In a brand new interview with the Land Of Music Podcast, guitarist Eric Peterson of San Francisco Bay Space thrash metallic veterans TESTAMENT confirmed that he and his bandmates have tapped Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has beforehand labored with OPETH, KREATOR, PARADISE LOST, SOILWORK and AMON AMARTH, amongst others, to combine their upcoming studio album. The LP will mark TESTAMENT‘s follow-up to 2020’s “Titans Of Creation”, which was co-produced by Juan Urteaga, who beforehand labored with TESTAMENT on “Darkish Roots Of Earth” (2012) and “Brotherhood Of The Snake” (2016).
Relating to the progress of the blending classes for TESTAMENT‘s new LP, Peterson mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I really begin mixing tomorrow till the top of the week with Jens Bogren. We’ve got our new ballad and about three different songs that we began mixing, however we dropped off as a result of the vocals weren’t accomplished but. So we have, like, per week to complete it to show all the things in. So that is what we’re doing. Yeah, we’re about 70, 80 % accomplished. So by subsequent Friday we’ll be ‘accomplished accomplished,’ after which we’re turning within the report.”
When Bogren‘s identify was first publicly floated final September in reference to TESTAMENT‘s upcoming album, Peterson instructed Brutal Planet Journal. “[Jens is] a producer from Sweden, and he is accomplished — God, he is accomplished KREATOR, he is doing the brand new BEHEMOTH, he is accomplished IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY. A variety of European bands. We often 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 job. And yeah, there’s a whole lot of loopy stuff on this report. I am excited for everyone to listen to it.”
Final August, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy instructed Oran O’Beirne of Overdrive.ie concerning the music course of the follow-up to “Titans Of Creation”: “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 [our new drummer] Chris [Dovas] — he is a youthful drummer, a extremely nice drummer — however I feel he introduced a brand new fireplace to Eric within the writing course of. And I imagine as a result of we’re happening 37 years of constructing data, it is form of full circle proper now. We’re form of impressed by new technology, 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 jot down some actually aggressive, quick, inventive riffs. And it actually impressed me to essentially push myself to attempt to perform a little extra screaming, loss of life vocals, melodic stuff. We even went so far as writing — I do not wanna say ‘ballad’, nevertheless it’s one thing actually catchy that is actually sluggish that is one thing we have not accomplished 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.”
When O’Beirne famous that TESTAMENT continues to “elevate the bar” with every successive launch, Billy concurred. “It is true,” he mentioned. “I feel since 2000, ‘The Gathering’ report is the place I feel TESTAMENT form of had a brand new life, I might say the second life TESTAMENT. After which I turned sick. After which after that, I did not assume I used to be really gonna be taking part in music anymore. I simply wasn’t the identical particular person. I might look within the mirror and I did not see the identical man. And after I beat it and survived it, I form of thought, ‘Okay, now it is time to proceed on with life.’ After which shortly after that we had the unique[-lineup] reunion. And I feel that is form of what actually set off the brand new lifetime of TESTAMENT, as a result of we had been writing music, jamming with the blokes who began it from the start and form of taking the perspective, like, ‘We’re gonna end this collectively, what we began.’ However over time, Louie [Clemente, former TESTAMENT drummer] needed to drop out ‘reason for well being causes; he could not maintain the sticks like he used to. So he needed to drop out. After which shortly after that Greg [Christian, former TESTAMENT bassist] dropped out. However from then on, I feel we have simply form of been writing for ourselves, possibly not likely caring what essentially the press thought. You all the time wanna impress the followers, however we had been actually writing to make us joyful.”
Earlier final August, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick instructed SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” concerning the band’s upcoming LP: “Nicely, I feel all people is aware of we went via a pair totally different drummers the previous couple years, I do know it is very ‘Spinal Faucet’… Life imitating artwork. There have been scheduling conflicts with Gene Hoglan. Then we obtained Dave Lombardo, who was superb, however when it got here to going all in on a subsequent report, Dave was overbooked. And we wanted any individual [who could step in]. And we have a brand new drummer. His identify’s Chris Dovas. He wasn’t even born when the primary TESTAMENT report got here out. However I’ve gotta say he’s lighting fires. He is lit a fireplace beneath all people and simply nice to play with. He nails all people’s elements from earlier than, however he has his personal model. And I am excited concerning the subsequent report.”
In June 2024, Chuck instructed Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone concerning the lyrical themes coated within the new TESTAMENT songs: “[It’s] not as targeted [on], like, the aliens, creating mankind and that form of stuff, however there may be a few of that. There’s quite a bit. Every tune positively has its personal identification lyrically. And once more, we’re writing stuff that’s actual, that occurs with the atmosphere; 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 happening in our world to jot down about now. It is a loopy world as we speak, so there’s a whole 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 after I sing ’em, I’ve extra conviction, I imagine in ’em a little bit extra. And possibly it is simpler for me to recollect the lyrics reside. [Laughs]”
Naming particular tracks, Chuck mentioned: “There is a tune, ‘Havana Syndrome’, which is concerning the Havana Syndrome. Individuals, look that up. There’s ‘Infanticide A.I.’, which is one other tune going A.I. course. And there is really a slower tune. We have not accomplished a slower tune. I am not gonna say ‘ballad’, however I am gonna say a slower tune that has a whole lot of groove and soul, known as ‘Meant To Be’. And it is like a basic TESTAMENT-type ballad, I suppose, in case you wanna use that phrase. However we have 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, though 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. In case you hearken to it, you may go, ‘That is TESTAMENT, however a little bit extra octane to it.'”
Additionally in June, Chuck instructed 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 feel he had large 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 provide you with a whole lot of the concepts and ideas, however he actually interprets and will get the best phrases, how one can say what I am considering. And we work quick. Once we get collectively, we’ll knock out like two songs in a day. So we do not fiddle. We get there, say hiya to one another, we sit down and we go proper to work. It is about what we do.”
In August 2023, Dovas was requested by Pod Scum if it was “unnerving” to step into a bunch whose listing of earlier drummers consists of such heavyweights as Lombardo and Hoglan. He responded: “It was, particularly at first as a result of I knew that a whole lot of eyes had been on me, and likewise I regarded as much as the band since I used to be a child. Particularly Lombardo and Gene — these are two of my favourite drummers proper there. So to be put in that scenario of taking up for them, I felt like I had a whole lot of accountability and a whole lot of… I felt like I had one thing to show a little bit bit, and I am nonetheless working towards quite a bit and I simply wanna do one of the best that I can do. Proper now I am not likely nervous anymore as a result of I’ve accomplished two full excursions with them now and we’re engaged on the [new TESTAMENT] album and the friendship has been growing now and all of us get alongside tremendous nicely. They’ve welcomed me with open arms and it has been nice and the followers have been nice. I have been placing hours and hours of follow into it to make it possible for I can do one of the best that I may do. And I look as much as Dave and I look as much as Gene as nicely, so, yeah, I simply wanna play the songs nicely reside and preserve making the band sound good.”
Previous to becoming a member of TESTAMENT as a full-time member, Dovas crammed in for Lombardo on the primary six dates of TESTAMENT‘s summer time/fall 2022 leg of “The Bay Strikes Again Tour”.
Picture credit score: Stephanie Cabral (courtesy of Nuclear Blast Data)
