Testament Learn From Judas Priest

Given the impact that Testament's ninth album, The Formation Of Damnation, has had on the metal world in the past year, the reunion of original members Chuck Billy on vocals, guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson, bassist Greg Christian and Apocalyptic City-era drummer Paul Bostaph has got the band hitting the road stronger than ever.

CHARTattack caught up with Billy at home between Testament's European tour and their highly anticipated upcoming North American summer run. He spoke about the upcoming performances and the importance of harmony while on the road.

CHARTattack: So you just got back from Europe with this lineup. Is everything going well between you guys?
Billy: Yeah, I think so. I mean, we're not trying to talk about it or deal with it. Everybody just tries to make it comfortable and with no issues, you know, because going on the road can be tough. Being away from your family and everybody can be tough.

We just got off the Priest Feast tour and did seven weeks in Europe. We played every day. We didn't hardly take any time off, but we're geared up and ready to go for this next trip. You've got to get along or it's not going to work.

Now, you're about to hit the road with Unearth and Lazarus A.D. Did you have any involvement in setting up the tour?
Yup. I mean, we haven't done a proper U.S. tour in a while, and every time we play, it seems like we're just using local acts. This year, we decided to put a package together and put some bands together that can go out and have some fun. Unearth, they have some great records and they're perfect for the support.

So what does it take for one of these younger bands to tour with Testament?
Well, I don't know. As far as us just all day hanging around, I think we have definitely been influenced by the way Judas Priest treated us for the last year. These guys have been playing for 38 years and are still a class act and really take care of their opening acts.

There are no games, like, "You don't get all the lights. You don't get all the sound." There's none of that kind of stuff, and when you see that coming from a band that's been doing it for 30-something years, it's just confidence in what they do. They're Judas Priest and they just go out and kick butt every night.

I think a lot of that really kind of rubbed off on us. We definitely want to take care of anybody that's travelling with us, our opening acts, and make sure they have a good show. I think any new bands that travel with us will really say, like, "Man, they took really good care of us and we had a good time."

And that attitude is something that probably just comes with maturity as well.
Yeah, definitely, man. There are a lot of bands out there that we've played with that were just kind of jerks and they would just never talk to you. They've got an attitude or they've got security keeping you away from them.

I don't get it. We're not the rabid public. We're part of the bands playing on the tour, and you get treated just like you're one of the guys in the crowd, and that really kind of burns you up. It's like your fans are who keep you in this business for a long time, not being a dick. That's for sure.

Something I notice when you're performing on stage is the joy in your face when you look over your fans.
I mean, we're just having a blast. The last time we came to Canada, shit, we were only playing 30-minute or 40-minute shows, and they go by really quick. So it's almost like, no time to talk, let's just jam.

It's always a good feeling when fans get excited to see you and want to crowd out in front of you while you're performing, especially on the Metal Masters tour, because we only get to play six songs on that show. So when people come to see you, it really makes you feel very appreciated. We want to give that appreciation back.