Ever since TESTAMENT made their prolific comeback last year with the uber-phenominal "The Formation Of Damnation", they been riding the A-train on a one way trip to domination. These Thrash giants don't need to prove anything to anyone; not their like-counterparts, not new Thrash bands, not even themselves - no one. The chemistry within the band has never been better, largely due to the return of axe-slinger Alex Skolnick. Now TESTAMENT are in the midst of another touring run in support of the new album, and once they've completed that, they'll be heading back into the studio to record a follow-up, which lead vocalist Chuck Billy says will be a challenge but they are up for the task.

Can you tell us how the tour is going so far?

"So far it's good. This is the third show (Vancouver, BC). It's just starting. We've been touring a lot all year for this record ('The Formation Of Damnation') and then we took a month off. So, we're getting back is like starting day one again, but it's going smooth. It's going really good. We've got some really good bands on the bill, so it's good, and we're hitting a lot of places we haven't hit in a long time and getting some good venues, you know. This (Commodore Ballroom) is definitely better than where we played last time (before the Metal Masters Tour with JUDAS PRIEST). Last year we were here and it was like three feet of snow. And that was a really shitty club that one. Can't remember the name of that one."

So you guys are touring through Canada for the next week and then you are back in the States. Do you notice a difference between the Canadian and American crowds?

"The only thing I've noticed really is that Canadians buy their tickets in advance, while Americans, they all come the day of the show, you know. They don't buy their tickets well in advance. But as far as the fans go, it's all the same, you know. I mean, with this type of music there is always going to be a young teenager, a rebellious kid that wants something a little more aggressive. I think it's about the same."

Why do you think Americans wait until the last day to get their tickets?

"I don't know. I don't know if there is just so much traffic - bands coming through - I don't know. Metalheads must be indecisive and wait 'til the last minute to go (laughs). 'Yeah, I'm gonna go'... and then they decide to go. We always have a pretty good walk-up every show so it's like...it's always deceiving. You come to the venue, you sell tickets and you're arguing with the promoter because of the ticket sales and then it sends up being great, you know. So it's just weird like that, I don't know if it's just the industry right now and the hard times now. I don't know. People don't want to let go of their money - if it's a sure thing - I don't know."

Do you think the economy is affecting the Metal industry right now?

"Yeah. It's affecting everything. You can only spend so much money for so many concerts a month, especially 'cause there are a lot of great bands out there and it's hard to make a decision on who you're going to spend your money on. Ticket, T-shirt, you know, it adds up."

You know, Chuck I think maybe one of the reasons why fans, and this is a fact, wait until the last minute is maybe because they're concerned that the tour might be cancelled because of the economic hardship.

"Yeah, I think that probably has something to do with it. People just want to make sure it's happening, or they're just not sure if they want to spend the money 'til the day of the show, you know. And then the day of the show it's like 'Okay, they're here, let's go!'"

The new album is called "The Formation Of Damnation". Looking back on all the years you guys have been playing, how would you compare the success on the touring for this album with the past albums?

"It's different times. Metal was really thriving in the 80's. 90's was slowed down because of the whole grunge movement. 2000's...it's got fire under it. There are a lot more Metal bands - a lot of really good Metal bands going out there."

Who do you think is really good these days? Obviously, there's a resurgence of Thrash going on.

"I like them all. When we were playing, there were only a handful of bands that were doing Thrash and now there are bands from every part of the world, every country playing this type of music, which is great. It's great for this type of music and it's getting exposure and people are starting to pay attention to it. Younger fans that are hearing about the newer bands...last night we saw some kids that never even knew who we were. They came to see UNEARTH and after the show they were hanging out at the bus and like 'I never heard you guys but I'm a fan, you guys are cool and you guys put on a great show. I never heard but now I'm a fan.' So there you go, some younger kids that never heard of a band twenty years old. It's going to happen but that's the beauty of having a good package and the new Metal bands like we got because we have some old fans that probably don't know them and vice-versa so it's working for both, it's a good blend."

How can someone not know?

"They were young kids...really young. Seattle - first show of the tour - we're sitting on the bus, we see the line. We're playing all-age venues and we're watching the all the people lining up standing in the rain for like two and a half hours and we're like 'Man, they're kids!' That was the first comment and as an hour goes by we're looking and two girls are up front row playing patty-cake. My god, what has it come to? We've got some kids in line that are that young that have probably never heard of us but they're coming to see some Metal. It was just weird, getting such young fans that come out which is great for us."

