Power Music & Jagermeister present

TESTAMENT with special guests DREADNAUGHT

THE DAMNATION TOUR

It’s now mere days until thrash legends Testament return to Australian shores! Fresh from major tours across the US and Europe; Testament have reconfirmed their worldwide status as heavy music royalty through their crushing new album “The Formation of Damnation,” and their brutal live show containing just the combination of new, old, and crowd favourite material to drive their fans wild.

With gigs in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, the band are eager to bring their blistering live act to the Aussie masses, to “thrash with the metal crew down under” (Chuck Billy). “I can’t wait to come back to Australia,” adds Paul Bostaph, “It’s always been one of my favourite places to tour. The fans are always killer!”

And the band will be giving fans the opportunity to get up close and personal with them, appearing at Utopia Records Sydney for an exclusive in store signing session on Saturday, August 7th at 3:30pm.

And that’s not the only way Testament are giving back to the fans. Jagermeister will be supplying a plethora of gifts and prizes at all three Testament gigs, including a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and greet the band!

So grab your tickets now, get yourself to the Utopia in-store, and don’t miss your chance to be decimated by thrash metal monsters, Testament!

Words by Rod Whitfield

Is the term ‘nu-metal’ the most maligned and abused one in music history? It’d definitely be up there. By the early to mid 2000s the term had become a convenient catch-all classification for lazy and narrow fans minded to dump the bands they happened to dislike into. How often did you hear words to the effect of ‘oh, (x band) suck, they’re a bit too ‘nu-metal’ for me’?

No matter what you think, however, bands who’ve had an entire sub-genre of music named in their honour are exceptionally rare. Korn are one such band, and what’s more they’ve become true survivors in this, one of the harshest industries on the planet, and one of the most difficult to have a long career in. Almost two decades from their inception in Bakersfield California, and many years after ‘true’ metalheads proclaimed the death of nu-metal, Korn are still going strong, and continue to prolifically release quality albums and do sellout tours.

SOUNDWORKS TOURING & APPARELDIRECT.COM.AU presents

AUSTRALIAN TOUR SEPTEMBER 2010 SUPPORTS ANNOUNCED

Napalm Death with guests Dying Fetus Australian tour September 2010 supports announced!

September 1^st - Amplifier Bar, Perth

Death Vomit (Indonesia) www.myspace.com/deathvomit

September 2^nd - Fowler’s Live, Adelaide

In The Burial - www.myspace.com/itbmetal

September 3^rd  - The Hifi, Brisbane

Disentomb - www.myspace.com/disentomb

September 4^th - The Factory, Sydney

Daemon Foetal Harvest - www.myspace.com/daemonfoetalharvest

September 5^th - The Hifi, Melbourne

Rotten Chop - www.myspace.com/rottenchop

Words and Images by Cameron Edney

Forming in 1983 San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal legends Testament have certainly stayed true to their roots, and are among a handful of bands that helped to shape and change heavy music forever! Alongside bands like Anthrax, Exodus, Overkill, Metallica and Slayer Testament have helped pave the way for many of today’s rising hard rock and heavy metal artists.

Since forming Testament have been on one hell of a roller coaster ride filled with highs and lows On one hand they have played to some of the largest crowd on earth, media from all corners of the globe quickly learnt that Testament meant business and the bands slot on the ‘Thrash of the Titans’ bill alongside Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth in the early 90’s certainly proved that! Releasing classic metal albums like ‘The Legacy’ and ‘The Gathering’ Testament have cemented their place in the history books as one of Thrash Metal’s pioneers. On the other hand over the years Testament have been plagued with line-up changes, but through it all original guitarist Eric Peterson and long-time vocalist Chuck Billy remained focused and never lost sight of their dreams! The bands biggest blow came in 2001 when Chuck Billy was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Seminoma, after undergoing chemotherapy Chuck was fortunate enough to have been cleared of all traces of cancer and was ready to hit the road with Testament once again.

Fans would have to wait seven long years before Testament would unleash ‘The Formation of Damnation’ upon the world but it was sure worth the wait. With this dynamic release in 2008 critics quickly dubbed it the metal album of the year and rightfully so. Fans weren’t just excited to have some new Testament material in their hands but it also marked the return of long-time guitarist Alex Skolnick and bassist Greg Christian to the fold and fans couldn’t be happier. More than two years since the album’s release Testament have remained out on the road touring along-side bands like Judas Priest, Motorhead and Black Sabbath. Testament are about to embark on a killer American tour with Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer dubbed the American Carnage tour! The band’s also set to return to Australia in August for their third visit within the past four years.

With a Thrash Metal revival in full swing earlier this week I had the pleasure of catching up with the bands vocalist to discuss the bands return to Australia, we also discussed one of the finest thrash metal albums of all-time ‘The Formation of Damnation’, as well as the bands future plans plus much more including the recent passing of Ronnie James Dio.

Testament fans... the ‘Killing Season’ has begun so kick back as we discuss everything Thrash with the one and only Chuck Billy!