Chuck Billy – TESTAMENT ‘Australia Might Be the First Place We’ll Play New Songs off the New Record’
For close to forty years, metal titans Testament have consistently produced some of the best thrash metal albums of all time, with a 21st century catalogue that puts most other bands to shame. Building upon their classic 80’s and 90’s catalogue with a run of mesmerising albums, starting with their 2008 shredfest The Formation Of Damnation, right through to their most recent opus, 2020’s tremendous Titans of Creation, this Californian five piece have forged a catalogue that rivals the best metal bands on the planet. The only thing that Testament havent done well this century, is spend a lot of time in Australia.
It’s been an age since we’ve seen the Bay Area legends Testament on these shores. Well over a decade since their last run here for Soundwave Festival and 15 years since their last headlining tour.
We finally get to see these thrash metal legends to come and play to a whole new generation of fans, alongside the older fans who’ve been itching to hear their last few records. Perhaps we’ll even be fortunate enough some new music off of their as yet unnamed upcoming album. Wall Of Sound’s resident bogan Duane James recently caught up with iconic frontman Chuck Billy to talk about what to expect when they get here in June.
Watch the video interview or read on…
Duane: Mate, you’re finally coming back to Australia. I think, has it been 11 years? Is that true?
Chuck: Longer. 2012 Soundwave.
Duane: I thought it was 2014*
Chuck: Soundwave 2012. Steve DiGiorgio just got back into the group. Yeah, that was the last time it was 2012.
Duane: God. Yeah, that’s my memory for you. I remember last time I got hold of one of these [holding up an oversized guitar pick that Chuck famously throws out into the crowd]
Chuck: Nice, nice one.
Duane: So you guys are coming down in June. First time in 13 years. Do you reckon we’ll have new music by then? I know you guys have been in the studio working on it. When does the album come out?
Chuck: We’re not going to give a date yet, but we know and we’re hoping the end of the first quarter going into the second quarter. So definitely before we get to Australia. I would think definitely the singles will be hitting. We start mixing it in January sometime, so as soon as the label has opening and things line up, we’ll get it out there. But it’s coming out really good. We worked on it for probably the last year or so with Chris (Dovas). A lot with Chris. Eric (Peterson) and Chris got a lot done and came up with some killer stuff, man.
Duane: You’ve got your new drummer Chris Dovas. How’s he been going? He follows a long line of some of the best drummers in Heavy Metal forever. How’s he going with it?
Chuck: Well, I’ll give him props. He’s right up there with all those guys, man, because he’s coming in with new young, new influence. Chops too. Adding a different dimension to Testament. That’s why I’m excited about the writing because he, I guess, inspired Eric enough to just write some pretty kick ass balls out stuff. But a little bit rounded of everything. So it was a really good writing session on this record.
Duane: Yeah, awesome. Looking back, going back to Formation of Damnation, you’ve pumped out a record every four years, what is it with every four years with you guys? Have you tried to spit one out sooner?
Chuck: It’s been the touring, a lot of touring and then sometimes it’s downtime, but we don’t want to do that. We actually said we’re not waiting four years. Four years, let’s see, how old am I right now? I got maybe four more record deal, so that’s 12 years. Holy shit. I’ll be like 74 years old. I don’t know man. You know what I mean? So at this point now we’re especially just being inspired and Eric had such a good writing session. He’s already talking about after this tour or coming up next week with Anthrax/Kreator starting early next year, they’re going to get together and just start writing more songs. Just keep chugging forward.
Next year’s going to be a little slow. We’re not going to Europe next year. We’re going to just probably have one headlining tour at the end of the year, Australia, and that’s about it. Maybe a short run in America. We’ll see. So we have a window to do a lot of jamming, so hopefully we can get some more songs written and get ahead of another record.
Duane: Yeah, that’d be awesome. Yeah, I know you guys were booked to be here in 2020 for the Download Festival and then Covid hit and that whole thing got cancelled. I know there were a few bands that were here that got stuck here. The Mongolian guys, The Hu were one of ’em. Were you guys stuck here in the country or had you arrived yet when that had happened?
