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 mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Effectively, this [album is] gonna be very particular. I believe I am extra enthusiastic about this one, simply due to the very fact — the timing of the whole lot. I am a giant particular person believer in issues occur for causes. And [new TESTAMENT drummer] Chris Dovas jamming with us and having numerous time to return up and spend with Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] at Eric‘s place, simply jamming, arising numerous music and dealing on it onerous and monitoring it at dwelling and doing demos. And I may inform, after 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 track or singing — ‘Let’s simply jam.’ And that is the form of means they approached it. And subsequent factor , that they had 10, 11, 12 jams that had been sounding fairly sturdy, 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 the whole lot, that is after we had been form of, ‘Wow. It simply feels contemporary and new and difficult once more. Vocally, for me, I’ve bought a variety of tones on this one — I am screaming once more, which I have never performed that quite a bit on numerous information up to now, however quite a bit on this one. And we are nonetheless writing for ourselves, however we’re nonetheless excited that after we write a track, the way it hits dwell, and that is all the time been the payoff, is do these songs we write within the studio hit dwell like we would like ’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 document. I am tremendous excited for everyone to listen to it. It is in all places. It’s totally centered, however there’s numerous components occurring.”
Concerning the place TESTAMENT is within the manufacturing course of for the brand new album proper now, Eric mentioned: “I’d say we’re, like, 95 % performed recording it. There’s some solos to do… Drums, bass [are recorded]. Slightly little bit of guitars should be performed. Alex‘s [Skolnick, TESTAMENT lead guitarist] bought some solos [left to record], some solos for me. I believe Chuck‘s bought, like, two or three songs left to do. However the whole lot’s just about within the can. All of the onerous work’s performed. So, we are able to undoubtedly play it for folks and go, ‘Look, we have got a document.'”
As for a attainable launch date for the brand new TESTAMENT album, Peterson mentioned: “Positively for singles [it will be early 2025], sure. Launch-wise [for the full album], I’d say possibly extra in the summertime. I imply, I suppose we may push it and put it out in Might, however we’ll see what the document firm needs to do. Positively folks 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 a few of the band’s early information or if it is going to as soon as once more be a step ahead for the band. Chuck mentioned: “I believe we have all the time developed. We by no means wish to go backwards. These songs, undoubtedly 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 undoubtedly that is who we’re, however we all the time wanna evolve. We do not wanna do one thing we have performed. However I’ll say the brand new document, we’re very excited for it ‘trigger Chris Dovas, the brand new drummer, it is in all probability essentially the most a drummer has labored with Eric writing materials, and it exhibits.’
He continued: “The songs are very sturdy, very heavy, very quick. We have got somewhat of the whole lot. We have got some mid-tempo, however actually crushing quick drums. I’d 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 arrogance and the track is there that we wrote. This document, 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 believe 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 truly opens up the doorways for me, challenge-wise, to not simply take it the simple means out. I’ve actually had some challenges — much more screaming dying steel, mid-tempo clear vocals. I am doing somewhat little bit of the whole lot. 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 Flooring Jansen of NIGHTWISH. “Yeah, I reached out to her,” he mentioned. “Me and Flooring grew to become buddies possibly underneath 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 buddies. And he or she’s a powerhouse of a vocalist. Nice voice. And after we wrote the track and the lyrics, very first thing I assumed was, ‘Okay, this track, it, it wants a powerful lady’s voice,’ and, after all, Flooring is the primary one which got here to thoughts. And this track, it is gonna be fairly epic. We’re gonna put a string part on it, acoustic guitars. It is gonna have quite a bit occurring, but it surely’s a extremely, actually stunning track. It is actually deep. And with Flooring, it is form of me and her form of singing the lyrics form of to one another, and the that means of the track 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 sturdy, very cool. And I can not wait to listen to what she’s gonna do on it… We have not despatched it to her as a result of we have not laid down the acoustic guitars but for it, however the track’s performed. I tracked all of it. I tracked her elements. 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 large 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 Nineteen Eighties and Nineteen 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 dwelling studios to work out demos. Positively a unique writing course of, however nonetheless Eric is without doubt one of the fundamental 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 1732269062. 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 bought an previous soul so he is aware of the historical past of the music. However I believe 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 believe Chris and what he listens to and the type Eric likes, it introduced an affect to the brand new songs.”
