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 periods for TESTAMENT‘s new LP, Peterson stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I really begin mixing tomorrow till the top of the week with Jens Bogren. We’ve our new ballad and about three different songs that we began mixing, however we dropped off as a result of the vocals weren’t performed but. So we have, like, every week to complete it to show the whole lot in. So that is what we’re doing. Yeah, we’re about 70, 80 p.c performed. So by subsequent Friday we’ll be ‘performed performed,’ after which we’re turning within the document.”
When Bogren‘s identify was first publicly floated final September in reference to TESTAMENT‘s upcoming album, Peterson informed Brutal Planet Journal. “[Jens is] a producer from Sweden, and he is performed — God, he is performed KREATOR, he is doing the brand new BEHEMOTH, he is performed IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY. A number 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 want a while off.’ It is a good swap, although. I believe Jens will do a superb job. And yeah, there’s loads of loopy stuff on this document. I am excited for everyone to listen to it.”
Final August, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy informed Oran O’Beirne of Overdrive.ie concerning the music path of the follow-up to “Titans Of Creation”: “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 sort of bought all people in the identical room to actually undergo the songs and sort of put their two cents in to the preparations. I believe by having [our new drummer] Chris [Dovas] — he is a youthful drummer, a extremely nice drummer — however I believe he introduced you recognize a brand new fireplace to Eric within the writing course of. And I consider as a result of we’re happening 37 years of creating data, it is sort of full circle proper now. We’re sort of impressed by new era, I assume, of music and metallic. And Chris is an enormous a part of that. He is an enormous fan of that. So I believe he impressed Eric simply to put in writing some actually aggressive, quick, inventive riffs. And it actually impressed me to actually 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’, nevertheless it’s one thing actually catchy that is actually gradual that is one thing we’ve not performed in over 30 years. So I believe simply the general songs and the boldness within the scripting this time actually is gonna stand out on this document.”
When O’Beirne famous that TESTAMENT continues to “elevate the bar” with every successive launch, Billy concurred. “It is true,” he stated. “I believe since 2000, ‘The Gathering’ document is the place I believe TESTAMENT sort of had a brand new life, I might say the second life TESTAMENT. After which I grew to become in poor health. After which after that, I did not assume I used to be really gonna be enjoying music anymore. I simply wasn’t the identical individual. I might look within the mirror and I did not see the identical man. And after I beat it and survived it, I sort 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 believe that is sort of what actually set off the brand new lifetime of TESTAMENT, as a result of we have been writing music, jamming with the fellows who began it from the start and sort 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 ‘explanation 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 believe we have simply sort of been writing for ourselves, possibly probably not caring what essentially the press thought. You all the time wanna impress the followers, however we have been actually writing to make us pleased.”
Earlier final August, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick informed SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” concerning the band’s upcoming LP: “Nicely, I believe all people is aware of we went by way of a pair totally different drummers the previous couple years, I do know it’s totally ‘Spinal Faucet’… Life imitating artwork. There have been scheduling conflicts with Gene Hoglan. Then we bought Dave Lombardo, who was wonderful, however when it got here to going all in on a subsequent document, Dave was overbooked. And we would have liked someone [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 document 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 components from earlier than, however he has his personal fashion. And I am excited concerning the subsequent document.”
In June 2024, Chuck informed Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Bone concerning the lyrical themes lined within the new TESTAMENT songs: “[It’s] not as targeted [on], like, the aliens, creating mankind and that sort of stuff, however there may be a few of that. There’s rather a lot. Every music 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 an enormous factor. So, there’s all the time an inspiration for songs. I believe it is somewhat simpler. There’s a lot happening in our world to put in writing about now. It is a loopy world right now, so there’s loads of stuff to speak about. And I like singing about what’s actual and what is going on on as an alternative 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 stay. [Laughs]”
Naming particular tracks, Chuck stated: “There is a music, ‘Havana Syndrome’, which is concerning the Havana Syndrome. Individuals, look that up. There’s ‘Infanticide A.I.’, which is one other music going A.I. path. And there is really a slower music. We’ve not performed a slower music. I am not gonna say ‘ballad’, however I am gonna say a slower music that has loads of groove and soul, referred to as ‘Meant To Be’. And it is like a basic TESTAMENT-type ballad, I assume, when you wanna use that phrase. However we have somewhat little bit of the whole lot, however, once more, I believe it is actually sticking to TESTAMENT, having to have some melodic stuff, although 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. Should you take heed to it, you will 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 stated. “He is been working with them and wrote with them a very long time in the past. I believe 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 provide you with loads of the concepts and ideas, however he actually interprets and will get the correct phrases, learn how 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 hey 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 record 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 loads of eyes have 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 state of affairs of taking up for them, I felt like I had loads of duty and loads of… I felt like I had one thing to show somewhat bit, and I am nonetheless working towards rather a lot and I simply wanna do one of the best that I can do. Proper now I am probably not nervous anymore as a result of I’ve performed two full excursions with them now and we’re engaged on the [new TESTAMENT] album and the friendship has been creating 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 apply into it to ensure that 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 stay and maintain making the band sound good.”
Previous to becoming a member of TESTAMENT as a full-time member, Dovas stuffed in for Lombardo on the primary six dates of TESTAMENT‘s summer time/fall 2022 leg of “The Bay Strikes Again Tour”.
Photograph credit score: Stephanie Cabral (courtesy of Nuclear Blast Information)
