single also won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Song...
(1989) and Souls of Black
Souls of Black
Souls of Black is the fourth album by American Thrash metal band Testament, released in 1990. It preceded several changes in style to rather diverse styles of metal, including the traditional heavy metal sound heard in its succeeding album, The Ritual....
(1990). Testament achieved its biggest success with their 1992 follow-up The Ritual, which debuted at #55 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
charts, the band's highest ever chart position in the United States. The band also has two Top 40 albums and one Top 50 album to its credit in the UK. Their ninth studio album, The Formation of Damnation
The Formation of Damnation
The Formation of Damnation is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released on April 29, 2008. It is the first album Testament has released of new material since 1999's The Gathering It is also Testament's first release with original guitarist Alex...
(2008) entered the Top 20 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
at #15, while its 1999 predecessor The Gathering entered the Top 50 in that country. Testament is currently recording a new album, entitled The Dark Roots of Earth
The Dark Roots of Earth
The Dark Roots of Earth is the upcoming tenth studio album by American thrash metal band Testament. It is currently scheduled to be released in late April/early May 2012 by the independent German record label Nuclear Blast Records...
, which is tentatively due for release at the end of April or the beginning of May 2012.
Early career and The Legacy (1983–1987)
Testament was formed in the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
in 1983 by guitarist Eric Peterson
Eric Peterson (musician)
Eric Peterson is an American guitarist. He is best known as the only constant member of the US thrash metal band Testament. Eric has also formed a side-project black metal band called Dragonlord, in which he plays guitar and also sings. In Testament, Eric was originally a rhythm guitarist while...
and his cousin, vocalist Derrick Ramirez, also a guitarist, originally using the name Legacy. The band soon recruited bassist Greg Christian
Greg Christian
Greg Christian is the bassist for the American thrash metal band Testament. He left the band in 1996, but rejoined in 2004.-Testament:...
and drummer Mike Ronchette. Ramirez was subsequently replaced on lead guitar by Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
, who had studied under SF Bay Area guitarist Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
. Ramirez eventually departed and was replaced on vocals by Steve Souza
Steve Souza
Steve 'Zetro' Souza is one of the two singers, with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. He also sings for the death/thrash metal band Tenet, and recently announced his new thrash metal project Hatriot...
before the band released one self-titled 4 song demo in 1985. Ronchette left shortly after the recording and was replaced by Louie Clemente
Louie Clemente
Louie Clemente, is a former drummer for the Bay Area thrash metal band Testament. He is known for being a part of Testament's original line-up.-Testament:Clemente joined Testament when they were still called Legacy...
. Steve Souza subsequently left the band to join Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, and suggested that Chuck Billy
Chuck Billy (vocalist)
Chuck Billy is an American vocalist, who is best known as the vocalist for the thrash metal band Testament.-Testament:Chuck Billy replaced Steve "Zetro" Souza, future Exodus vocalist, in the mid-1980s when the band was still called Legacy. Following his arrival, Testament released their first...
should replace him on lead vocals. While recording their first album, the band was forced to change their name to Testament (which, according to Maria Ferrero in the May 2007 issue of Revolver, was suggested by Billy Milano
Billy Milano
Billy Milano is a Bronx-born heavy metal musician now based in Austin, Texas. He was the singer, guitarist, and bassist of crossover thrash band M.O.D., and the singer of its predecessor, Stormtroopers of Death....
of S.O.D.
Stormtroopers of Death
Stormtroopers of Death, better known as S.O.D., was a crossover thrash band formed in New York in 1985. They are commonly credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes called "crossover thrash." The song "March of the S.O.D.," from their 1985...
) because "The Legacy" was already trademarked by a jazz band.
Testament's first album, The Legacy, was released in 1987 on Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records is an American independent record label which was founded in 1982 by Jon and Marsha Zazula to publish the first works of Metallica. It has offices in New York and Philadelphia. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony Music Entertainment/RED Distribution...
