Testament - The Formation of Damnation

The password for the TESTAMENT ticket pre-sale is “Damnation.” Links to purchase can be found below along with the individual tour dates. More details will follow regarding Meet and Greet and VIP ticket packs .

Singer Chuck Billy commented on the upcoming US headlining tour: “It was really exciting last summer touring with Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, and Motorhead, playing in front of all the old-school as well as new-school metalheads. Now we look forward to CRUSHING on our first headline tour on the Damnation Vacation US run. Heavy metal forever!!!”

For over 20 years, TESTAMENT has remained committed to the thrash metal sound that brought them to prominence in the late 1980s. The band has never compromised its unmatched intensity or musicianship and has only continued to up the ante with each release.

The Formation of Damnation was named one of MySpace’s Top Albums for 2008 and found itself at the top of many year-end lists including #9 Rock Album of the Year on iTunes for 2008, #4 Album of 2008 in Revolver Magazine, #10 on Metal Edge Top 50 of 2008, #1 on Metal Maniacs Top 20 of 2008, and the #2 Brave Pick in Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles. The album also dominated metal radio, coming in at #1 on Sirius-XM’s metal channel, #1 on CMJ’s Loud Rock charts, and was the most played album on metal radio according to FMQB.

Combining elements of hardcore, thrash, and extreme metal – while also never overlooking the importance of thought-provoking lyrical ideas and concepts – UNEARTH has steadily become one of the leading lights in heavy metal. Over the years the quintet has played in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, South America, Mexico, Japan, Europe including the Netherlands and Russia, and has appeared on such renowned metal fests as Ozzfest and Download. They have also appeared on International festivals such as Rock Am Park, Rock Am Ring, Loud Park, Wacken and others. UNEARTH’s latest offering, The March, was released in October of 2008.

“THRASH OR DIE” is the motto Lazarus A.D. have lived by since day one and their no holds barred attitude is equaled only by their will to become a leading force in modern metal. Their supreme level of creativity, musicianship and professionalism makes them an electrifying and engaging live act. Powered by only a three-song demo, they earned a spot opening for Anthrax and were the only unsigned band included on Earache Records’ Thrashing Like A Maniac compilation. After being signed by Metal Blade in 2008, Lazarus A.D. released The Onslaught on March 3, 2009.

Stay tuned for more details on TESTAMENT’s upcoming US tour!

Testament US headlining tour:

(with Unearth and Lazarus AD)

5/2 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon

5/3 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory

5/4 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore

5/6 – Calgary, AB – MacEwan Ballroom

5/7 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Events Centre

5/9 – Winnipeg, MB – The Garrick Centre

5/10 – Maplewood, MN – The Rock

5/12 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Theater

5/13 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s

5/15 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues

5/16 – Detroit, MI – Harpos

5/17 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues

5/18 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s

5/20 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy

5/21 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis

5/22 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom

5/23 – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater

5/24 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium

5/26 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live

5/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero

5/28 – Norfolk, VA – Norva

5/29 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater

5/30 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade

5/31 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues

6/2 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar

6/3 – San Antonio – Scout Bar

6/4 – Ft. Worth, TX – Ridglea Theater

6/6 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont

6/7 – Denver, CO – Cervantes

6/9 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues

6/10 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues

6/11 – Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues

6/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

One of the worlds most popular and influential Heavy Metal bands – Judas Priest are set to rock the UK to it’s very core when they bring their ‘Priest Feast’ tour to play 7 arena dates in February 2009 with support from special guests – Thrash Metal veterans Megadeth and Testament.

Since 1974, Judas Priest has been one of heavy metal’s most successful bands, issuing such all-time classic albums as 1980’s ‘British Steel,’ 1982’s ‘Screaming for Vengeance,’ and 1990’s ‘Painkiller,’ and such arena-rocking anthems as “Breaking the Law,” “Living After Midnight,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.” However, Priest’s influence goes far beyond their music – they were the first metal band to embrace the ‘leather biker look,’ a fashion that has since become synonymous with the musical genre. Additionally, Halford’s powerful four-and-a-half octave vocal range and the twin guitar harmonies of Downing and Tipton have been ‘studied’ by countless metal bands in Priest’s wake.

