TESTAMENT: AWESOME FALL TOUR, NEW ALBUM TITLE ANNOUNCED

The usual problems a band must endure from its drummer include tardiness, unfamiliarity with new material, no memory of old material, bringing their gf/driver everywhere, selling gear for food, non-ownership of drumsticks, car trouble, body odor, shortness, loss of one or more shoes, delirium, etc. But some drummer-issues can’t be predicted; for example, completion of the new Testament record has been delayed by drummer Paul Bostaph’s undisclosed injury. Singer Chuck Billy kinda explained Sunday in a radio interview:

Paul Bostaph is injured right now, so he couldn’t [work on] the record. We kind of put the record off a little while waiting for Paul. [Then] we found out he was not gonna be ready, so we brought on Gene Hoglan. Hoglan came in and crushed, killed the drums in about a week.

Awesome! Billy goes on to reveal the new album’s title, its other guest drummer, and the face-fuckingly awesome tour to be announced:

• The forthcoming album features more contributions from guitarist Alex Skolnick, who Billy says “just touched [2008’s The Formation of Damnation], played some solos and it really felt good, ’cause we structured the songs for him. But this one, everybody really contributed, so it’s really, really a true Testament record.”

• The album, due October on Nuclear Blast, is titled The Dark Roots of Earth. Wait, does a planet have roots?

• Billy says that a bonertastic six-week US tour is slated for Fall with Anthrax, Overkill, and Death Angel. Granting that the new Testament will be awesome, we can celebrate that this tour finds four ancient bands each coming off a killer record.

• Though Hoglan performed most drum tracks on The Dark Roots of Earth, two tracks will feature Lamb Of God skinsman Chris Adler. Cool! Was Lombardo busy?

• Billy on Sadus drummer Jon Allen, who took the drummer’s chair for two gigs this weekend (above): “When Paul was hurt, Jon came in the studio and was working with us to write some of the stuff. And he’s been in Testament before, so he knows the songs. He was there, his drums were [set up], so we were, ‘OK, you’re playing the shows.’”

-ADF