It's good to see the younger generation embracing Metal like they are.

"Yeah, and girls - it's not just all guys like it used to be, it's girls, which is great...especially for the bands. It's great having guy fans, but come on, it's nice to see some girls into it too."

You like to use the phrase 'Heavy Metal Forever'. That's good to hear. You guys are a veteran band and you guys are Metal to the core, you have Metal hearts. How does it feel at the end of the show when you say something like that or in a posting on the internet?

"Well, the response when you see them back right away 'YEAH!', you know."

It's great to see you guys still going strong. You took quite a long break; you had your bout there.

"Yeah, and then it was a different band over time after I got better. We're just doing it just to go have fun and get out there. Then when we got the reunion thing going, it was a special spark that we were missing for all those years not having Alex in the group, and Greg. With them playing, it gives us our sound so once we started playing with them back in the group and we decided that we're going to do a record together, that's when we said now it's not just a little bit here and there, we're going to tour our ass off and play, play, play, play, play...it's time, and everybody's down to do it, so 'OK, here go'. It's been great. We've covered so much ground over the last year and got to a lot of places we haven't been in a long time. Doing the Metal Masters tour was real helpful - getting to a lot of fans and let them know that we're still happening. The same with Europe - we did the Priest Feast over there with MEGADETH and PRIEST. Same thing, we haven't done a real extensive European tour in a long time and we did all over UK. That really, really hopefully set us up for when we come back this summer. The phrase 'Out of sight, out of mind' is true. We've just been playing, playing, playing and it's almost funny because now our agent says 'Well you've already been there and now they just don't want to get you because you've just been there so soon'. Wow, I couldn't have imagined that would ever be a problem. We haven't been around in years to tour like we're doing now so first time we do it, it's 'What do you mean we've been back too soon?' What do other bands do - other bands tour every year and do their circuit, so what's the difference?"

So, you mentioned you were just on tour with PRIEST and MEGADETH; that's reminiscent of the tour you did with them before.

"Exactly. It was '91 because it was the 'Painkiller' record. It was up here in Canada that we kicked off the tour, but I think we started in Montreal."

How did it feel to be touring with those two bands again?

"It was great because we did PRIEST in the US but when we got to Europe, then MEGADETH jumped on. It was just like old times. David and I are good friends so it was a good tour, really good. It was a strong package. Fans came out and seen us. Usually the opening acts miss - half the fans aren't there yet. It was even tough because we went on pretty early so people are getting off work and trying to get to the show to make it, but they did and it was really good."

Three of the top Metal bands in the world - TESTAMENT, MEGADETH, and PRIEST. You can't get a better package than that.

"It was a really, really good package."

You mentioned Greg and Alex are back in the band...are they back permanently?

"Well, I can't speak for them and who knows, but we're doing everything we can to make them comfortable. We're having fun and that's the whole thing...we're not trying to work too hard where it's not fun - just enough to be comfortable, have fun, have a good time and get to play all our old stuff."

Alex has been doing his jazz trio for so long, I personally never thought that he would come back to TESTAMENT.

"Neither did we because when he left the band to pursue his jazz thing, a lot of fans still followed him to his jazz gigs and would bring TESTAMENT stuff and it really kind of bugged him a little bit because he wanted to make his name and do his jazz and that was behind him. I don't know what it was, I think he recorded on a LAMB OF GOD record a couple songs, and then when I got sick, he came out and they did a show with the original lineup. That was the first time and I got to play one song with them. That was the first time we all got back together in fifteen years, and that was cool. That's what kind of sparked the interest to do this. After I was sick, after we did a benefit show, the next couple of days we recorded the 'First Strike Still Deadly' record which was a re-recording of all the old stuff because Atlantic wouldn't let us remix them, so we decided let's just re-record them. So we asked Alex and Alex said 'Yeah sure, let's do it'. At that point we said 'Right on' and we knew that this is kind of breaking the ice a little bit. So then he recorded it and after doing the LAMB OF GOD thing, he realized that, well he did SAVATAGE and all this other stuff...'Why do that when I've got a band that I started with and I've got song interest in, and they're my friends still? They're still doing it, they're still out doing TESTAMENT'. It made sense, so 'Let's give it a shot'. It was only supposed to be one show because I was trying to get on the Dynamo Festival and I called the promoter and he told me that he just secured the ANTHRAX original lineup, and could TESTAMENT's original lineup play. That was the first band we went to Europe with so it really made sense. I said 'I'll call everybody' and I called everybody up and within a week's time everybody said 'Yeah, let's do it, sounds good.' So the one show turned into ten and that was that. Then we got offered another thirty shows and decided let's keep doing it, we're having fun. We never really pushed or talked about it, let's just take it one show at a time and see how it goes. The next thing you know, a year and a half went by and 'Hey, this is going pretty good, we're having good times. Are you guys thinking about recording a record with us?' That's when they said 'Yeah' and we dove right in and started writing."