. Testament received instant fame within thrash circles and were often compared with fellow Bay Area thrash pioneers Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
. The band quickly managed to increase their exposure by heading out on a successful tour of America and Europe with Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, who were then touring in support of their Among the Living
Among the Living
Among the Living is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. The album was released in March 1987 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island and is certified gold by the RIAA. The BBC has described the album as "arguably their big breakthrough", and "often cited by fans as their favourite...
album. On this tour the Live at Eindhoven
Live at Eindhoven
Live at Eindhoven is a live EP released in 1987 by Testament. The disc was recorded at the Dynamo Open Air Festival in Eindhoven, Netherlands on June 8, 1987. The EP was released on Megaforce Records for Europe in 1987 and for the USA in 1990...
EP was recorded.
Increasing popularity (1988–1992)
The next album, The New OrderThe New Order
The New Order is the second album by American heavy metal band Testament, released on May 10, 1988. It is the album that broke Testament into the thrash metal mainstream, with singles "Trial by Fire" and "The Preacher"...
, was released in 1988, and found the band continuing in a similar vein. After another successful world tour the band headed back into the studio to record Practice What You Preach
Practice What You Preach
"Practice What You Preach" is the title of a number-one R&B single by singer Barry White from his 1994 album The Icon Is Love. The hit song spent three weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart and reached 18 on the pop chart. The 1994 single also won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Song...
. Released in 1989, the album minimized the occult and gothic themes found in the lyrical content of their first two albums, instead focusing on real-life issues such as politics and corruption. The album was the band's most popular to date and even MTV took notice, giving the title track extensive airplay on Headbanger's Ball.
In 1990, Souls of Black
Souls of Black
Souls of Black is the fourth album by American Thrash metal band Testament, released in 1990. It preceded several changes in style to rather diverse styles of metal, including the traditional heavy metal sound heard in its succeeding album, The Ritual....
was released to mixed reviews and slow album sales. Attempting to reconnect with an audience distracted by the growing grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
movement, Testament released The Ritual in 1992. The Ritual saw a stylistic move away from thrash to a slightly more traditional heavy metal sound. Sales were poor and the band began to implode.
Changes in formation (1993–2003)
The next decade was marked by a series of changes in the formation of the band, followed by a change of pace in its musical style. Lead guitarist Alex Skolnick and drummer Louie Clemente left. Skolnick wanted to incorporate his more melodic style of playing, but this did not fare well with Peterson, Billy, and Christian's traditional "thrashy" preferences, who agreed Skolnicks playing had become "too melodic." As a result of this clash, Skolnick left soon after The Rituals release. Skolnick would temporarily join SavatageSavatage
Savatage is an American heavy metal band founded by the brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1978 at Astro Skate in Tarpon Springs, Florida.-Early days :...
, and later, would become involved with an acoustic jazz band. Drummer Louie Clemente, in the meantime, moved toward a more stable career outside of music, selling modern art and furniture.
In 1993, Skolnick and Clemente were temporarily replaced by Forbidden
Forbidden (band)
Forbidden is a thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, the group was founded by Russ Anderson and Craig Locicero, who are both permanent members. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes...
members Glen Alvelais
Glen Alvelais
Glen Alvelais is a heavy metal lead guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Alvelais was the lead guitarist for Forbidden and has also played in Testament....
and Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
, respectively. This lineup released the 1993 live EP, Return to Apocalyptic City. Soon after, Alvelais quit the band and Paul Bostaph departed to join Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. 1994's Low
Low (Testament album)
Low is the sixth album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1994. It was the first album without lead guitarist Alex Skolnick or drummer Louie Clemente, who were replaced by James Murphy and John Tempesta, respectively...
, featured John Tempesta
John Tempesta
John Tempesta is a heavy metal drummer who has worked several bands including: Exodus, Testament and White Zombie. He also played with former White Zombie singer Rob Zombie as a solo artist and served as drum technician for heavy metal band Anthrax earlier in his career...
on drums and death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
guitarist James Murphy, formerly of Death, Cancer
Cancer (band)
Cancer was a British death / thrash metal band formed in Ironbridge, Telford, Shropshire in 1988. Over the course of their career they released five full-length albums, including one for the major label East West, breaking up in 2006.-Biography:...