Think ‘Double vinyl, gatefold sleeve concept album,’ and some of rock’s all-time classic recordings come to mind. But in the realm of heavy metal, there has never been a double vinyl (now disc!) concept album that has managed to balance a thought-provoking storyline with metallic thunder. That was, until now. Metal legends JUDAS PRIEST released their sprawling double disc concept album, ‘Nostradamus’ via Columbia Records on Monday, June 16th in the UK/Europe, and a day later in the US on Epic Records.

MEGADETH

As one of the most commercially successful heavy metal bands of all time, Megadeth have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, including six consecutive platinum albums, with seven consecutive Grammy nominations for Best Metal Performance. Megadeth has remained a vital element in continuing to define and redefine the sound and the fury of metal music and with each new album, forges new ground and stretches the very boundaries where metal lives.

TESTAMENT

Testament was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980’s. Undoubtedly, they are the inventors of the thrash-metal wheel. Testament’s powerful sound, influence, and longevity make them one of the Top 5 All-Time Legendary Thrash Metal Bands, putting them in the company of Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica, and Anthrax. They re-formed with the original line up (vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson & Alex Skolnick, and bassist Greg Christian – along with friend and former member, Paul Bostaph) to record their 9th studio album – their first in nearly a decade entitled ‘Formation of Damnation’ (released April this year) which also won them ‘Best Album’ at the Metal Hammer ‘Golden Gods’ Awards this summer.

Having the opportunity to see 3 such important and influential bands within the world of Metal on the same bill is cause for excitement. Make sure you don’t miss the chance to witness Metal history in the making and ensure you are part of Priest Feast 2009.

‘PRIEST FEAST’

JUDAS PRIEST

With Special Guests Megadeth and Testament

February

Friday 13 Sheffield Arena
Saturday 14 Birmingham LG Arena
Monday 16 Glasgow SECC Hall 4
Tuesday 17 Manchester Arena
Wednesday 18 Nottingham Arena
Friday 20 Cardiff Arena
Saturday 21 Wembley Arena

Testament have returned from a successful European festival run and a triumphant victory for “Album of the Year” at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, and they are now looking ahead to the upcoming Metal Masters tour, which will be screaming across the US this August. The tour also features metal legends Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, and Motorhead. Metal Masters kicks off August 6 at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ and wraps up August 31 in Testament’s hometown of San Francisco!

Prior to the Metal Masters tour, Testament will be playing a short string of dates in the US and Canada with the venerable Judas Priest. Testament will also play several special headlining club shows before and during the Metal Masters tour.

Guitarist Eric Peterson commented on the upcoming tour: “We just finished doing Europe, and it was killer. Now we’re looking forward to playing with these bands that have had a huge influence on our lives. We’re excited and honored to be a part of this tour, and we can’t wait to get out and play. It’s been 20 years since we’ve been on a tour like this.”

The Formation of Damnation debuted at #59 on the Billboard Top 200. The Formation of Damnation is Testament’s highest charting release in their 24-year history. The album also dominated at radio holding the #1 spot on both CMJ and FMQB for several consecutive weeks.

Testament w/ Judas Priest:

7/22 – Seattle, WA – Wamu Theater

7/23 – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – Save On Foods Memorial

7/24 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – General Motors Place

7/26 – Calgary, Alberta, Canada – McMahon Stadium (Monsters of Rock)

7/27 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Shaw Conference Centre

7/29 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada – Credit Union Centre

7/30 – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – MTS Centre

Testament solo headlining dates:

7/31 – Minneapolis, MN – Epic

8/01 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom

8/03 – Montreal, Quebec – L’Olympia De Montreal Theatre

8/04 – Quebec City, Quebec – Theater Imperial

8/08 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance

8/12 – Buffalo, NY – Erie County Fair

8/14 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium

8/17 – Huntington, WV – Monkey Bar

8/29 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto

Testament on Metal Masters Tour with Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, and Motorhead:

