Testament’s Chuck Billy: An ‘Epic’ Song in the Works for the Next Album
If there’s any band you can expect to bring that classic, thrashy goodness yet still iterate off their previous works, it’s Testament. Next year’s going to be a big one for the thrash metal titans, as they’re planning to release new music with Dave Lombardo behind the kit for the first time since 1999’s The Gathering.
While speaking with The Metal Voice this past Friday, Testament frontman Chuck Billy said the band’s plans to put out the follow up to 2020’s Titans of Creation next year was very much still on the table, but that the band needs to complete its existing engagements before really getting into the process.
“October 15th is the last show of [the summer/fall 2022 leg of ‘The Bay Strikes Back Tour’ with Exodus and Death Angel], so we’ll work [on new material] right up to Christmas and then right after New Year’s we’ll get right back at it. I know [guitarists] Eric [Peterson] and Alex [Skolnick] have been working and jamming together, and I hear there’s an epic song that’s been created. I haven’t heard it yet, but I hear it’s epic. That’s all they say — ‘it’s epic.’ I’m, like, ‘Okay.’ That’s the word they throw at me. But we’ll see.”
“We’ll see” indeed. If the last few years have been any indication, it’s that Testament continue to be one of the most consistently badass thrash bands from the Bay Area for nearly 40 years. Billy attributed that longevity to the band’s constant push to remain true to itself.
“I think Testament will always stay in the vein of Testament and not not follow trends or follow what’s hip today. Even though there’s a lot of great new bands I love and I go, ‘Man, that’s great. I really love it.’ But we can’t change; we wanna kind of stay Testament. I hear it from fans when you talk to ’em. They always say, ‘Thank you for being who you are for so long.’ So we just have to continue that.”
New music from Testament sure is exciting, but as Billy said they’ve got to finish their tour first. You can catch them live on said tour with Exodus and Death Angel at the following dates below:
10/3/2022 – Ft. Wayne IN – Piere’s Tuesday
10/4/2022 – Milwaukee WI – The Rave
10/6/2022 – Winnipeg MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
10/8/2022 – Calgary AB – Palace Theatre
10/10/2022 – Vancouver BC – Commodore
10/12/2022 – Ventura CA – Majestic Ventura Theater
10/13/2022 – Los Angeles CA – The Wiltern
10/14/2022 – Reno NV – Cargo Saturday
10/15/2022 – San Jose CA – San Jose Civic