We all chose "The Formation Of Damnation" as either number 1 or 2 album last year because it's such a phenomenal album.

"Everybody asked 'Why did it take so long to do a record?' We weren't happy with the label, and I got sick. When we got back, we weren't happy with the label because they weren't doing a good job, they weren't marketing, promoting, doing anything. 'Why are we going to bust our ass and give them a record when they're just going to do nothing with it?' So that's why we did 'Live In London' and 'First Strike Still Deadly', we were trying to stall them out and buy some time. Then as it turned out, they didn't even tell us, we heard thorough the grapevine that they sold the label. So we called up Sheridan Square who they sold it to and said 'Hey, we're TESTAMENT, what's going on?' They said 'Nothing, we're not releasing any new music, we're only signing gospel acts.' 'OK, where does TESTAMENT fit in?' 'Well, you don't. What do you guys want?' 'We want to be released from our contract, let go.' They said 'No problem.' At the end of the day we had a signed release, and then we decided let's go back and get our records back too. We went in there and got our albums back. We're finally free. Nuclear Blast had wanted us for about ten years but they didn't want to buy the contract. So as soon as we were free, first call - 'Nuclear Blast, we're free.' We called a bunch of other labels and Nuclear Blast stepped up - best offer, best deal, first deal to the table...they wanted it - and that's where we wanted to be. Since we've been there, it's been great. We're a priority over there, they really take care of us."

Well, they're one of the most prominent Metal labels there is. They're dedicated to 100% Metal and they've got such a wide variety on their roster, it's not just Thrash Metal.

"Well, they're all great and they all believe in Metal. We were bitching because Spitfire, over ten years or more relationship we had, not one person ever came to one of our shows. They talked us into shooting our DVD in London because it's close to their home and all that, so we said OK and went there - none of them even showed up. So right there it told us, these guys don't even give a shit. It all happened for a reason. Alex came back. Nuclear Blast is in the picture. We've got new management. We've got new booking agents. We totally redid it all gearing up to take this serious again and hit the road and do it. So that's what we kind of did and everything's been great. Then we did the record and we knew that 'The Gathering', I thought, was our best record up to that point. It's got to be better than 'The Gathering' or our fans are going to crucify us because we haven't had a record in nine years and if it sucks, it's a waste of time. So, we're writing the record, and we knew we had some good songs but weren't really sure. We just kept writing and writing and the day we finished mixing the record, put it all in sequence, and sat down and said 'OK, let's listen to the record'. We put it on and listened to the whole thing start to finish and once it ended me and Eric just looked and said 'Dude, I think we did it. I think this is better than 'The Gathering'. We high-fived and it sounded better, the whole thing really melted well. 'This is a fucking kick-ass record.' We were really excited. 'I can't wait to play this for everybody and see what people think.' The press got it and it was just what we had hoped for. It's been great. The fans as well, it was what they had hoped for. To get all the praise and the album of the year and all that...People ask 'How does it feel?' 'It feels fucking good...it's about fucking time!' (laughs) We've been working hard and this record we really thought it out, talked about what we needed to accomplish, set out our goals, set marks for us. We accomplished every one of them and the fucking record is kicking ass! So we're proud and everybody's like 'You don't want to me too modest about it'...we worked hard, and it's a fucking great record you know. We just want to be able to push it down people's throat that it's a good record and it's been great and the rest of the world kind of agrees with us on it so it's a really good feeling, a really good accomplishment. It's the first time we ever sat down as a band and said 'What do we need to do to make this record better than the last one?' We've never done that, so this year we did. We said exactly what we wanted it to sound like, how we were going to do it...and we did it."

Well, it's TESTAMENT on steroids if you ask me.

"Well, from the 'Low' record up until the present, we weren't writing songs built for a lead guitar player. We were just writing riffs and writing songs, so it didn't have that same flow like the old style. When Alex got back in the group, when we started writing, we went back to the same mentality as the way we wrote before. 'OK, this is going to be the lead section. This is going to be the intro. You're going to do dueling guitars here.' So, it really was like the way we used to do it. I think that's what really rubbed off on the writing of the songs."