, and Obituary
Obituary (band)
Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
. Low
Low (Testament album)
Low is the sixth album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1994. It was the first album without lead guitarist Alex Skolnick or drummer Louie Clemente, who were replaced by James Murphy and John Tempesta, respectively...
was a diverse album, featuring various influences such as death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
, groove metal
Groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
, and as well as a ballad: "Trail of Tears". The band's remaining fans reacted favorably to Low
Low (Testament album)
Low is the sixth album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1994. It was the first album without lead guitarist Alex Skolnick or drummer Louie Clemente, who were replaced by James Murphy and John Tempesta, respectively...
although it did little to expand Testament's fanbase. Some fans, however, viewed Testament's move away from the mainstream as a liberation that allowed them to expand artistically, not being pressured by sales and success as they once were. Tempesta left after the recording of the album, being replaced by Jon Dette
Jon Dette
Jon Dette is the heavy metal drummer of Killing Machine. He has previously played for Apocalypse, Evildead, Testament and Slayer. Dette joined Slayer in 1996, when Paul Bostaph left to work on his side project, The Truth about Seafood in L.A.. Dette attended the 1996 Ozzfest to promote the band's...
for the following tour. In 1995, Jon Dette departed the band, during their 1994-1996 tour.
Dette departed temporarily to join Slayer to replace Bostaph, also a former member of Testament. Dette's temporary replacement was Chris Kontos, who had formerly been part of Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
. This lineup is featured on the Judas Priest cover Rapid Fire. After the 1996 club tour, Greg Christian, James Murphy and Chris Kontos departed the band. During the time Kontos was in Testament he suggested the band drop the name altogether and call the band "Dog Faced Gods". This idea was turned down by Billy and Peterson who wanted to continue with the Testament name. The two later temporarily disbanded Testament.
The band's follow-up album, Demonic
Demonic (album)
Demonic is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1997. The lyrics deal with occult themes akin to their 1980s efforts, instead of the political topics covered on more recent releases....
, released in 1997, took a new approach, and found Testament experimenting with death metal more. The album featured Eric Peterson on both lead and rhythm guitar (although Glen Alvelais
Glen Alvelais
Glen Alvelais is a heavy metal lead guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Alvelais was the lead guitarist for Forbidden and has also played in Testament....
made a guest appearance, and played on the subsequent tour), early member Derrick Ramirez on bass guitar, and former Dark Angel
Dark Angel (band)
Dark Angel was an American thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California. Their over-the-top style earned them the nickname "the L.A...
drummer Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
. Hoglan left before the Demonic tour to join Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
, with Steve Jacobs doing the South American leg of the tour and Jon Dette returning later. Hoglan's loyalty to Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad
Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing...
and his desire to not remain a member of Testament actually came to realization during a published interview the band conducted with Metal Maniacs Magazine.
By 1998, Ramirez, Alvelais and Dette had departed and James Murphy had returned for the release of The Gathering. The rhythm section on The Gathering was highly respected, consisting of metal fretless bass pioneer Steve DiGiorgio
Steve DiGiorgio
Steve DiGiorgio is an American bassist and musician.DiGiorgio has played bass guitar in heavy metal bands such as Death, Autopsy, Control Denied, Testament, Vintersorg, Iced Earth, Sebastian Bach, Charred Walls of the Damned, Obituary, and is a founding member of Sadus. He is widely renowned for...
(formerly of Death and Sadus
Sadus
Sadus is an American thrash metal trio from Antioch, California.-History:Sadus was formed in 1984 in Antioch, California. While their very first efforts were influenced by early thrash metal bands, such as Slayer or Death, the band would later develop its own musical style by adding complicated...
) and original Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo
Dave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
. The sound of the album was largely a combination of death metal, thrash metal, and a minor black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
influence from Eric Peterson's side project, Dragonlord
Dragonlord (band)
Dragonlord is an American symphonic black metal band that was formed in 2001 as a side project by Eric Peterson & Steve DiGiorgio of Testament, and Steve Smyth of Nevermore. The band is a result of Eric Peterson's interest in darker music, and not being able to do that with Testament he formed...
.