8/06 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center

8/07 – Bristow, VA – Nissan Pavilion

8/09 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

8/10 – Wantagh, NY – Jones Beach Amphitheater

8/13 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Molson Amphitheatre

8/15 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Casino

8/16 – Burgettstown, PA – Post Gazette Pavilion

8/18 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Center

8/19 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheater

8/21 – Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre

8/22 – Dallas, TX – Superpages.com Center

8/23 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Pavilion

8/24 – San Antonio, TX – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

8/26 – El Paso, AZ – El Paso County Coliseum

8/27 – Albuquerque, NM – Journal Pavilion

8/28 – Phoenix, AZ – Cricket Pavilion

8/30 – Devore, CA – Glen Helen Pavilion

8/31 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater

Testament is
Chuck Billy – vocals
Eric Peterson – guitars
Alex Skolnick – guitars
Greg Christian – bass
Paul Bostaph – drums
Prophecy is a territory explored only by brave men and warriors. The two are not necessarily mutual but the differences between them are certainly marginal. And truly, the best prophecies come from those who aren’t necessarily seeking to be prophetic, but who simply step forward into those dark, uncomfortable places because their need for honest expression is total, no pre-determination, no intent, just pure, raw gut delivery of truths as seen.
Testament have found themselves in the prophecy business before during their 25 year career, and with “The Formation Of Damnation” they have delivered their sharpest, leanest, heaviest and most prophetic set of songs for two decades. The quintessential modern heavy metal band, the undisputedly enormous influence over a whole nu generation of aural aggressors. With “The Formation Of Damnation” Testament have deliciously served up ‘old school’ without the old, a crushingly heavy album without the weight of oppression, all crisp and lively like a ball-pin hammer-wielding maniac intent on bashing your brains to a pulp. It crackles with the type of vibrant energy that comes from an umbilically connected creative core writing together for the first time in over ten years, their reserves of residual anger, aggro and raw visceral riffery greater than ever. Recorded at Driftwood Studios in Oakland, CA (except for the drums which were done at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley) and mixed at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, UK, “The Formation Of Damnation” is a worthy sibling of previously lauded Test-efforts such as “The Gathering” whilst behaving very much like the older, wiser brother of 1988’s “The New Order.”
“We’re talking about things we’ve lived through,” says Eric Peterson, “we’re living through the politics, we’re living through the bullshit, we’ve lived through bad relationships and we’ve lived through tough times. It’s not even that we’re necessarily political, we’re just everyday people who have always been thinking about these things. Out of all our records “The Formation Of Damnation” could be “The New Order’s” big brother.”
“The New Order” had also been inspired by George Orwell’s ‘1984’,” continues Alex Skolnick, “that whole vision of complete government control and totalitarianism taking over the US, as well as disasters both man-made an natural. Here it is years later and we have the Patriot Act, Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. So when you compare the two albums, it’s kinda spooky. And this album is no going to get filed under ‘easy listening’, that’s for sure.”
“It’s also absolutely about being older and wiser,” confirms Chuck Billy, “And now we also have children, their world is being affected, and everyday life generally throws up some heavy stuff, both national and personal, so all these songs are very much of our time and experiences. For example, over the last couple of years Eric and I both lost our fathers, so “The After Life” is about when we might next see them. Then there’s “The Evil Has Landed” which is about the twin towers, and at first I didn’t know if I wanted to sing about that, but once I performed it became clear that deep down I had to, and ‘Killing Season’ is one for all the soldiers we get letters and e-mails from during this war, it’s for those troops who get fired up by heavy metal before they go into combat and it’s my little contribution to the cause. And with all the songs I wanted us to make the statement that we’re stronger, more powerful and more confident than ever before. We’ve got the game!” “I think it’s the best record I’ve ever had anything to do with,” chuckles Greg Christian, “and not to sound conceited but it’s also really the best heavy metal record I’ve heard in a long time.”
Reaching this lushest of creative fields has been quite a journey for Testament, the sort that tests, stretches and ultimately breaks most bands. Formed in the Bay Area of Northern California in 1983 under the moniker of Legacy (the change to Testament came when Billy arrived to take over from Steve Souza on vocals and Derrick Ramirez was replaced by Skolnick), they grew up at the same time as Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth, being one of the five bands forming the core of what would become the world famous thrash metal scene. But from the beginning Testament trod a unique path, making sure that their extraordinary musicianship, intuitive feel for harmonies amidst the savagery established itself as a stand alone sound.
“I was in the band Forbidden back then,” says Paul Bostaph, “and I remember that us and other bands at the time might stumble across a riff, think about it and scrap it simply because it was too close to the Testament sound. They really did have their own style and their own dimension, which gave them an edge from the very beginning and influenced so many bands on the scene.”
1987’s debut release “The Legacy” threw down a marker, and by the time Testament were about to release 1988’s “The New Order” their legend was already hitting enormous popularity. However, their extreme talent got muddied and compromised by the weight of expectation, and while albums like -1989’s “Practice What You Preach” and 1990’s “Souls Of Black” continued to open the same creative doors for a slew of bands which Testament have always done, their level of recognition was perhaps not commesurate with their influence over an entire genre. Talent+personalities can equal problems, and thus it was that after 1992’s “The Ritual”, Clemente left and Skolnick decided it was high-time to essentially find himself and reclaim a few of the teenage years he lost.
“I was in high school, 11th grade, when I joined this band,” laughs Skolnick, “so I really needed to go away and grow as a person, as a musician and get the necessary confidence to enjoy this and gather the strength to make things happen and fight for changes. When I left Testament I still felt like the shy, annoying brother in the room; when I came back, I felt like a respected, professional musician.”