You guys obviously have a formula that works.

"We noticed that right out of the gate, right when we started playing at the first rehearsal. It was a little rough and then on day two, it was like we never left each other in twenty years...it was just tight. We've had the best drummers and guitar players playing with us, but with the original guys, there's just nothing like it...just the chemistry. We need to do whatever we need to do to make these guys stay...and we're all grown up. Alex left just because...he was fifteen years old when he joined the band, did the first record at sixteen, and then left the band at twenty-three. So his whole teenage years growing up was this band and being on tour. He didn't know anything else but heavy Metal so he really wanted to pursue jazz and other music and do that, so it came that point in time where he said 'I have to step down and do what I need to do'. We were all still friends so it wasn't like a bad breakup, just a sad breakup. At the time, it was when grunge was happening so he felt that it was just the time to do something different, make a change. But, here we are back together, and it's like we haven't missed a step."

How do you feel about that whole era of the 90's with the Seattle grunge scene?

"It sucked for Metal bands but me and Eric forged ahead and decided that it wasn't going to slow us up. We're even going to try to write harder music and heavier music, and go a little more aggressive and go against it. We decided that we're going to take this underground - we're going to be an underground Metal band...so that's what we did."

People keep saying that Metal is still underground, someone said to me earlier today 'Metal is still underground and always will be.' What do you think about that?

"No, not anymore, not in the last five years, especially with all the Ozzfests and all the good festivals now happening in America because we never had those, they were always in Europe. It's getting recognized; even corporate people are seeing that. All these Metal bands are coming to their town on big tours and it's getting recognized. It's about time."

Do you think Metal is going to keep climbing?

"Yeah, it's not going anywhere."

It never did.

"But it has expanded as far as territories now, countries, there's a lot of good Metal, a lot of good music."

There is, there is...and I think TESTAMENT...you guys are one of the leaders I think.

"Well we have our own style. There are a lot of newer bands that kind of mold to their favourite new popular band and kind of try to mold their sound. We never ever tried to do what was ever in and current at the time. I knew that Eric and Alex had a special chemistry and formula. That's what drew me to the band in the first place and I knew that that was special...and it is, it still is to this day. That's what sets them apart from a lot of the other bands. We could just write on E and chug and do timing drifts but everybody does that now. We've been out so long we can't go around back now, we just keep moving forward, just be TESTAMENT."

What's going on with DDP (DUBLIN DEATH PATROL) right now?

"They're writing some new tunes and by the end of the year we'll record a new record. That's just a fun thing that we do - pick some more favourite covers, they're writing some originals right now. It's just fun to go out with those guys because we all grew up together and we've got so many stories about the neighbourhood, or the high school, or a certain kegger party. When we do that tour, it's about just storytelling. We all just sit around, get drunk, and tell stories. We just reminisce and it's fun."

How is the Bay area scene now compared to in the 80's?

"It's not even close to the same. The 80's were such a special scene because there were so many places to play and a lot of bands were coming out and playing that style of music, Thrash. I think, really, it was METALLICA that gave everybody that insight in the Bay area. They were so cool because they didn't want to do videos or radio, none of that stuff...it was just about playing. Everybody respected that and said 'Man that's cool. I wanna be cool like that too.' So everybody started playing that style of music. The funny thing about the Bay area, the unique thing, is that there's a DEATH ANGEL, FORBIDDEN, VIO-LENCE, TESTAMENT, EXODUS...all these bands, but none of us sound the same, like each other. If it was a different place, I think they all might sound like...Seattle, you get NIRVANA and PEARL JAM, and everybody trys to sound like NIRVANA and PEARL JAM. We all had METALLICA, but we all didn't try to sound like METALLICA, everyone had their own identity which was really, really unique. If you think about it, the Bay area coming up, being as historical as it is and the times, everybody had their own deal and that was cool. Look at the bands now doing it still today. They all grew up in their own thing and that's it...DEATH ANGEL is DEATH ANGEL, EXODUS is EXODUS, TESTAMENT is TESTAMENT. But we all have that attitude that METALLICA kind of gave us, that energy of trying to be...the music, it's the music."

What do you think about what METALLICA's doing these days?

"I like the last record, this last one. I think 'Load' and 'ReLoad', I think that's the first CD I ever returned. I didn't really return it. If I'm buying something I but it, and I'm a great big METALLICA fan, always have been, but that record pissed me off. So I listened to it and I said 'There's no fuckin' way Lars' snare sounds like that. There's no fuckin' way. This is a joke right?'"