Soon after the release of The Gathering, lead guitarist James Murphy was diagnosed with a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. Through various fundraisers, Murphy was able to afford surgery and eventually made a full recovery. Nevertheless, he now cannot recall anything from the recording of The Gathering. In 2001, Chuck Billy was also diagnosed with a type of cancer called germ cell seminoma. This kind of cancer is a rare form of testicular cancer, but it only affected Billy's lungs and heart. His cancer was also treated successfully. In August 2001, friends of Billy organized the Thrash of the Titans
Thrash of the Titans
Thrash of the Titans was a benefit concert held on August 11, 2001 at the Maritime Hall in San Francisco, CA. The concert was a co-benefit for Testament vocalist Chuck Billy, who was diagnosed with germ cell seminoma ; and Chuck Schuldiner, leader of the death metal band Death, who was also...
benefit concert, featuring seminal Bay Area thrash bands Vio-Lence
Vio-lence
Vio-lence was a thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. They released demo tapes, one EP and 3 LPs between 1985 and 1993. Their most stable line-up was Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn on guitars, Deen Dell on bass, Perry Strickland on drums and Sean Killian on vocals.- 1985 -...
, Death Angel
Death Angel
Death Angel is a Filipino-American thrash metal band from Concord, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released six studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and two live albums....
, Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
, Heathen
Heathen (band)
Heathen is an American thrash metal band originating from the Bay Area San Francisco, founded in 1984 by guitarist Lee Altus and drummer Carl Sacco...
, and others. The show was headlined by a Legacy reunion, featuring Steve Souza
Steve Souza
Steve 'Zetro' Souza is one of the two singers, with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. He also sings for the death/thrash metal band Tenet, and recently announced his new thrash metal project Hatriot...
on vocals, and former guitarist Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
, who had not played with the band since 1992 and Greg Christian. Late in 2001, Testament released First Strike Still Deadly
First Strike Still Deadly
First Strike Still Deadly is an album released by Testament in 2001. It consists of re-recordings of songs released on The Legacy and The New Order, as well as a re-recording of "Reign of Terror", which was originally on Legacy's Demo 1 and was also a b-side from the "Trial by Fire" single...
, a collection of re-recordings (with modern studio technology) of songs from their first two albums. The album featured the lineup of Billy, Peterson, DiGiorgio, the return of Alex Skolnick on guitar and John Tempesta on drums.
Recovery of Billy, reunion and The Formation of Damnation (2003–2010)
By 2003 Chuck Billy had completely recovered, and the band began performing live again with a new drummer, Jon Allen of Sadus. In 2004, the band changed their lineup once again for their summer festival live appearances, and Jon Allen was replaced by Paul Bostaph, returning to the band for a second stint after a decade's absence. Lead guitarist Steve SmythSteve Smyth
Steve Smyth is the guitarist for the metal band Forbidden.-Biography:Smyth was born in Northern California and started his career in the female-fronted melodic progressive metal band Ariah after graduation in 1988. Ariah never released an official studio album, but they recorded a few songs and...
also departed to join Nevermore
Nevermore
Nevermore is an American heavy metal band from Seattle, Washington. Formed in 1991, they are known to incorporate elements from styles such as thrash, power, progressive, and neo-classical metal into their songs, and also makes use of acoustic guitars and a wide range of vocal styles.-Early years...
, and was replaced by ex-Halford
Halford (band)
Halford is a heavy metal band formed in 1999 by Rob Halford, the lead vocalist for Judas Priest. Halford formed the band to return to his heavy metal roots...
guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak. Shortly after Steve Smyth's departure, Eric Peterson fell down a flight of stairs, breaking his leg, and was unavailable for some dates. He was temporarily replaced by Steve Smyth.
In May 2005, it was announced that Testament would be doing a brief Europe-only reunion tour - known as the "10 Days in May Tour" - featuring the original lineup of Billy, Peterson, Skolnick and Christian, with drum duties shared between John Tempesta and Louie Clemente. After the success of the initial tour dates, Testament announced more dates in the U.S., Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
with the classic lineup. Alex has also been touring the East Coast with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
. The band went on to release a live DVD and CD from the tour entitled "Live in London". In interviews on the DVD Eric Peterson expressed his desire to record the follow-up to "The Gathering" with the classic Testament lineup. He also stated that Alex Skolnick had begun writing songs for the new album. Chuck Billy was very vocal about how happy he was to have Alex, Greg, Louie and John Tempesta in the band once again and hoped to maintain a stable lineup going forward.
