Testament seems to be at a creative crossroads, embracing their past while forging a fresh path forward with their upcoming (and long-awaited) studio album. According to frontman Chuck Billy, the band’s latest work strikes an intriguing balance.
“I’m not going to say you’re going to hear a 1980s Testament. I would have to say you’re going to hear a 1980s modern Testament. Because it really is,” he tells Full Metal Jackie during her weekend radio show (as transcribed by Loudwire). This description definitely sets high expectations for longtime fans, hinting at a sound rooted in the band’s legacy but with a contemporary edge.
Billy also candidly reflected on the shifting musical landscape of the 1990s and how the rise of grunge reshaped Testament’s trajectory. When asked about the grunge era’s influence, Billy shared a nuanced perspective. While he acknowledged his admiration for bands like Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, he noted, “There are people that say grunge killed metal. I don’t know if it killed metal. I just think some bands, and I can only speak for us, but it killed our momentum.”
The early 90s marked a promising period for Testament. With albums like “Practice What You Preach” and “Souls of Black,” the band enjoyed an unprecedented level of exposure. Metal was finally breaking into mainstream radio, even reaching coveted drive-time slots across hundreds of stations. For a brief moment, heavier music seemed poised to achieve broader acceptance. But the advent of grunge brought a swift and stark shift in the cultural zeitgeist.
“During that time, we were getting exposure on radio, actually having metal played during drive time traffic, which was awesome to us for both Practice and Souls of Black in that era. There was. God, it had to be a couple hundred stations across the country that were playing metal during drive-time traffic. You just didn’t have the midnight show on college radio. So metal was getting a chance. It was getting exposure for a little bit, even more extreme style metal,” Billy remembered.
As Testament saw their momentum wane, the band faced a difficult choice: adapt to the changing times or double down on their identity. For Billy and his bandmates, the path forward was clear.
“It didn’t kill us, but it changed our perspective seeing what was happening to the other bands. The momentum slowed down and we had to shift gears to kind of go back to our roots. It wasn’t about writing a song that was going to get exposure on the radio anymore because it was kind of changing. And of course, we weren’t going to try to be Soundgarden or Pearl Jam. So we shifted back to where we started,” he explained.
Instead, they returned to their roots, embracing heavier and more aggressive songwriting. “Let’s go back and write heavier songs and more aggressive songs. Get back to what we know, what we love and just stick with that.”
The decision wasn’t without challenges. Testament’s lineup underwent significant changes, with Alex Skolnick and Louie Clemente departing. Meanwhile, their record label relationship was in flux, leaving the band uncertain about their future. Yet, they persevered. “The label was about to end our career with Atlantic. And we maybe would not have a label. Who’s going to sign us? So it was a different time, a crossover time for this band. But I think we did have the full foresight to stay true to what we do and finally eventually find that right label that’s going to take us and do what we needed to do with our music,” Billy recalled.
Looking back, Billy is proud of the band’s commitment to authenticity. Fans have expressed their gratitude for Testament’s unwavering dedication to their core sound. “I think it was the right choice because we do talk to fans today who praise us and say thank you so much for sticking around and being Testament. And that’s a big compliment.” Nobody was saying, “I didn’t enjoy these records at that time because of this or that. You tried to be someone you’re not.”