Are you talking about "Load" and "ReLoad", or "St. Anger"?

"No, 'St. Anger'. 'There's no way! This is a joke right? This is not real.' And I found out it was real, and I thought 'That's it, I'm taking this record back. Now they're crossing the line. His snare is starting to sound...like...shit!'"

I couldn't even get through it. I had to force myself to listen to that album once.

"Oh, it's terrible! I couldn't understand the logic...and you read about it 'Oh, everybody liked my old snare sound so now I'm trying to reinvent something new.' Nobody wants crap on their record sounding like that - that sounds like shit! (laughs) Nobody! Who's going to try to mimic that...no one! And to this day, nobody's tried to mimic it so who knows...bad coke binge that week or what, but it was terrible. And then what I really didn't like it for either, because I always looked up to Hetfield as a lyricist - he had great lyrics all the time...and then when they started letting the rest of the band members share in the lyric writing, to me was wrong. To me, he lost all his conviction. He really got into his lyrics; you really felt what he was saying. I just didn't feel it when he was singing somebody else's words - and I think him too...just going through the motions."

Do you think METALLICA sold out?

"They say they sell out every night. At some point, I think you have to just play what you want to play and believe in and enjoy doing. Somewhere along the way they got totally sidetracked on what they were doing, I think, or what they stood for. I'm sure they've read it and heard it from their fans all day long. They still sell millions of records every release they do, but they're not selling eighteen million like they were on the 'Black' record. Obviously, they see eighteen million to the new one, three and a half million or whatever. That's a big change, so I'm sure they said 'Wow. We didn't hit the nail on the head on this one.' Every METALLICA show they play, they'll sell out, make a million bucks playing it. It's hard to say, if you're worth over a hundred million dollars, each person...and having a twenty plus year career. Maybe they just think 'I'm just doing it, they're going to pay...whatever. I'm just playing what I want to play. If they don't like it, so what, we're going to still play concerts, sell it out, sell a shitload of merchandise. I'm sure all the records still sell a million records a year. I don't know...I know if I had a hundred million dollars in my bank account I'd have a different attitude too. I think anybody would. (laughs)"

What drives TESTAMENT, what motivates TESTAMENT to continue?

"Right now...it's the band - the guys in the group. It's something that we started together and it would be nice to finish it together. Right now, especially accomplishing the record, I think that's the backbone of the whole thing. It's really making us go 'Hey, this record is album of the year - people love it. Here we go...we're doing something right.' We've got the boys and we're happy and we're having fun doing it. We're experiencing sharing this together again. That just keeps driving us. We're taking every show offered to us; we're not turning shit down. You want us, we're playing."

What's next in your plans?

"We're touring on this all the way through the end of September. In September, Alex starts his TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. So, from September-October-November-December-January, we take off and that's when we start working on the new record. We just had a new studio built while we were in Europe so we're just getting the final touches in it and then after we get home from Europe, we'll head right into the studio and get right to work."

So it will be the fall?

"Yeah, we're trying to shoot again for mid-April, like we did for this release."

So that's your own studio?

"Uh-huh."

That's awesome. Have you had your own studio before?

"Yeah, but it was a real small one, we just expanded it a little - made some bigger rooms, bigger control rooms."

That must be exciting for you guys.

"Yeah, it's nice. The reason we did it, because we've been at the studio for a long time. We know we're going to write a record...so it's nice to get something new, a new vibe and everything. It'll be nice when we get home, a new building, everything's just ready, sitting waiting for us. It lights us up so we've got something to look forward to, to get into the studio."

So, obviously you guys have ideas for the album.

"Yeah, Eric's got a shitload."

How would you describe what fans can expect from the new album?

"Well, I think it's going to be a lot of this vein. Eric writes most of it out. Alex wrote two of the songs, so I don't know how much he's going to put into it on this one because he's busy on the orchestra stuff. He'll probably do a couple songs again. Eric's got his own vision of what he wants to do with this band. He loves black Metal, he does the DRAGONLORD stuff so there's little elements of that stuff in our music now 'cuz he loves that - but he knows where to draw the line and not go overboard with it. With all the success of the record and everybody fired up, it's going to be something everybody's looking forward to and excited to get in there and do it. It's like a challenge. We all love a challenge and we've got to now top this record."

You think you can do it?

"I hope so. (laughs) We're in the same boat we were doing this one because we had 'The Gathering' but we did it, so if we can at least write some songs like this one we'll be happy, and have the production sound pretty good." [FIN]