Testament played for the first time in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
at the Dubai Desert Rock festival in March 2006. Other notable bands that performed for the Desert Rock Festival were Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Razed Ritual and 3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
.
In July 2007, the band played a show at Jaxx Nightclub in Springfield, Virginia
Springfield, Virginia
Springfield is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States and a suburb of Washington, D.C. The Springfield CDP is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau with a population of 30,484 as of the 2010 census. Homes and businesses in bordering CDPs including North Springfield,...
, with Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
filling in on drum duties. It was later confirmed that Bostaph would be officially returning to the band to record the new album. The band debuted a new song at that show, currently entitled "The Afterlife", which they also played again at Earthshaker Fest
Earthshaker Fest
Earthshaker Fest is a heavy metal music festival held annually in Germany since 2003. The 2007 edition took place on July 19 – July 21, 2007 in Kreuth, Bavaria.-2007:*Motörhead*Within Temptation*Cradle of Filth*Testament*Kreator*Sepultura*J.B.O....
.
In February 2008, the band released the song "More Than Meets the Eye" from the new album on their MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page.
In April 2008, Testament was confirmed for Ozzy Osbourne's
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
festival to take place on July 26, 2008 in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Testament released its new album, titled The Formation of Damnation
The Formation of Damnation
The Formation of Damnation is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released on April 29, 2008. It is the first album Testament has released of new material since 1999's The Gathering It is also Testament's first release with original guitarist Alex...
, on April 29, 2008 through Nuclear Blast Records. Their first studio album in nine years, it is the first Testament album to feature Alex Skolnick on guitar since 1992's The Ritual, also the first to feature bassist Greg Christian since 1994's Low
Low (Testament album)
Low is the sixth album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1994. It was the first album without lead guitarist Alex Skolnick or drummer Louie Clemente, who were replaced by James Murphy and John Tempesta, respectively...
.
Also, the band was confirmed to be the main event on the first day of the "Gillmanfest," a rock festival to be held on May 24, 2008, in Valencia, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Testament will also be visiting Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
for the second time in the band's extensive career. In June 2008 Testament headlined the 3rd stage at Download Festival, held at Donington Park, UK. Testament also toured the U.S., as a supporting act for Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Heaven & Hell, and Motörhead on the "Metal Masters Tour
Metal Masters Tour
The Metal Masters Tour was a short 2008 American and Canadian concert tour featuring Judas Priest, Motörhead, Heaven & Hell, and Testament.Heaven & Hell, Motörhead, Judas Priest, and Testament used the three-week arena tour to support their recent albums The Rules of Hell, Motörizer, Nostradamus,...
". On the 22 Oct 2008 Testament announced that they have recruited guitarist Glen Drover
Glen Drover
Glen Drover is a heavy metal guitarist from Missisauga, Ontario, Canada. He currently resides in MississaugaOntario. Drover is best known as the former lead guitarist in Megadeth and King Diamond, as well as his own band Eidolon, along with his brother Shawn Drover.-History:Glen Drover began...
ex Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
and King Diamond
King Diamond (band)
King Diamond is the heavy metal band that King Diamond formed after the split up of his heavy metal band Mercyful Fate, and the departure of Hank Shermann. He was joined by most members of the then defunct Mercyful Fate. The Satanic focus was replaced by a focus on horror stories...
to fill in on their upcoming Mexican tour dates with Judas Priest, Due to Alex Skolnick's prior commitment to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Trans-Siberian Orchestra is an American progressive metal band founded in 1993 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli and keyboardist and co-producer Robert Kinkel to form the core of the creative team. Since then, TSO sold nearly 8...
.
