The Press Release:
This Fall, the ‘Klash of the Titans’ makes its triumphant return to North America! Fans will enjoy an epic night of metal with thrash royalty TESTAMENT and KREATOR co-headlining the run. The 33-date trek will kick off on September 12th in Reno making its way across the US and will include 7 Canadian dates before concluding in San Francisco on October 27th. Joining the night are special guests Bay Area death metal pioneers and labelmates POSSESSED.
TESTAMENT states. “Get ready North America. We are looking forward to a co-headline tour with our Thrash master friends Kreator. This is gonna be a madhouse of a show with our Bay Area homies Possessed opening the show so get there early. Testament will be performing an old-school set celebrating the re-release of The Legacy & The New Order.”
KREATOR comments, ‘We’re very proud to bring a second edition of the Klash Of The Titans to North America! This time with the Bay area beasts, Testament and one of my favorite bands in the world, Possessed. From start to finish, this is metal madness and we can’t wait to deliver our biggest shows to date over there!’ Continue reading Testament and Kreator Announce “Klash Of The Titans” North American Tour For Fall→
The Press Release:
Legendary bay area thrash metal giants TESTAMENT are proud to announce their North American 2020 tour. The 30-date trek will kick-off in Phoenix on April 20th and will make stops in Austin, Mexico, and Toronto before concluding in Anaheim on May 28th. Joining them on the tour are THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, label mates MUNICIPAL WASTE and MESHIAAK.
“I’m super excited about TESTAMENT’s tour with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and MUNICIPAL WASTE” states Alex Skolnick. “As much as we’ve enjoyed touring with bands who emerged before us, from our own time period and slightly later eras, it will be a fresh experience to share the bill with these two, both of whom formed in the new Millennium, each with a unique perspective and a sound unlike anyone else. It’ll be a fun night of music. Don’t miss it!» Continue reading Testament Announces North American Tour→
Artist: Testament
Title: “First Strike Still Deadly” (reissue)
Label: Prosthetic Records
Release Date: 3/18/2008
Genre: Thrash Metal
Rating: 4/5
You have to admire a band when they set out to re-release classic tracks from early in their career but instead of delivering something which you are long familiar with on a compilation release decide to go through the painstaking process of re-recording and producing the songs with today’s available technology. I say this with a wry sense of sarcasm because it’s all too often when bands choose to do something of this type and the listener ends up receiving stuff that sounds so far off the mark of what you once knew and loved. One such example was with the dreadful “re-do” of Twisted Sister’s “Stay Hungry” where the guys re-recorded the classic album and delivered it to their fans as “the way it should have sounded” – spare me guys, that was not necessary. Fortunately this would not be the case with the release of Testament’s “First Strike Still Deadly”, a 2001 album that has been picked up and re-issued by Prosthetic Records for us all to enjoy in 2008. “FSSD” offers the diehard Testament loyalist the best of the tracks from their first two albums as far as its band members were concerned. The tunes while re-recorded using the technology of the time come off as not having one ounce of over-cleaning done, nor being too produced to be able to enjoy the rawness and brutality that Testament so often delivered during this time. From beginning to end this is a powerful listening experience that makes a Metal fan wonder how this band took a little longer in reaching some of the heights enjoyed by the first wave Thrash Metal bands. Continue reading “First Strike Still Deadly” (reissue) by Testament→
The Metal Masters Tour was an event that found the might of Judas Priest and Heaven and Hell combining forces with both Motorhead and Testament and we were sure to be on point to bring this story to the masses. It was one of the best shows of the year and for readers to see our comments on all of the performers and photos of each please click on the logo below to be brought to our main PiercingMetal.com article. Keep the horns raised high legions.
Artist: Judas Priest Venue: PNC Bank Arts Center (Holmdel, NJ) Opener: Heaven and Hell, Motorhead, Testament Date: 8/9/2008 Label: Epic Records
They were calling this event “The Metal Masters Tour” and I could think of no better title for a concert that would unite Testament, Motorhead, Heaven and Hell and Judas Priest all on the same bill. The Metal fans of the world know full well that these bands are juggernauts in their own right but when you pull all of this incendiary energy together for the sake of the genre it is bound to guarantee a performance like never before. If one looked at it statistically based on years in the business we were dealing with a combined expertise of over 120 years worth of Heavy Metal background and all of them offer material that is as strong today as it was when we first heard it. The two regional shows for me came to deciding between Jones Beach and the PNC Bank Arts center and I went with the Arts Center based on how much I had enjoyed the previous years Ozzfest at this venue. It would start early and even though there were still a bunch of people grilling food and drinking beers while the Metal was blasting out of their radios, it was shortly after 5pm or so when the mighty Testament was going to take the stage so I wasted little time with pre-gaming festivity and got my spot to absorb the intensity all the better. Continue reading Judas Priest/Heaven & Hell @ PNC Bank Arts Center (8/9/2008)→
Testament are legends in the world of Thrash Metal and they would be releasing a magnum opus with “The Formation Of Damnation” just around the time of this performance. The show was at B.B. King Blues Club and to see more just scroll past the logo below.
Artist: Testament Venue: B.B. King Blues Club (New York, NY) Opener: Nethereal, Martyrd Date: 4/6/2008 Label: Nuclear Blast Records
When you are looking for a good solid thrashing there is nothing like a little Testament to set you right and this craving need was what drew over 1000 Metal maniacs to New York’s home for Metal – B.B. King Blues Club tonight. It was only a couple of years ago that the Bay Area Thrash Metal juggernauts had reunited with their full compliment of original members and delivered the CD and DVD “Live In London”. So great was the response to this release that new music would be planned for the not too distant future. The only difference in the lineup roster would be in terms of drummers as original member Louie Clemente would be replaced by Nick Barker who in turn would be replaced by Paul Bostaph. Testament music has always held a special place in the hearts and minds of Metal heads and while they never achieved the status of Metallica or Anthrax, their sound has never really suffered over the years nor did the band stray from its original course purely for the sake of commercial acceptance like some other bands had done over the years. They would bring with them two unsigned openers tonight and the task of gearing up the crowd fell to both Martyrd and Nethereal. I had never seen Martyrd perform before and tonight would not change this for me, and while I enjoyed some of what Nethereal had done when I caught them at another show, this evening was all about Testament for me and no one else would have managed to keep my interest. Based on the faces in the crowd when I walked in, I could tell that no one was left bored before Testament was set to come out. The show itself had been sold out for weeks and this was one of those events where you saw the audience filing in early to get a preferential spot either up front or at the bar. The best way to describe the mood and flowing energy around the club was best left at electric. It was a feeling that you had to be in the room to best appreciate but I am sure you can trust me on this. Continue reading Testament @ B.B. King Blues Club (4/6/2008)→