Concerning the musical course of the brand new TESTAMENT materials, Chuck mentioned: “To me, the brand new songs sound present, they sound contemporary. They’re touching what numerous new upcoming bands are making good names for themselves are doing. So, once more, it is elevating the bar another time. And I believe when followers hear this document, 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 folks assume. I would 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 contemporary, 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 if you had been on a serious label like Atlantic, Chuck mentioned: “Completely. After we had been on Atlantic, that was a giant machine. That they had an A&R division, that they had the radio division, that they had tons of departments, tons of cash, they usually had been all the time influenced by how properly their big-selling artists had been, which had been radio bands they usually had been pushing radio. In order that A&R man can be whispering in our ears, ‘What is the subsequent radio track?’ And we’re considering, “Effectively, we’re not a radio band. That is not us.’ And even to at the present time, after 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 possibly of what TESTAMENT did or what they selected to reveal us to the general public, which it is misrepresenting us. So, yeah, the liberty’s large now, particularly being with Nuclear Blast so long as we’ve got. There isn’t any deadline. It is simply, ‘Whenever you’re prepared, you could have a document, give it to us.’ And that is been very nice. And the wonder about this document is that normally we’ve got Andy Sneap combine our document, so we normally write a document and provides it to him after which it is performed, written in stone, cannot return. However this document, we needed to choose a any person to combine it, which wasn’t accessible until early subsequent 12 months, January. So we determined, ‘Okay.’ We tried to get all of the monitoring performed earlier than we went to Europe this June or July, and we bought most of it performed.”
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 mentioned in regards to the LP: “It is, like, 90 % performed. And it is gonna get blended in December by Jens Bogren. He is a producer from Sweden, and he is performed — God, he is performed KREATOR, he is doing the brand new BEHEMOTH proper now, he is performed IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY. A whole 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 want a while off.’ It is a good swap, although. I believe Jens will do a superb job. And yeah, there’s numerous loopy stuff on this document. I am excited for everyone to listen to it.”
In August, Billy informed Oran O’Beirne of Overdrive.ie in regards to the musical course of the brand new TESTAMENT materials: “We all the time attempt to outdo ourselves or make a greater document 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 document. We form of bought all people in the identical room to essentially undergo the songs and form of put their two cents in to the preparations. I believe by having Chris — he is a youthful drummer, a extremely nice drummer — however I believe he introduced a brand new hearth to Eric within the writing course of. And I consider as a result of we’re occurring 37 years of constructing information, it is form of full circle proper now. We’re form of impressed by new era, I suppose, 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 write down some actually aggressive, quick, inventive riffs. And it actually impressed me to essentially push myself to attempt to perform a little extra screaming, dying 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 performed in over 30 years. So I believe simply the general songs and the arrogance within the penning this time actually is gonna stand out on this document.”
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 quite a bit. Every track 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 somewhat simpler. There’s a lot occurring in our world to write down about now. It is a loopy world immediately, so there’s numerous 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 believe after I sing ’em, I’ve extra conviction, I consider in ’em somewhat extra. And possibly it is simpler for me to recollect the lyrics dwell. [Laughs]”
Naming particular tracks, Chuck mentioned: “There is a track, ‘Havana Syndrome’, which is in regards to the Havana Syndrome. Individuals, look that up. There’s ‘Infanticide A.I.’, which is one other track going A.I. course. And there is truly a slower track. We have not performed a slower track. I am not gonna say ‘ballad’, however I am gonna say a slower track that has numerous groove and soul, referred to as ‘Meant To Be’. And it is like a basic TESTAMENT-type ballad, I suppose, if you happen to wanna use that phrase. However we have got somewhat little bit of the whole lot, however, once more, I believe 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 dying voice. I nonetheless put the hook in with extra of a melodic hook or one thing. It is nonetheless basic TESTAMENT. When you take heed to it, you may go, ‘That is TESTAMENT, however somewhat 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 mentioned. “He is been working with them and wrote with them a very long time in the past. I believe he had huge 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 correct phrases, easy methods to 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 stuffed in for Dave Lombardo on the primary six dates of TESTAMENT‘s summer time/fall 2022 leg of “The Bay Strikes Again Tour”.