In late September 2008, it was announced that Testament would embark on the "Priest Feast" European tour with headliners Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
and Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
in February and March 2009. On March 25, 2009, Testament played a special One Night Only show at the O2 Islington Academy in London, where they played the first two albums (The Legacy and The New Order) back to back with thrashcore band Sylosis in support. Also in 2009, Testament set out on a 6 week tour across the U.S. to promote The Formation of Damnation, touring with Unearth
Unearth
Unearth is an American metalcore band from Winthrop, Massachusetts. Formed in 1998, the group has released five studio albums. Their fourth record, The March was released on October 14, 2008 meeting with high positive reception by many...
and Lazarus A.D.
Lazarus A.D.
Lazarus A.D. is a thrash metal band from Kenosha, Wisconsin, originally formed as "Lazarus" in 2005. The "A.D." was added to avoid potential legal issues....
. In early 2010, Testament toured the United States with Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
and Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
; Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
did not participate in that tour, due to personal reasons (Glen Drover
Glen Drover
Glen Drover is a heavy metal guitarist from Missisauga, Ontario, Canada. He currently resides in MississaugaOntario. Drover is best known as the former lead guitarist in Megadeth and King Diamond, as well as his own band Eidolon, along with his brother Shawn Drover.-History:Glen Drover began...
filled in for him). In August, Testament toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Testament also headlined for the first time in the Philippines for the annual PULP Summer Slam on April 17, 2010 with heavy metal band Lamb of God
Lamb of God (band)
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...
.
The Dark Roots of Earth (2010–present)
As early as 2009, Testament commenced writing new material for their tenth album. In an interview with Metalheadz, guitarist Eric PetersonEric Peterson
Eric Neal Peterson, C.M. is a Canadian stage and television actor, known for his roles in three major Canadian series – Street Legal, Corner Gas and This is Wonderland.-Personal life:...
stated that there were about four songs written and that "there's other guys in the band who like to play the more rock melodic style but the next one is gonna be a bit heavier." In a January 2011 interview during the 70000 Tons of Metal
70000 Tons of Metal
70000 Tons of Metal is a heavy metal festival that takes place annually aboard the cruise ship the MS Majesty of the Seas. It first took place between January 24 and January 28 of 2011, departing from Miami, docking at Cozumel and returning to Miami. 2038 fans of 49 countries, 42 bands each...
cruise, frontman Chuck Billy
Chuck Billy
Chuck Billy may refer to:* Chuck Billy , best known for his work with the thrash metal band Testament* Chuck Billy , Mauricio de Souza's creation, best known as related to Monica's Gang...
revealed that Testament has been working on six new songs and four or five "maybe left to write" and then begin recording their new album by the end of February or early March. On May 18, 2011, guitarist Alex Skolnick
Alex Skolnick
Alexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
posted an update on his Twitter, saying "Another tune done! My riffs from last week [plus] some of [fellow Testament guitarist Eric Peterson's plus] new ones we wrote today. Planning one more, then we've got more than we need."
Testament began recording their new album on June 20, 2011. Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph
Paul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
is unable to take part in the recording due to a "serious injury"; however, he will rejoin when the band tours to support the album. Gene Hoglan
Gene Hoglan
Eugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
, who played drums on the band's 1997 album Demonic
Demonic (album)
Demonic is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1997. The lyrics deal with occult themes akin to their 1980s efforts, instead of the political topics covered on more recent releases....
, is filling in for Paul on the drum tracks. It was also reported that Lamb of God
Lamb of God (band)
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...
drummer Chris Adler will make a special guest appearance on a couple of bonus tracks.
Testament appeared at the California dates of the summer 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival
Mayhem festival
The Mayhem Festival is a touring metal festival that takes place during the summer. The inaugural iteration took place in 2008; the festival has since become an annual event across the United States and Quebec, Canada. The tour has been sponsored by the Rockstar Energy Company since the time of its...
, replacing In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
.
On July 14, 2011, it was announced that the tenth Testament studio album would be called The Dark Roots of Earth
The Dark Roots of Earth
The Dark Roots of Earth is the upcoming tenth studio album by American thrash metal band Testament. It is currently scheduled to be released in late April/early May 2012 by the independent German record label Nuclear Blast Records...
. According to Chuck Billy
Chuck Billy
Chuck Billy may refer to:* Chuck Billy , best known for his work with the thrash metal band Testament* Chuck Billy , Mauricio de Souza's creation, best known as related to Monica's Gang...