Chuck: Yeah, but we actually had tickets pre-purchased to get out of France. I believe it was March 19th or 20th when everything got shut down and the airports. And right when we all finished our last show on the 19th I guess it was.
We woke up and everybody was like, ‘hey, did you hear the news? The president’s going to shut down the airports’. We said, ‘we’ve got to go, we got to go. Let’s go get to the airport.’ But we already had tickets. Once we got there, we started seeing everybody that was on vacation just getting in there, heading back home because they didn’t want to get stuck. And that was all of us. We’re like, ‘as long as we get on this first plane and our equipment, everything gets on it we’re golden, we’re on our way.’ And we did.
We are on the very first flight, 6:00 AM in the morning out of there, and we all got sick. We weren’t ill yet. I think my wife was getting hit that night because she got on the plane, she went down and just felt horrible sick. So I think she got it. Same with another couple people that were flying with us, next thing you know they were sick. I got sick two days later after we landed. It just came down, started hearing from everybody on the tour and who was getting sick.
Duane: I was really looking forward to those shows to seeing you guys. You guys are absolutely one of the best thrash metal, if not just heavy metal bands going. You’ve toured with giants, like Iron Maiden, you’ve done Black Sabbath, you’ve done Judas Priest, plus Slayer and Megadeth. Why have you guys never done a tour with Metallica? You guys are neighbours.
Chuck: Well, at your next James (Hetfield) interview you ask him that question. But that’s always been like when I get asked by press, what would be the ideal tour, which would be Metallica. I mean for me it makes sense we’re a local Hope Town band. I’m not really sure why, what their answer be. I’d be very curious to know that one. How come you never took Testament out on with you? But that would be awesome. I remember in the old days, they used to come watch our shows when we were coming out with the Legacy/New Order/Practice What You Preach, stuff around that era.
Duane: Maybe they were like, fuck going on after those guys.
Chuck: I don’t know. I mean I think we’re two different bands, but I think still me vocally, I’m inspired by James and his approach on songwriting and creation. So I still kind use my James-isms when I’m writing. Let’s see. What would James do on this? I refer back to the 83, 84 James, somewhere around there. What would he do to approach this song?
Duane: You guys have been doing it for over 30 years, you’re dealing with these guys, absolute icons like Maiden and Sabbath. Do you find when you’re on those tours or when you meet those guys, do you still fanboy out a bit?
Chuck: Totally. You stay cool about it. But of course. We toured with Black Sabbath, it was with Ronnie (James Dio) singing and one of my fondest memories just hanging out every night in the dressing room, having a nice beer with the band for like a month going through Europe in the winter. It was cold, so we all just kind of hung inside and just had cocktails and it was very cool. Just like, here I am sitting with my idols and Ronnie Dio every night we’re just hanging out, having a chat, things like that. It’s crazy. I was even mentioning when we were touring with Maiden, we used to always see Bruce (Dickinson) on these little simulator flying things on his computer and he spent a lot of time doing that. Next thing you know, holy shit, he got his licence. Now he’s flying planes. Holy shit. Now he’s flying the band.
Duane: He’s got his own plane!!!
Chuck: Yeah
Duane: Here at work, we’re a record store in addition to being a tattoo studio so we have a lot of discussions about music. One of them is we have this scenario where the planet’s about to explode. We’re all going to get on a giant spaceship and you’re only allowed to take one Black Sabbath album with you. Which one would you take and why?
Chuck: We Sold Our Soul For Rock and Roll, vinyl edition foldout with a girl laying in the coffin. You got a nice poster to put up on the wall. Got some good music, good quality record right there. You know what I mean? You’re giving me the one record, one thing I got to take, I’m getting my music and my poster girl.
Duane: Oh, that’s awesome, man. You guys have, outside of music, you’ve got your own coffee brand, you’ve got your own beer, Testament beer. I think that’s still out. We don’t get to see a lot of it in Australia. If you want to bring some, I’d be happy to give it a go. But I saw that you guys got behind Heritage Distilling Company. They’re a Native American company. Is there any chance of you guys releasing perhaps a testament Whiskey with those guys?
