San Francisco Bay Area thrashers TESTAMENT played at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan on May 7 as part of their “An Evening With Testament” tour. The trek celebrates the 35th anniversary of TESTAMENT‘s third album, “Practice What You Preach”, which achieved near-gold status in the United States upon its release in 1989 and became the band’s first album to enter the Top 100 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The setlist for the Flint concert was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:
01. Practice What You Preach
02. Perilous Nation
03. Envy Life
04. Time Is Coming
05. Blessed In Contempt
06. Greenhouse Effect
07. Sins Of Omission
08. The Ballad
09. Nightmare (Coming Back To You)
10. Confusion Fusion
11. Musical Death (A Dirge) (Acoustic)
12. The Legacy (Acoustic)
13. Rise Up
14. Native Blood
15. Trail Of Tears
16. Low
17. City Of Angels
18. Drum Solo
19. First Strike Is Deadly
20. Return To Serenity
21. Into The Pit
Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.
TESTAMENT is an undisputed titan of thrash metal. One of the definitive acts of the historic and high-octane genre since they first emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area in 1983, the modern icons established themselves with a series of classic records (released each year from 1987 through 1990). They never wavered creatively, unleashing one acclaimed album after another across four decades.
The band’s nearly three million monthly listeners on Spotify alone is a clear demonstration of the enduring strength of the TESTAMENT legions. TESTAMENT‘s biggest anthems run the gamut of their storied career, from early classics like “Over The Wall” and “Into The Pit”, late ’90s bangers like “Down For Life” through modern scorchers like “For The Glory Of…” and “Brotherhood Of The Snake”.
An internationally recognized heavy metal institution, TESTAMENT regularly appears as a headlining mainstage act at major festivals. Over the years, they’ve toured alongside BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, KORN, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and LAMB OF GOD, among other contemporaries.
Charismatic frontman Chuck Billy‘s distinctive voice infuses their signature sound with rich and diverse textures. Primary songwriter and cofounding guitarist Eric Peterson summons endlessly timeless riffs on command. Alex Skolnick, named one of the greatest of all time by Guitar World, was just 18 years old when TESTAMENT recorded their debut, “The Legacy” (1987). Longtime bassist Steve DiGiorgio (SADUS, DEATH, OBITUARY) brings rhythmic heft and fluid dexterity to the proceedings.
Drummer Chris Dovas, the band’s newest (and youngest) addition, adds his own passionate bombast while honoring the astounding legacy of former TESTAMENT drummers. (An alumnus including past and present members of SLAYER, WHITE ZOMBIE, DETHKLOK and MACHINE HEAD, among others.)
Both “The Legacy” (1987) and “The New Order” (1988) were inducted into Decibel magazine’s prestigious Hall Of Fame, alongside albums from METALLICA, BLACK SABBATH and MOTÖRHEAD. Revolver included “The New Order” on their list of “14 Thrash Albums You Need To Own”. Guitar World recognized “Practice What You Preach” (1989) as one of the “Top 10 Shred Albums Of The Eighties”. “Souls Of Black” (1990) entered the Billboard 200 at No. 73; “The Ritual” (1992) debuted at No. 55. Guitar World called “Low” (1994) one of the “Iconic Albums That Defined 1994”. “Demonic” (1997) and “The Gathering” (1999) saw TESTAMENT mining new depths of extremity without sacrificing their bluesy swagger.
“The Formation Of Damnation” (2008) won “Best Album” at Metal Hammer‘s Golden Gods Awards, beating out records from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, ATREYU and DOWN. Released nearly 30 years after TESTAMENT‘s formation, “Dark Roots Of Earth” (2012) became their highest-charting album yet, moving more than 20,000 copies during its first week in the U.S. and debuting at No. 12.
“Brotherhood Of The Snake” (2016) enjoyed another Top 20 debut and hit No. 1 on the Independent chart. “Titans Of Creation” (2020) joined year-end lists in Consequence, Loudwire and Metal Hammer.
TESTAMENT released remastered versions of their seminal albums “The Legacy” and “The New Order” on July 12, 2024, both digitally and on vinyl via Nuclear Blast Records.
Source: blabbermouth.net