, the tour supporting the album will feature Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Death Angel
Death Angel
Death Angel is a Filipino-American thrash metal band from Concord, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. Death Angel has released six studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and two live albums....
and Overkill
Overkill (band)
Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many line-up changes, with singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and bassist D.D. Verni remaining from the original lineup. Along with Anthrax , the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal...
. However, due to the pre-production of their next album, Overkill will not take part in this tour. It was announced on December 1st that Paul Bostaph left Testament. The band has yet to decide on who their new drummer will be.
Current members
- Chuck BillyChuck Billy (vocalist)Chuck Billy is an American vocalist, who is best known as the vocalist for the thrash metal band Testament.-Testament:Chuck Billy replaced Steve "Zetro" Souza, future Exodus vocalist, in the mid-1980s when the band was still called Legacy. Following his arrival, Testament released their first...
– vocals (1986–present) - Eric PetersonEric Peterson (musician)Eric Peterson is an American guitarist. He is best known as the only constant member of the US thrash metal band Testament. Eric has also formed a side-project black metal band called Dragonlord, in which he plays guitar and also sings. In Testament, Eric was originally a rhythm guitarist while...
– rhythm & lead guitar (1983–present) - Alex SkolnickAlex SkolnickAlexander Nathan Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993...
– lead guitar (1983–1993, 2001, 2005–present) - Greg ChristianGreg ChristianGreg Christian is the bassist for the American thrash metal band Testament. He left the band in 1996, but rejoined in 2004.-Testament:...
– bass (1983–1996, 2004–present) - Paul BostaphPaul BostaphPaul Bostaph is a heavy metal drummer. His drumming career began in 1984, when he was 20 years old, and he had since worked with bands like Slayer, Forbidden, Exodus and Systematic. He is from Newark, California and currently drums for Testament...
– drums (1993, 2007–2011) - Gene HoglanGene HoglanEugene "Gene" Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer. He is acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including usage of odd devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms...
– drums (1996–1997, 2011) (filling in for Paul on the recording of their new album)
Former members
Vocals- Derrick Ramirez - vocals (1983–1984)
- Steve SouzaSteve SouzaSteve 'Zetro' Souza is one of the two singers, with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. He also sings for the death/thrash metal band Tenet, and recently announced his new thrash metal project Hatriot...
– vocals (1985–1986)
Guitar
- Glen AlvelaisGlen AlvelaisGlen Alvelais is a heavy metal lead guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Alvelais was the lead guitarist for Forbidden and has also played in Testament....
– (1993, 1997–1998) - James Murphy – (1994–1996, 1998–2000)
- Steve SmythSteve SmythSteve Smyth is the guitarist for the metal band Forbidden.-Biography:Smyth was born in Northern California and started his career in the female-fronted melodic progressive metal band Ariah after graduation in 1988. Ariah never released an official studio album, but they recorded a few songs and...
– (2000–2004) - Mike Chlasciak – (2002, live 2004-2005)
Bass
- Derrick Ramirez – bass/guitar/vocals (was also in the band when they went under the name Legacy. Did the guitar and vocal duties on their first demo) (1983–1984) Bass on the Demonic album and tour.(1997)
- Steve DiGiorgioSteve DiGiorgioSteve DiGiorgio is an American bassist and musician.DiGiorgio has played bass guitar in heavy metal bands such as Death, Autopsy, Control Denied, Testament, Vintersorg, Iced Earth, Sebastian Bach, Charred Walls of the Damned, Obituary, and is a founding member of Sadus. He is widely renowned for...
– (1998–2004)
Drums
- Mike "The Rottweiler" Ronchette - (1983)
- Louie ClementeLouie ClementeLouie Clemente, is a former drummer for the Bay Area thrash metal band Testament. He is known for being a part of Testament's original line-up.-Testament:Clemente joined Testament when they were still called Legacy...
– (1983–1993, 2005) - John TempestaJohn TempestaJohn Tempesta is a heavy metal drummer who has worked several bands including: Exodus, Testament and White Zombie. He also played with former White Zombie singer Rob Zombie as a solo artist and served as drum technician for heavy metal band Anthrax earlier in his career...