And so it was that for many years, the core creators behind Testament’s music remained separate. Friendships were maintained and good times still had, but musically, matters remained separate as Skolnick explored jazzier rock climbs, Christian engaged in his own projects whilst Billy and Peterson kept Testament alive with a series of different musicians coming in and out. Bostaph had his first short stint with the band in 1992 (in the midst of joining Slayer), whilst White Zombie and Anthrax drummer John Tempesta came in with death metal guitarist James Murphy to play on 1994’s “Low” album, perhaps Testament’s most progressive in terms of material range.
Peterson and Billy continued to fly the Testament flag, releasing the decidedly deathier tones of “Demonic” in 1997, whilst 1999 saw Murphy again on guitar with Slayer’s Dave Lombardo on drums for “The Gathering.” Arguably the album which led Testament back onto their path after a little radical experimentation in the recent past, “The Gathering” became a meeting point for dozens of hungry young metal acts looking for a new metal God. But Murphy was diagnosed with a brain tumor from which he did eventually recover, and in 2001, Billy was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. It was to prove a life-affirming, as well as life-changing, event.
“I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason,” says Billy, “we never split on bad terms, we always kept in good contact, we saw them on the east coast, we always supported Alex when he came through town, and we never discussed getting back together, we’d just hang out. But when I got sick and there was Thrash Of The Titans concert, that was the first time a reunion of any sort happened. It broke the ice, Greg (Christian) put some stuff behind him with Eric and I to get up there, I performed a song with everyone and that was the start of it all coming together again.”
From that came the deeper realization that with a fair few years between them (not to mention oceans under bridges) it was time to jump to the next level and simply get creative with each other again.
No expectations.
No grandiose plans.
Just pure powerful playing, which is why 2005’s 10 date European reunion tour (featuring all the original members) ended up spurring studio work.
“We didn’t ever plan this,” affirms Skolnick, “the reunion show in 2002 at the Dynamo was the catalyst, we never made any plans, we just enjoyed that show and then ended up doing a few more, which proved to us that now we’re older and more mature we can all enjoy being in this band. And once we’d done some extra shows in 2005, once we’d seen the reactions, once we’d seen a new audience mixing with the old, we just took things to the next logical progression.”
It is the journey to “The Formation Of Damnation” and the affirmation of the quintet’s chemistry which is one of the album’s strongest elements.
“Sometimes you can have a lot of ideas but keep on clashing the people you work with,” says Peterson, “and that’s what’s happened to us in the past. But with this album, we really do just appreciate what we have.”
“There’s been such a growth in our maturity and comfort with each other,” furthers Billy. “Eric’s developed into such a great rhythm player and Alex really acknowledged that as well as his creativity. Those two really gelled, and Alex also had a lot of input with arrangements, he really did fine-tune a lot of the songs.
“In some sense I took a step back from the writing this time because through it all, whatever differences we may have had, Chuck and Eric have kept Testament going,” explains Skolnick, “I knew they had a way of working together, so a lot of my work was assisting with their writing process. In some ways it was like a production role, and I’d never say I was a producer here because the album was in it’s early stages, and for the most part I really enjoyed the role.”
“It felt quite natural, especially as I know Eric’s writing so well,” adds Christian. “I know he had this vision in is head for the songs so I just did my best to help pull them out, and because we understand what each other are saying we can work really quickly. The chemistry between Eric, Alex, Chuck and myself is amazing, and it’s amazing how well Paul Bostaph has fitted in, really, on every level it’s been such a positive experience.”
“This is like family,” says Bostaph. “I’ve known all these guys for over 20 years, we’ve played together, bands I’ve been in have toured with them and I am a huge Testament fan, so joining this time was a huge no-brainer. And again, as Greg said, for me it was a case of giving myself to what this Testament album needed, and that was my only focus, making sure that the band got exactly what it needed from it’s drummer.”
In closing, take a moment to consider the following…
In 1988, Testament spoke of a new order and here, in 2008, Testament speak of the formation of damnation.
“It’s of our time right now,” concludes Peterson, “the world we live in is rife with aggravation, politics is forever more about money rather than doing what’s right, we all keep taking from mother earth… human beings are basically done! We’re setting ourselves up big-time for damnation, and that’s what these songs talk about, from love to politics to holy wars, it’s all there, it’s all written about.”
You probably don’t want to hazard a guess as to what Testament, the true societal prophets of rage, will be speaking of in 2028…

