In a brand new interview with Australia’s The Rockpit, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy spoke in regards to the band’s upcoming follow-up to 2020’s “Titans Of Creation” album. He stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Nicely, this [album is] gonna be very particular. I feel I am extra enthusiastic about this one, simply due to the actual fact — the timing of all the things. I am a giant particular person believer in issues occur for causes. And [new TESTAMENT drummer] Chris Dovas jamming with us and having quite a lot of time to return up and spend with Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] at Eric‘s place, simply jamming, arising quite a lot of music and dealing on it arduous and monitoring it at house and doing demos. And I might inform, once I first began getting the songs and the riffs despatched, that it was one thing completely different. It is nonetheless Eric and I acknowledge it, however he was being pushed and impressed ‘trigger Chris is a really quick, aggressive drummer, and I can inform that it simply impressed Eric simply to be Eric and play guitar as a substitute of attempting to consider constructing a tune or singing — ‘Let’s simply jam.’ And that is the form of manner they approached it. And subsequent factor you already know, that they had 10, 11, 12 jams that had been sounding fairly robust, however individually recognized simply completely different vibes. And I used to be, like, ‘Okay, that is what it’s.’ After which, because it simply constructed vocally and all the things, that is after we had been form of, ‘Wow. It simply feels recent and new and difficult once more. Vocally, for me, I’ve obtained a variety of tones on this one — I am screaming once more, which I have never executed that rather a lot on quite a lot of information previously, however rather a lot on this one. And we are nonetheless writing for ourselves, however we’re nonetheless excited that after we write a tune, the way it hits reside, and that is all the time been the payoff, is do these songs we write within the studio hit reside like we wish ’em to? And that is the enjoyable half.”
Earlier within the month, Peterson informed Francisco Zamudio of KNAC.COM about TESTAMENT‘s upcoming LP: ”It is gonna be an incredible report. I am tremendous excited for everyone to listen to it. It is everywhere. It’s extremely centered, however there’s quite a lot of parts occurring.”
Concerning the place TESTAMENT is within the manufacturing course of for the brand new album proper now, Eric stated: “I might say we’re, like, 95 p.c executed recording it. There’s some solos to do… Drums, bass [are recorded]. A little bit little bit of guitars must be executed. Alex‘s [Skolnick, TESTAMENT lead guitarist] obtained some solos [left to record], some solos for me. I feel Chuck‘s obtained, like, two or three songs left to do. However all the things’s just about within the can. All of the arduous work’s executed. So, we are able to positively play it for individuals and go, ‘Look, we have got a report.'”
As for a attainable launch date for the brand new TESTAMENT album, Peterson stated: “Undoubtedly for singles [it will be early 2025], sure. Launch-wise [for the full album], I might say perhaps extra in the summertime. I imply, I suppose we might push it and put it out in Might, however we’ll see what the report firm needs to do. Undoubtedly individuals will likely be listening to a few songs by April [or] Might for positive.”
Earlier within the month, Billy was requested by Jaimunji if the brand new TESTAMENT LP will likely be a throwback to among the band’s early information or if it can as soon as once more be a step ahead for the band. Chuck stated: “I feel we have all the time advanced. We by no means prefer to go backwards. These songs, positively the previous basic stuff, ‘The Legacy’ and ‘The New Order’, that is the place we got here from, these are the primary songs we wrote, so positively that is who we’re, however we all the time wanna evolve. We do not wanna do one thing we have executed. However I’ll say the brand new report, we’re very excited for it ‘trigger Chris Dovas, the brand new drummer, it is in all probability probably the most a drummer has labored with Eric writing materials, and it exhibits.’
He continued: “The songs are very robust, very heavy, very quick. We have got a little bit of all the things. We have got some mid-tempo, however actually crushing quick drums. I might even say that we went and put — I do not wanna say the phrase ‘ballad’, but it surely’s a really sluggish, previous basic TESTAMENT vibe, like ‘Return To Serenity’, that we had the boldness and the tune is there that we wrote. This report, we’re fired up ‘trigger, to me, it sounds trendy. That is the one factor I’ve gotta say. It is TESTAMENT however modern-sounding, simply because I feel Chris, he shifts one other gear on the songs. I imply, he simply places it to a different stage so far as the drum taking part in and galvanizing Eric to what he is doing. And it really opens up the doorways for me, challenge-wise, to not simply take it the straightforward manner out. I’ve actually had some challenges — much more screaming loss of life metallic, mid-tempo clear vocals. I am doing a little bit little bit of all the things. So that is the enjoyable half for me and the difficult half, is to make all of it work.”
