Testament plan ‘old school thrash’ album for 2020

Testament have finished recording their new album and plan to release it in January 2020.

Speaking at Hellfest, singer Chuck Billy and guitarist Eric Peterson revealed that the band have laid down the tracks for the untitled album and are just waiting for Andy Sneap to finish touring with Judas Priest so he can mix it.

"Musically, it's a lot more thrash, I think, and more old school,” said Peterson. “I don't wanna say Mercyful Fate, but that kind of guitar harmonies and stuff like that. And lyrically, it's probably a little bit more storytelling, kind of evil shit, I guess. The label told us to write something evil, so…”

Billy added that the album would be “faster” than 2016’s Brotherhood Of The Snake.

"I give Eric credit, because he doesn't follow anybody else — he has his own taste in music, and he brings what he does to Testament,” said the singer. “And it always keeps us on our toes, and me especially, because when I hear the riff, I expect, 'Maybe it's gonna be the old-school thrash — maybe.' But then when I get it, okay, I hear the thrash, but then there's some new elements and maybe some new chords that he chooses to play that maybe aren't comfortable for me. And when I first hear them, I go, 'Wow. That's different.’”

Dave Everley has been writing about and occasionally humming along to music since the early 90s. During that time, he has been Deputy Editor on Kerrang! and Classic Rock, Associate Editor on Q magazine and staff writer/tea boy on Raw, not necessarily in that order. He has written for Metal Hammer, Louder, Prog, the Observer, Select, Mojo, the Evening Standard and the totally legendary Ultrakill. He is still waiting for Billy Gibbons to send him a bottle of hot sauce he was promised several years ago.