Interview by Kris Peters
It's been 15 years since Bay Area thrash legends Testament last did a headline tour of this country. Fifteen long years for fans of the band, of which there are many.
Since emerging from the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1980s TESTAMENT have delivered some of the greatest metal anthems of all time. Over The Wall, Practice What You Preach, Rise Up, Into The Pit, Brotherhood Of The Snake, Low, The New Order, First Strike Is Deadly… the list of absolute classics seems endless as they unleashed one crushing album after another.
With no shortage of critical acclaim, Testament remain one of the select few bands with two albums, (both The Legacy and The New Order) inducted into Decibel Magazine’s prestigious Hall Of Fame, alongside Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Motörhead. TESTAMENT have remained steadfast over the course of literal decades; always managing to present the genuine aspects of thrash metal that defines their existence while spreading into unique horizons through new crisp and fascinating sounds.
The worldwide Testament legions only continue to grow with renewed fervour and intensity as one of the most influential acts in heavy metal marches forward, never wavering and always crushing.
With the tour less than two weeks away, HEAVY spent some time with founding member and guitarist Eric Peterson to find out what we can expect.
"It's been 12 plus years since we've been there," he enthused. "Some of the shows have sold out, and it looks like the whole thing might just be sold out, so we're excited."
We ask Peterson what delights Testament have in store for us to make up for lost time.
"We're playing a lot of stuff that we haven't played in a long time," he offered. "We're revisiting a lot of stuff that we kind of just didn't do, but now we're doing it. And it was stuff that people wanted us to do, like more of the deep cuts and some of the slower stuff that we've got."
In the full interview, Eric highlighted the addition of new drummer Chris Dovas and the release of three new records since their last tour, while also addressing the challenges of scheduling due to the pandemic.
He shared insights into their recent performances, focusing on deep cuts and slower songs that resonate emotionally with fans, and discussed the complexities of creating set lists from their extensive discography. Additionally, he offered a preview of their upcoming album, which aims to blend various musical elements and reflect the band's evolution while retaining their signature sound and more.
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