– (1993–1994, 2001, 2005)(2011 Anthrax/Testament/Death Angel U.S. Tour) - Jon DetteJon DetteJon Dette is the heavy metal drummer of Killing Machine. He has previously played for Apocalypse, Evildead, Testament and Slayer. Dette joined Slayer in 1996, when Paul Bostaph left to work on his side project, The Truth about Seafood in L.A.. Dette attended the 1996 Ozzfest to promote the band's...
– (1994–1995, 1997) - Chris KontosChris Kontos (musician)Chris Kontos is best known as the drummer of Machine Head on their first album, Burn My Eyes. He and the band parted ways before their second album in 1997...
– (1995) - Dave LombardoDave LombardoDave Lombardo is a Cuban American heavy metal drummer best known for his work with American thrash metal band Slayer. He has performed with Slayer on seven albums, including their groundbreaking 1986 release Reign In Blood and their 2006 release Christ Illusion, for which he received critical praise...
– (1999) - Jon Allen – (2000–2004, 2007, 2011)
- Nick BarkerNicholas BarkerNicholas Howard Barker is an extreme metal drummer .- Biography :He was the original drummer for British metal band Cradle of Filth, playing on the first three albums. After leaving in 1999, he joined Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir...
– drums (2006–2007) - Chris AdlerChris AdlerChristopher James Adler is an American drummer, best known as a member of the groove metal band Lamb Of God. He is the older brother of bandmate and guitarist Willie Adler...
- drums (2011)
Touring members
- Asgeir MickelsonAsgeir MickelsonAsgeir Mickelson is a Norwegian musician, artist, photographer and music reviewer. Although primarily a drummer, Mickelson has stated that he considers himself a musician above a drummer, and is also a guitarist and bassist....
– touring drummer; one gig in San Francisco and 2 week headlining tour in Europe (No Mercy festival) (2003) - Glen DroverGlen DroverGlen Drover is a heavy metal guitarist from Missisauga, Ontario, Canada. He currently resides in MississaugaOntario. Drover is best known as the former lead guitarist in Megadeth and King Diamond, as well as his own band Eidolon, along with his brother Shawn Drover.-History:Glen Drover began...
– guitar (2008, 2010) - Steve Jacobs – touring drummer, South American leg of the Demonic tour 1997 and Japanese leg of the Gathering tour 1999
Studio albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1987 | The Legacy |
| 1988 | The New Order The New Order The New Order is the second album by American heavy metal band Testament, released on May 10, 1988. It is the album that broke Testament into the thrash metal mainstream, with singles "Trial by Fire" and "The Preacher"... |
| 1989 | Practice What You Preach Practice What You Preach "Practice What You Preach" is the title of a number-one R&B single by singer Barry White from his 1994 album The Icon Is Love. The hit song spent three weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart and reached 18 on the pop chart. The 1994 single also won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Song... |
| 1990 | Souls of Black Souls of Black Souls of Black is the fourth album by American Thrash metal band Testament, released in 1990. It preceded several changes in style to rather diverse styles of metal, including the traditional heavy metal sound heard in its succeeding album, The Ritual.... |
| 1992 | The Ritual |
| 1994 | Low Low (Testament album) Low is the sixth album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1994. It was the first album without lead guitarist Alex Skolnick or drummer Louie Clemente, who were replaced by James Murphy and John Tempesta, respectively... |
| 1997 | Demonic Demonic (album) Demonic is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released in 1997. The lyrics deal with occult themes akin to their 1980s efforts, instead of the political topics covered on more recent releases.... |
| 1999 | The Gathering |
| 2008 | The Formation of Damnation The Formation of Damnation The Formation of Damnation is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Testament. It was released on April 29, 2008. It is the first album Testament has released of new material since 1999's The Gathering It is also Testament's first release with original guitarist Alex... |
| 2012 | The Dark Roots of Earth The Dark Roots of Earth The Dark Roots of Earth is the upcoming tenth studio album by American thrash metal band Testament. It is currently scheduled to be released in late April/early May 2012 by the independent German record label Nuclear Blast Records... |