The legendary heavy metal heroes Testament have won the Metal Hammer GOLDEN GODS AWARD for Album of the Year for The Formation of Damnation. Testament beat out the other worthy contenders in this category: Atreyu, Bullet For My Valentine, Children Of Bodom and Down. All hail Heavy Metal Forever!

The Formation of Damnation debuted at #59 on the Billboard Top 200 and has sold nearly 33,000 copies since its April 29 release. The Formation of Damnation is Testament’s highest charting release in their 24-year history. The album also dominated at radio holding the #1 spot on both CMJ and FMQB for several consecutive weeks.

Testament will be on the Metal Masters Tour all summer long with Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell and Motorhead.

Testament with Judas Priest:

7/22 – Seattle, WA – Wamu Theater

7/23 – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – Save On Foods Memorial

7/24 – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – General Motors Place

7/26 – Calgary, Alberta, Canada – McMahon Stadium –Monsters of Rock

7/27 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – Shaw Conference Centre

7/29 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada – Credit Union Centre

7/30 – Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – MTS Centre

7/31 – Minneapolis, MN – Epic (headlining)

Testament with Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, and Motorhead:

8/01 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom (headlining)

8/03 – Montreal, Quebec – L’Olympia De Montreal Theatre (headlining)

8/04 – Quebec City, Quebec – Theater Imperial (headlining)

8/06 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center

8/07 – Bristow, VA – Nissan Pavilion

8/08 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance (headlining)

8/09 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

8/10 – Wantagh, NY – Jones Beach Amphitheater

8/12 – Buffalo, NY – Erie County Fair (headlining)

8/13 – Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Molson Amphitheatre

8/14 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium

8/15 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Casino

8/16 – Burgettstown, PA – Post Gazette Pavilion

8/17 – Huntington, WV – Monkey Bar (headlining)

8/18 – Detroit, MI – DTE Energy Center

8/19 – Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheater

8/20 – St Louis, MO – Pageant Theatre

8/21 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom (headlining)

8/22 – Dallas, TX – Superpages.com Center

8/23 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Pavilion

8/24 – San Antonio, TX – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

8/25 – El Paso, TX – Club 101

8/26 – Farmington, NM – Gators

8/27 – Albuquerque, NM – Journal Pavilion

8/28 – Phoenix, AZ – The Cricket Pavilion

8/29 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto

8/30 – Devore, CA – Glen Helen Pavilion

8/31 – San Francisco, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater