In a brand new interview with The Mixtape podcast, guitarist Eric Peterson of San Francisco Bay Space thrash steel veterans TESTAMENT confirmed that he and his bandmates have accomplished mixing their upcoming studio album with Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who had beforehand labored with OPETH, KREATOR, PARADISE LOST, SOILWORK and AMON AMARTH, amongst others. The LP will mark TESTAMENT‘s follow-up to 2020’s “Titans Of Creation”, which was co-produced by Juan Urteaga, who beforehand labored with TESTAMENT on “Darkish Roots Of Earth” (2012) and “Brotherhood Of The Snake” (2016).
Eric stated about TESTAMENT‘s upcoming effort (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We simply completed mixing final Friday, and we’re gonna be mastering it this week. [We’re] in the midst of okaying artwork for the album. All the pieces must be turned in earlier than we depart [for our tour of] Australia. A busy week arising, however I am excited as a result of it is all achieved. We’re simply placing all of it collectively, on the point of ship it in to the label, after which, yeah, it is gonna be popping out within the fall. And it got here out actually good. Jens Bogren blended it, and I am actually, actually pleased with it.”
Requested how he stays motivated and engaged within the songwriting recording course of after so a few years, Peterson stated: “It is a good query. Clearly, we have slowed down so far as the timing on how we put information out. [There’s] much more happening in our lives. We tour much more locations. New blood within the band, I believe. So this time round, [TESTAMENT drummer] Chris [Dovas] is with us. However, yeah, it feels good proper now. Everyone’s joyful. We get on rather well. That is factor, particularly within the writing space. So I foresee some actually good couple of recent TESTAMENT information popping out — this one, and we’re already engaged on the brand new one, which is remarkable for us. Often we begin writing a few years later after we put out a file, however we have stored the writing going. It is simply numerous enjoyable jamming.”
Concerning how the TESTAMENT artistic and songwriting course of has modified over time, Eric stated: “Yeah, so like I used to be saying, simply with this new lineup — it isn’t a brand new lineup, however we have now a brand new drummer — all of it begins with me, with riffs, and a drummer, I believe. And it was simply numerous enjoyable. And we’re already engaged on new stuff for a file after the one which you have not even heard but. So it is cool. After which we all know if there’s downtime, we’re, like, ‘Let’s jam.’ So I believe after we’re achieved in ’26, possibly early ’27 with this file, [we’ll be, like], ‘Okay, now what do you bought? Now we’re gonna write once more.’ ‘Trigger we’re getting older. I do not assume we have now sufficient time to attend 5 years. We’ll be in our seventies or one thing. I am making an attempt to benefit from realizing that I am into it now and that we have got a received factor going. Simply do not waste it.”
When Bogren‘s identify was first publicly floated final September in reference to TESTAMENT‘s upcoming album, Peterson informed Brutal Planet Journal. “[Jens is] a producer from Sweden, and he is achieved — God, he is achieved KREATOR, he is doing the brand new BEHEMOTH, he is achieved IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY. Lots of European bands. We often work with Andy Sneap, however he is [the touring guitarist] in JUDAS PRIEST and he is simply, like, ‘Bro, I want a while off.’ It is a good swap, although. I believe Jens will do job. And yeah, there’s numerous loopy stuff on this file. I am excited for everyone to listen to it.”
Final August, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy informed Oran O’Beirne of Overdrive.ie in regards to the music path of the follow-up to “Titans Of Creation”: “We all the time attempt to outdo ourselves or make a greater file or write higher songs. It is all the time a problem for ourselves, and I believe this time we actually took a very long time to create the file. We sort of received everyone in the identical room to essentially undergo the songs and sort of put their two cents in to the preparations. I believe by having [our new drummer] Chris [Dovas] — he is a youthful drummer, a extremely nice drummer — however I believe he introduced you already know a brand new fireplace to Eric within the writing course of. And I consider as a result of we’re happening 37 years of creating information, it is sort of full circle proper now. We’re sort of impressed by new technology, I assume, of music and steel. And Chris is a giant a part of that. He is a giant fan of that. So I believe he impressed Eric simply to put in writing some actually aggressive, quick, artistic riffs. And it actually impressed me to essentially push myself to attempt to perform a little extra screaming, loss of life vocals, melodic stuff. We even went so far as writing — I do not wanna say ‘ballad’, but it surely’s one thing actually catchy that is actually gradual that is one thing we’ve not achieved in over 30 years. So I believe simply the general songs and the boldness within the penning this time actually is gonna stand out on this file.”
When O’Beirne famous that TESTAMENT continues to “elevate the bar” with every successive launch, Billy concurred. “It is true,” he stated. “I believe since 2000, ‘The Gathering’ file is the place I believe TESTAMENT sort of had a brand new life, I might say the second life TESTAMENT. After which I grew to become in poor health. After which after that, I did not assume I used to be truly gonna be taking part in music anymore. I simply wasn’t the identical particular person. I might look within the mirror and I did not see the identical man. And after I beat it and survived it, I sort of thought, ‘Okay, now it is time to proceed on with life.’ After which shortly after that we had the unique[-lineup] reunion. And I believe that is sort of what actually set off the brand new lifetime of TESTAMENT, as a result of we have been writing music, jamming with the blokes who began it from the start and sort of taking the perspective, like, ‘We’re gonna end this collectively, what we began.’ However over time, Louie [Clemente, former TESTAMENT drummer] needed to drop out ‘reason for well being causes; he could not maintain the sticks like he used to. So he needed to drop out. After which shortly after that Greg [Christian, former TESTAMENT bassist] dropped out. However from then on, I believe we have simply sort of been writing for ourselves, possibly not likely caring what essentially the press thought. You all the time wanna impress the followers, however we have been actually writing to make us joyful.”
