Though Testament just released remastered versions of their first two albums and are working on a new record, singer Chuck Billy has reiterated his desire to do a solo album at some point, and he’s actually spoken to a hardcore icon about the possibility of collaborating or producing.
Billy told Full Metal Jackie during her weekend radio show that he recently reached out to Hatebreed‘s Jamey Jasta at the Milwaukee Metal Fest, discussing the idea of Jasta either producing or collaborating on songs.
“I want to do something more really simple, old school sounding like the old records we used to listen to in the ’70s and ’80s,” said Billy. “Just clean and raw rock and roll, maybe a little bluesy. Just something where I don’t have to really push the voice. Just something that’s real comfortable and natural.”
Elsewhere within the chat, Billy discussed what the band was most looking for in remastering The New Order and The Legacy, and how both reissues will play into their touring. The singer also spoke on the impact new drummer Chris Dovas has had on their upcoming album. And Billy also reflects on the Testament album that was most rewarding to him.
Check out more of the chat below.
It’s Full Metal Jackie and we have thrash royalty in the house tonight. Welcome back to the show, Mr. Chuck Billy of Testament. Happy to have you back on the show. Chuck, Testament have recently remastered The New Order and The Legacy, the band’s earliest works from the late ’80s. What do you remember about that time with the band? And why was now the perfect time to revisit that music and give it the modern update they deserve?
Well, when we did those, it was so early in our career. We didn’t know how to make records. We were just happy to have a record deal and put a record in our hands. Years later, it was totally obvious to me that the records sound like new records, like freshman records, but now when we hear them back over the years, as I heard them on the radio, I just felt like, “Man, they’re so compressed. They need to breathe. They need to have more bottom end and just be more modern sounding.”
So after 35 years, we retained the rights back to those records. And at that point, we started to try to find the master recordings so we can remix them. They’re nowhere to be found. Atlantic didn’t have them. Johnny Z didn’t have them. The studio didn’t have them. So I had looked through some stuff Johnny had sent me and I had found half inch unmastered mixes. So I was like, okay, at least we get to go in there and remaster them and hopefully breathe new life and just make a bigger sound. And that’s what happened.
We actually went out, me and Eric [Peterson], to Nashville, sat in the room, and once we put them up next to what they originally were, they were like night and day. Me and Eric just looked and smiled, like, all right, finally they get the chance to breathe and sound bigger. You know, they hit you harder.
We’re pretty pumped up. We took those records to Nuclear Blast and all the Atlantic records, the six records we did, we get them every year. Like, we’ll get to Practice What We Preach in August this year, and we’ll get Souls of Black next August next year, and all six will end up at Nuclear Blast.
Testament, “Trial By Fire” (2024 Remaster)
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Having spent some time focusing on the remastering of The New Order and The Legacy, is this inspiring any other aspect of Testament? Obviously, you’re working on new music, and we have a major tour that could potentially see some representation from those albums.
Since we’re promoting these two records, actually our set for the next three tours Is going to be a set combined of The Legacy and New Order songs. So we’re definitely going to be revisiting those songs and those attitudes and those feelings for the next six months once we get on the road here.
We are in the studio now. We’re finishing up before we leave for Europe. So drums are done, guitars almost done, vocals almost done. Just have some bass and some leads. So where our goal is to get the record recorded before we leave and then just between tours, maybe fix a few things or experiment with a few things, because Andy Sneap, who really usually mixes our record, he’s not going to be available this year. So we’re kind of like, all right, we’re not really hurry right now. Nuclear Blast isn’t breathing down our backs and we need a record. So that’s the great thing about it, we’re going to, first time, take our time live with the songs and the recordings and just try to make them better before we go to the mix.
Let’s talk about this amazing tour pairing. “The Clash of the Titans” trek unites you with Kreator and Possessed, two bands with great histories as well. How thrilled as a music fan are you with is pairing? And what do you most admire about the bands you’re touring with on this run?
We’re very excited. It all started when we went out last year. We did a tour with Kreator through South America, and we really had a great time. And when you’re in South America, you spend a lot of time together, traveling together, flying together. So we just said, “You know what? It’s sad that this is gonna end. We should put something together. We should do more.” And so that’s kind of what the plan, how it started.
Then we kind of put the American tour with Kreator, and obviously we wanted a strong opener and I’m always a Bay Area representative and want to support the Bay Area, so I thought Possessed would be a great choice. They don’t tour a lot. They haven’t saturated the market, and they’re a great band.
