It would not be wrong to put Testament on the list of the best thrash metal bands of all-time. They have done a lot to promote this genre by coming out with hits like, The Pale King and Dog Faced Gods. The group has also influenced many popular bands like, White Zombie, Death Angel, Drowning Pool, Blind Guardian and Shadows Fall. They are now setting out on a tour alongside, Slayer, Lamb of God, Anthrax and Behemoth and will be treating fans to their powerful performances across North America. So, if you like their music then catch them live in concert by grabbing your Testament tickets. It will be worth it.

Testament have been making music fans rock out to their sound since early ‘80s and they are one of the leaders of the second wave of thrash metal. The group is now ready to make some noise and will be playing several live shows just for you. So, if you have never been to their concert before then now is your chance to change that. Get your Testament tickets and feel the power of their music in person.

The formation of Testament

Testament was formed by vocalist Derrick Ramirez and guitarist Eric Preston in 1983. The group introduced itself as Legacy and soon, Greg Christian and Alex Skolnick were added to the band’s lineup. Ramirez soon quit the band and his spot was taken by Steve Souza who was then replaced by Chuck Billy. Louie Clemente was then hired which completed the group’s lineup. The band later decided to change its name to Testament and on April 21, 1987, released its first studio record, ‘The Legacy’.

The album was produced by Alex Perialas and received 4.5/5 stars from AllMusic. It contained nine well-crafted songs that made the record such a big hit that Loudwire placed it at the first spot on its list of the, ‘Top Ten Thrash Albums Not Released by the Big 4.’ This studio effort allowed the group to gain recognition among thrash metal fans and they soon hit the road with Anthrax and performed a series of successful shows all around North America and Europe. On this tour, they recorded their debut EP, ‘Live at Eindhoven’ which they released in June of 1987.

A year later, Testament spawned their sophomore studio album, ‘The New Order.’ It became the group’s first record to chart in the United States and was included in Revolver’s list of the, ’14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own.’ It also gave a single, Trial By Fire and was approved by the critics. The band then came out with the last record of the decade titled, ‘Practice What You Preach.’ This album made headlines in the U.S as well as in foreign countries.

Dominating the ‘90s

Testament kicked off the ‘90s by coming out with a brand new album, ‘Souls of Black’ on October 9, 1990. It was supported by two singles, Souls of Black and The Legacy and collected a B+ rating from Entertainment Weekly. The record reached seventy third spot on the Billboard 200 and made the Guitar World’s list of, ‘The Top 10 Guitar Albums of 1990.’ A couple of years later, they returned with their fifth studio record, ‘The Ritual.’ It helped them gain more fans as it was not only praised by the critics but also sold over four hundred thousand copies in the United States.

After the release of, ‘The Ritual,’ the band experienced a few line-up changes and went on to complete the decade by churning out three more studio records. Out of them, ‘Low’ was ranked at the fortieth spot in Guitar World’s list of the, ‘Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994.’

Hiatus and comeback

After their eighth studio effort, ‘The Gathering’ hit the markets in 1999, Testament went on a long hiatus. In 2008, they finally made a comeback with their ninth studio LP, ‘The Formation of Damnation.’ It won a Metal Hammer Golden Award for the ‘Best Album’ and received an 8.4/10 rating from IGN.

The band then followed that up by coming out with two studio albums more, ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ and ‘Brotherhood of the Snake’ both of which arrived in stores in 2012 and 2016 respectively. The former turned out to be their highest charting record to date as it landed at the twelfth spot in the U.S. and was supported by two singles, True American Hate and Native Blood.

They are not done yet

Testament have been making music for over three decades and they are not done yet. In fact, they are currently working on their twelfth studio record which may come out in 2018 or 2019. For now, the quintet is on tour with Anthrax, Slayer, Lamb of God and Behemoth. So, if you want to watch this group to play some of their biggest thrash metal hits live then book your Testament tickets as soon as possible.