Billy additionally confirmed that one of many new TESTAMENT songs will likely be a duet with Ground Jansen of NIGHTWISH. “Yeah, I reached out to her,” he stated. “Me and Ground grew to become associates perhaps beneath 10 years in the past. Me and her, Joey Belladonna [ANTHRAX], Udo Dirkschneider [ex-ACCEPT], all of us did this Christmas efficiency present by Europe. And we had been singing our songs, however with a Christmas theme with an orchestra. And so all of us traveled collectively and have become associates. And he or she’s a powerhouse of a vocalist. Nice voice. And after we wrote the tune and the lyrics, very first thing I assumed was, ‘Okay, this tune, it, it wants a powerful woman’s voice,’ and, after all, Ground is the primary one which got here to thoughts. And this tune, it is gonna be fairly epic. We’re gonna put a string part on it, acoustic guitars. It is gonna have rather a lot occurring, but it surely’s a extremely, actually stunning tune. It is actually deep. And with Ground, it is form of me and her form of singing the lyrics form of to one another, and the which means of the tune and what we’re saying, it is form of, like, I will say my half and she or he’s answering me by the vocal. So it is gonna be very robust, very cool. And I am unable to wait to listen to what she’s gonna do on it… We’ve not despatched it to her as a result of we have not laid down the acoustic guitars but for it, however the tune’s executed. I tracked all of it. I tracked her components. And I wanna wait until she hears it for the primary time with the acoustics and get the vibe — I need her to be within the vibe as soon as she will get it… And Alex has a connection to some guys which might be gonna do the strings on it, who performed on some big information, so what we have heard to date, it is fairly cool.”
Billy just lately informed Metallic Specific Radio‘s Bryce Van Patten about how TESTAMENT‘s songwriting course of has modified because the band’s early days within the late Eighties and Nineties: “Oh, it is night time and day. Earlier than, again then, all of us lived the identical place, all of us needed to go to the identical studio, the place now it is by e-mail, sharing the songs. Everyone has house studios to work out demos. Undoubtedly a unique writing course of, however nonetheless Eric is among the predominant writers. And ever since we introduced in our new drummer, Chris Dovas, he is been right here two years — he was 24 when he got here into the band; he is 26 1732257400. However he is a sensible child. [He] graduated [from] the Berklee [College] Of Music. [He] is aware of principle [and is] nice within the studio with Professional Instruments. He is actually into trendy bands and new and upcoming stuff, and he is obtained an previous soul so he is aware of the historical past of the music. However I feel him working hand in hand with Eric so long as they did, he actually pushed Eric and drove Eric to get challenged. And I would not say ‘copy’, however I feel Chris and what he listens to and the model Eric likes, it introduced an affect to the brand new songs.”
Concerning the musical route of the brand new TESTAMENT materials, Chuck stated: “To me, the brand new songs sound present, they sound recent. They’re touching what quite a lot of new upcoming bands are making good names for themselves are doing. So, once more, it is elevating the bar yet another time. And I feel when followers hear this report, particularly new, youthful followers are gonna go, ‘Whoa. That is TESTAMENT. I do know the TESTAMENT I do know from 30-something years in the past and grew up with, however what is that this?’ I am excited for that as a result of I wanna hear what individuals suppose. I might like to see the expression of them listening to it for the primary time. That may be nice, as a result of it does sound new and trendy and recent, regardless that we’re nonetheless being challenged.”