So we put that together, and it all worked out. Everybody’s schedules worked out where it made sense. And then we’re also going to be going back to Europe at the end of the year, November, with Kreator and Anthrax. So it’ll continue this year with Kreator.
Testament, “Saturn Coming Down”
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Chuck, Testament have been working on new music this year. Can you talk about what the addition of Chris Dovas has brought to the lineup as the group work on their new album?
Chris has been really a breath of fresh air. When Gene [Hoglan] left the band, we were looking for a drummer before [Dave] Lombardo joined on with us. Chris came out to fill in for Dave for a week of shows, and when he showed up, he knew more songs than the rest of us did. He had all the repertoire down. When he showed up, we realized, wow, he’s very young. He was 24 years old, but he’s an old soul. He graduated from the Berkeley School of Music, so him and Alex [Skolnick] jived well, talked music, and on the tour, he was just a pleasure to tour with.
So when we went into the writing process, we brought him to California, to Eric [Peterson]’s house, and he spent a lot of time working with Eric. And being a graduate, he really knew the technical part of putting the songs together, working with Pro Tools. He’s been a big help in the studio, and it really inspired Eric because Chris, he’s so young that he’s really inspired by the generation after us of new metal stuff. So he’s bringing that. He’s really fast, really talented, and he’s really put a fire under Eric. So this record has really taken a step, I would say, to make Testament different. But I really think this record has some real aggression and energy in it that Chris has really brought to the table.
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Chuck, you’ve been through a lot with Testament over the years, seeing some highs and lows. Do you have an album cycle or period in the band you felt was the most creative and personally rewarding for everything that was going on in your life at that time? And what album was truly a special time for you in Testament? And can you talk about why it resonates with you so much?
Well, I really have to say it’s probably The Gathering because once the band split up and when Alex left, I know the climate of music had changed, radio had changed. A new generation of music came in, and that record, we had some time to work on it.
I think about that time, there was so many great new bands coming out that we were inspired again. And I thought Eric brought some black metal elements into it with the drumming and the blast beats and stuff like that. And vocally, I expanded and used a little more aggression and more of my death brutal voice on it.
And a lot of fans were really captured that and really enjoyed it. Andy Sneap really did a great job on that record. I know that we felt that “Man, I don’t know if we can really capture anything again like that.” And it was always the record that we had our benchmark to say, “Okay, this is the one we got at top.”
I think, luckily for us in Testament, we’ve been able to do that, make records after that, that still sounded modern, still had a progression for Testament. And I think that really was the foundation for the new Testament was from The Gathering moving forward.
Testament, “Down for Life”
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Chuck, you’ve devoted your musical life to Testament, but are there things you’d like to do musically outside of the band? Would we see a solo album, or would you be interested in putting together a group to explore something different sounding than what you do in Testament?
I don’t know about putting a group together, but I do want to do a solo record. I actually, at the Milwaukee Metal Fest spoke with Jamey Jasta. I’ve sang on Jamey’s solo records and did some stuff with him, and it was some really good stuff. So I spoke to him about possibly him producing a record for me and working on some songs.
We spoke shortly just about, “Hey, let’s get some guys together, we’ll put some music together, and then we’ll do something.” But I want to do something that isn’t Testament, for sure.
I’ve done enough records and stuff. I want to do something more really simple, old school sounding like the old records we used to listen to in the ’70s and ’80s. Just clean and raw rock and roll, maybe a little bluesy. Just something where I don’t have to really push the voice. Just something that’s real comfortable and natural. I think there’s a different side of me that I don’t push into Testament because I don’t want to change it. But as a solo record, I think I will have that opportunity to do that.
And what’s currently on Chuck Billy’s to do list?
Well, right now, We’re focused on just getting this recording done. Everybody’s doing as much as we can, so we’re spending a lot of time doing that right now. And then just getting back on the road. I think Eric has been very inspired and excited to have Chris writing and working with him that even when we finish writing and recording and mixing this record, they’re going to continue to get together with the process and just keep making music.
So that’s kind of exciting that we’re not going to wait three or four years to put out another record. Hopefully we just keep making music and keep making records and just keep doing it.
Thanks to Testament’s Chuck Billy for the interview. The New Order and The Legacy reissues are available now and Testament are currently touring in Europe. Stay up to date with the band through their website, Facebook, X, Instagram and Spotify accounts. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.