Earlier final August, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick informed SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” in regards to the band’s upcoming LP: “Effectively, I believe everyone is aware of we went by a pair completely different drummers the previous couple years, I do know it is very ‘Spinal Faucet’… Life imitating artwork. There have been scheduling conflicts with Gene Hoglan. Then we received Dave Lombardo, who was superb, however when it got here to going all in on a subsequent file, Dave was overbooked. And we wanted any individual [who could step in]. And we have a brand new drummer. His identify’s Chris Dovas. He wasn’t even born when the primary TESTAMENT file got here out. However I’ve gotta say he’s lighting fires. He is lit a hearth underneath everyone and simply nice to play with. He nails everyone’s components from earlier than, however he has his personal type. And I am excited in regards to the subsequent file.”
In June 2024, Chuck informed Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone in regards to the lyrical themes coated within the new TESTAMENT songs: “[It’s] not as centered [on], like, the aliens, creating mankind and that sort of stuff, however there may be a few of that. There’s quite a bit. Every tune undoubtedly has its personal identification lyrically. And once more, we’re writing stuff that’s actual, that occurs with the setting; we’re singing about that once more. A.I., we’re singing stuff about that. That is a giant factor. So, there’s all the time an inspiration for songs. I believe it is a bit simpler. There’s a lot happening in our world to put in writing about now. It is a loopy world as we speak, so there’s numerous stuff to speak about. And I like singing about what’s actual and what is going on on as an alternative of some fantasy lyrics, as a result of, for me, I believe after I sing ’em, I’ve extra conviction, I consider in ’em a bit extra. And possibly it is simpler for me to recollect the lyrics stay. [Laughs]”
Naming particular tracks, Chuck stated: “There is a tune, ‘Havana Syndrome’, which is in regards to the Havana Syndrome. Individuals, look that up. There’s ‘Infanticide A.I.’, which is one other tune going A.I. path. And there is truly a slower tune. We have not achieved a slower tune. I am not gonna say ‘ballad’, however I am gonna say a slower tune that has numerous groove and soul, known as ‘Meant To Be’. And it is like a traditional TESTAMENT-type ballad, I assume, in the event you wanna use that phrase. However we have a bit little bit of all the things, however, once more, I believe it is actually sticking to TESTAMENT, having to have some melodic stuff, despite the fact that there’s some actually brutal lyrics and actual brutal, extra of a loss of life voice. I nonetheless put the hook in with extra of a melodic hook or one thing. It is nonetheless traditional TESTAMENT. Should you hearken to it, you may go, ‘That is TESTAMENT, however a bit extra octane to it.'”
Additionally in June, Chuck informed Canada’s The Metallic Voice that he writes most of TESTAMENT‘s lyrics with Del James. “Del, he works with GUNS N’ ROSES,” Chuck stated. “He is been working with them and wrote with them a very long time in the past. I believe he had massive hits like ‘November Rain’ with them. And we have been working [together] for over 20 years. So I all the time go down and work with him as a result of I give you numerous the concepts and ideas, however he actually interprets and will get the best phrases, easy methods to say what I am pondering. And we work quick. After we get collectively, we’ll knock out like two songs in a day. So we do not fiddle. We get there, say hey to one another, we sit down and we go proper to work. It is about what we do.”
In August 2023, Dovas was requested by Pod Scum if it was “unnerving” to step into a bunch whose record of earlier drummers consists of such heavyweights as Lombardo and Hoglan. He responded: “It was, particularly at first as a result of I knew that numerous eyes have been on me, and likewise I regarded as much as the band since I used to be a child. Particularly Lombardo and Gene — these are two of my favourite drummers proper there. So to be put in that scenario of taking up for them, I felt like I had numerous accountability and numerous… I felt like I had one thing to show a bit bit, and I am nonetheless training quite a bit and I simply wanna do the perfect that I can do. Proper now I am not likely nervous anymore as a result of I’ve achieved two full excursions with them now and we’re engaged on the [new TESTAMENT] album and the friendship has been creating now and all of us get alongside tremendous properly. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and it has been nice and the followers have been nice. I have been placing hours and hours of observe into it to make it possible for I can do the perfect that I may do. And I look as much as Dave and I look as much as Gene as properly, so, yeah, I simply wanna play the songs properly stay and preserve making the band sound good.”
Previous to becoming a member of TESTAMENT as a full-time member, Dovas stuffed in for Lombardo on the primary six dates of TESTAMENT‘s summer season/fall 2022 leg of “The Bay Strikes Again Tour”.
Picture credit score: Stephanie Cabral (courtesy of Nuclear Blast Information)