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Features, Tours and Festivals

Testament Announces North American Tour

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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!»
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Music, Reviews

“First Strike Still Deadly” (reissue) by Testament

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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.
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Events, Reviews

Judas Priest/Heaven & Hell @ PNC Bank Arts Center (8/9/2008)

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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.

Logo - Judas Priest

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.
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Events, Reviews

Testament @ B.B. King Blues Club (4/6/2008)

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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.

Logo - Testament

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.
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Music, Reviews

“The Spitfire Collection” by Testament

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Artist: Testament
Title: “The Spitfire Collection”
Label: Spitfire Records
Release Date: 3/13/2007
Genre: Heavy Metal
Rating: 3.5/5

Testament has long been a band that is listed among the revered when it comes to the brand of Thrash Metal that originated from the Bay Area in California so many years ago. Albums such as “Practice What You Preach”, “The Ritual” and “Souls Of Black” are cited as classics in the genre and the membership of Billy, Clemente, Skolnick, Christian and Peterson are named as legends in Heavy Metal as a whole based on these releases. While popular with Metal heads far and wide, they would not achieve the levels of success that bands like Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth did but despite this would continue to thrive for the sake of the genre. “The Spitfire Collection” is an interesting release for while it might touch upon a couple of notable numbers from the bands historic past, its true aim is to give you a taste of the bands last decade or so. The CD covers the albums “Live At The Fillmore”, “The Gathering”, “Demonic”, “First Strike Still Deadly” and “Live In London”, all of which were released on this label when the band signed on to them. As you leaf through the liner notes, you will see that while Testament remained a very active band since their inception, they were plagued with a number of lineup changes over the years. Don’t get me wrong as these changes would often find some incredible players in the bands roster, and how bad could they do with drummers such as Gene Hoglan and Dave Lombardo behind the kit. The material presented from both “The Gathering” and “Demonic” is perhaps the heaviest that the band would ever release and the songs showed the band could change with the times as necessary. Through it all, Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson remained the only members of the original lineup across this span of albums. The changes continued until making almost a complete 360 degree turn as the original members would reunite for the “Live In London” CD and DVD. The album closes with three tracks from this particular release and should make many run to the shops or online to purchase their own copy.
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