Requested if he and his TESTAMENT bandmates have extra freedom to do no matter they need now than they did once you had been on a serious label like Atlantic, Chuck stated: “Completely. After we had been on Atlantic, that was a giant machine. They’d an A&R division, that they had the radio division, that they had tons of departments, tons of cash, and so they had been all the time influenced by how properly their big-selling artists had been, which had been radio bands and so they had been pushing radio. In order that A&R man could be whispering in our ears, ‘What is the subsequent radio tune?’ And we’re considering, “Nicely, we’re not a radio band. That is not us.’ And even to today, once I hear some stuff like [on the SiriusXM channel] Ozzy’s Boneyard or one thing, they play ballads by us, and it is, like, that does not signify us, however that represents that period in considering perhaps of what TESTAMENT did or what they selected to show us to the general public, which it is misrepresenting us. So, yeah, the liberty’s big now, particularly being with Nuclear Blast so long as we’ve got. There is not any deadline. It is simply, ‘While you’re prepared, you could have a report, give it to us.’ And that is been very nice. And the sweetness about this report is that normally we’ve got Andy Sneap combine our report, so we normally write a report and provides it to him after which it is executed, written in stone, cannot return. However this report, we needed to choose a anyone to combine it, which wasn’t obtainable until early subsequent yr, January. So we determined, ‘Okay.’ We tried to get all of the monitoring executed earlier than we went to Europe this June or July, and we obtained most of it executed.”
This previous September, Peterson informed Brutal Planet Journal that TESTAMENT has tapped Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has beforehand labored with OPETH, KREATOR, PARADISE LOST, SOILWORK and AMON AMARTH, amongst others, to combine the band’s upcoming studio album. Peterson stated in regards to the LP: “It is, like, 90 p.c executed. And it is gonna get combined in December by Jens Bogren. He is a producer from Sweden, and he is executed — God, he is executed KREATOR, he is doing the brand new BEHEMOTH proper now, he is executed IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY. Quite a lot of European bands. We normally work with Andy Sneap, however he is [the touring guitarist] in JUDAS PRIEST and he is simply, like, ‘Bro, I would like a while off.’ It is a good swap, although. I feel Jens will do a very good job. And yeah, there’s quite a lot of loopy stuff on this report. I am excited for everyone to listen to it.”
In August, Billy informed Oran O’Beirne of Overdrive.ie in regards to the musical route of the brand new TESTAMENT materials: “We all the time attempt to outdo ourselves or make a greater report or write higher songs. It is all the time a problem for ourselves, and I feel this time we actually took a very long time to create the report. We form of obtained all people in the identical room to essentially undergo the songs and form of put their two cents in to the preparations. I feel by having Chris — he is a youthful drummer, a extremely nice drummer — however I feel he introduced you already know a brand new fireplace to Eric within the writing course of. And I imagine as a result of we’re occurring 37 years of creating information, it is form of full circle proper now. We’re form of impressed by new era, I suppose, of music and metallic. And Chris is a giant a part of that. He is a giant fan of that. So I feel 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 do some 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 sluggish that is one thing we have not executed in over 30 years. So I feel simply the general songs and the boldness within the scripting this time actually is gonna stand out on this report.”
This previous June, 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 form of stuff, however there’s a few of that. There’s rather a lot. Every tune positively has its personal id 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 feel it is a little bit simpler. There’s a lot occurring in our world to put in writing about now. It is a loopy world immediately, so there’s quite a lot of stuff to speak about. And I like singing about what’s actual and what is going on on as a substitute of some fantasy lyrics, as a result of, for me, I feel once I sing ’em, I’ve extra conviction, I imagine in ’em a little bit extra. And perhaps it is simpler for me to recollect the lyrics reside. [Laughs]”
Naming particular tracks, Chuck stated: “There is a tune, ‘Havana Syndrome’, which is in regards to the Havana Syndrome. Folks, look that up. There’s ‘Infanticide A.I.’, which is one other tune going A.I. route. And there is really a slower tune. We’ve not executed a slower tune. I am not gonna say ‘ballad’, however I am gonna say a slower tune that has quite a lot of groove and soul, known as ‘Meant To Be’. And it is like a basic TESTAMENT-type ballad, I suppose, for those who wanna use that phrase. However we have got a little bit little bit of all the things, however, once more, I feel it is actually sticking to TESTAMENT, having to have some melodic stuff, regardless 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 basic TESTAMENT. For those who take heed to it, you may go, ‘That is TESTAMENT, however a little 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 feel 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 quite a lot of the concepts and ideas, however he actually interprets and will get the precise phrases, say what I am considering. 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 whats up to one another, we sit down and we go proper to work. It is about what we do.”
Previous to becoming a member of TESTAMENT as a full-time member, Dovas crammed in for Dave Lombardo on the primary six dates of TESTAMENT‘s summer season/fall 2022 leg of “The Bay Strikes Again Tour”.
