Photo credit: Last.fm
Testament formed in 1985 in Berkeley California and quickly became one of the most influential bands of the emerging Bay Area thrash scene. The rapidfire guitar riffing of Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson was held together by Chuck Billy’s powerful vocals. The band released Formation of Damnation in 2008 to favorable reviews and went on tour with Heaven and Hell. Testament is currently touring with Megadeth on their Rust in Peace tour. They will be playing their debut album, The Legacy, in its entirety. They will be joining Megadeth again this summer, joined by fellow thrash titans, Slayer. You can check them out here: www.testamentlegions.com.
I sat down with Chuck to discuss the recent renaissance of thrash, playing albums in their entirety, and the Bay Area thrash scene.
How’s the tour going so far?
Chuck Billy: It’s going really well. Everybody’s getting along really well and there have been no problems.
Is there more pressure as an opening act than as a headliner?
CB: Not at all. You have an early night. You get in and out of there. There is virtually no pressure.
Testament’s material is pretty demanding vocally. How do you keep your voice in shape?
CB: I try not to do things that I can’t do. As you tour, your voice gets stronger and stronger. It’s like working out. The first day is really hard, but 30 days later you are feeling better.
Megadeth is playing all of Rust in Peace, and you guys are playing The Legacy from front to back, correct?
CB: Yes.
The Legacy came out almost 25 years ago. Has playing the album changed for you since then?
CB: There’s a big difference. We tune the guitars lower to make it more natural for my voice. That’s the biggest change in terms of sound. I think it makes the songs sound even better.
What about lyrically?
CB: Not at all. When we were rehearsing for the tour, it felt like old times.
Do worry about losing spontaneity by playing the album in its entirety?
CB: Not really. We played the album in Europe and it went well. We played it in Japan and it went over well. When it came to touring around here, we knew it was something that we probably weren’t ever going to do again. It’s a one-time shot, so we’re going to go for it. I think the fans are more appreciative because they haven’t heard a lot of these songs live in 20 years. It’s good for us and good for long time Testament fans.
A lot of bands are doing that now.
CB: Yeah. If you are in a band that has been around a long time, it can’t hurt to do something like this.
Megadeth and Exodus are two other stalwarts of the Bay Area thrash scene. There has been a resurgence of thrash in the last couple of years. Why do you think that is?
CB: Because it’s good? (laughs) I don’t know. It’s not just thrash, I think metal is hitting around the world. It’s getting popular and having more success and there are younger fans learning about it. It’s a growing process again. There are a lot of great bands around the world that play this kind of music. In the old days there was just a handful, but now there are great bands everywhere.
Was the Bay Area competitive or more unified?
CB: It was competitive, but friendly. In the early days I was more obsessed with friendly competition, but now we just go up there and do what we do.
Fast tempos and complicated rhythms are the core of thrash metal. Does the speed make it harder to sing?
CB: Actually it’s easier. I’m more comfortable singing to that time signature. If we start with a slow opening riff, I want to do the opposite of what the music is doing.
When you are writing a song, how do you figure out where your voice fits?
CB: I just jump in and figure it out. That’s the way we’ve always done it.
What’s your songwriting process like? Do you start with a riff?
CB: Yeah. Then (guitarist) Eric (Peterson) and I figure out what riff goes with the verse and what riff goes with the chorus. We piece it together from there.
So it’s not a meticulous process?
CB: Nope. We just go with the riff and jump in. You gotta go with what feels natural.
How’s the writing for the next album going?
CB: Slowly but surely. We’d like to get it out by the end of this year, but if not we can wait until next year. We want it to be right.
What sound are you going for?
CB: It a cross between The Gathering and the new record, Formation of Damnation. It’s a combination of both styles.