Chuck: Well, that was the purpose of our first meetings with them. And we were waiting until their company, they had a lot of things putting together going public. So now that they’re going public, now we’re going to sit down and talk about putting out a whiskey or even a bourbon. Probably both. But we went up and visited them in Washington state. Me and Eric. The story is what got me, the first Native American distillery in the US. When they first opened up, they actually got shut down by the Bureau of Indian Affairs because there was a treaty back in the 1500’s that wouldn’t allow natives or tribes to sell alcohol on their land. So the guy that worked with them, had to be an attorney, went to fight for them to get that overturned. He did and he won. So they had the right now to open back up and do it. And I think he modelled maybe five or six of these on other tribal properties other than the one in Washington. So it was great that he broke the treaty and now more tribes can do the same thing.
Duane: Well by the time you come here in June, we will have a new album, maybe a new whiskey, and we’ll get to see your new drummer as well.
Chuck: A lot of news. But the cool thing is Australia might be the first place we’ll probably be ready to play live new songs off the new record. Because you’ll be our first stop after the release, after that record comes out.
Duane: That’s very cool. Even though it’s been well over a decade, are there any memories you have of Australia, touring here in the past?
Chuck: Totally. I have friends in Australia and I think the first and second time there I went and I stayed on Bondi Beach. That’s one of my favourite places to go up in Sydney. It was a beautiful place. We stayed there for like 10 days. Ocean was beautiful. This is a cool little spot. And I like beach, that kind of life, and it was just cool. And so that’s kind of my spot. And when we come this time, the weather’s going to be shitty, but I might still go have a look at the ocean and go out there.
Duane: Mate, it’s still beautiful. I grew up there in my much, much younger years, and even on a bad cold day, there’s still the beautiful coastal walk. You can go all up and down the coast. It’s a bit of a trek, but it’s absolutely breathtaking, mate.
Chuck: Yeah, I know. So I’m probably going to try to stay depending on what the weather’s looking like. As we get closer.
Duane: If you need a tour guide and a drinking buddy, I’m your guy.
Chuck: Oh, you got it. I got one of my buddies, he heard we’re going, he goes, dude, I’m going on that trip. Like, all right, let’s go.
Duane: That’s awesome, man. Hey Chuck, a genuine honour to talk to you, man. I cannot wait to see you guys again. Like I said, this was the last time I saw you (holding up Chuck’s Big Fucking Pick)
Chuck: I’ll bring the new version out when I see you.
Duane: That’ll be awesome. Thanks heaps Chuck. Take care. I’ll see you soon.
Chuck: See you later.
Interview by Duane James @duanejamestattoo
Testament hit Australia in June – Tickets Here
Testament – Australian Tour 2025
June 18th – Brisbane – The Tivoli
June 20th – Sydney – The Metro
June 21st – Melbourne – Northcote Theatre
June 22nd – Adelaide – The Governor Hindmarsh
June 24th – Perth – Metropolis Fremantle
*Note: I’m not going senile. It was 2014 when Testament were here last.
I’ll remember it as clear as day. King Parrot opened proceedings. Sydney legend Michelle Madden joined them on stage, she slipped and fell on her arse but still destroyed. It was the first time I’d seen King Parrot and their shirts had sold out in all sizes except small. Chuck Billy threw out the pick. I got covered in GWAR blood, that gushed from the head of a decapitated Tony Abbott. I saw Down play for the first time ever and I shed a tear when it occurred to me that it’d been 13 years since I’d seen Phil Anselmo play last with Pantera. Members of 5FDP and King Parrot joined them on stage. I met Phil Anselmo later that day at a signing (he signed my wrist). Then I closed out the day at Avenged Sevenfold who destroyed on one of the side stages. I got the Anselmo signature tattooed on me the next day by my boss Pete Standen at Skin Fantasy. That whole day is forever burned into my brain. Will definitely be in the Testament pit this June. Catch you there.
