INTERVIEW: TESTAMENT IN CONVERSATION WITH ERIC PETERSON
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
No Barriers caught up with rock legend Eric Peterson the rhythm guitarist and song writer from the iconic thrash metal band.
San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal legends TESTAMENT are set to deliver their ‘Combined New Testament’ to Australian fans in June 2025 with their first headline tour since 2010. That’s 15 years folks! Eric Peterson says the band: “has a really good set for Australia – a mixture of classic songs, never been heard before songs, and some surprises”.
TESTAMENT remain one of the select few bands with their two albums: ‘The Legacy’ and ‘The New Order’ remastered and inducted into Decibel Magazine’s prestigious Hall Of Fame, alongside other inductees such as Metallica, Black Sabbath, and Motörhead. All up TESTAMENT has thirteen studio albums with ‘Titans Of Creation’ released in 2020, four live albums, five compilations, two extended plays, thirteen singles, and three video albums to their credit over their 38-year career in music. There are rumours that a new album is almost done. It’s impressive!
Testament at Soundwave 2014 - Photos by Charlyn Cameron“The new record is done. But it’s not out yet. It will be out this year. We are turning the masters in on the day we are set to travel to Australia. It’s an end to a big process,” says Eric Peterson. “We will be playing some of those new songs on the tour. We are also going to remaster and remix ‘Souls Of Black’ as well. So, we will have lots of new tracks, different songs and other material to keep fans happy”.
And, to keep fans happy TESTAMENT are touring Australia’s state capital cities with some younger bands as support. “I know it’s been a while,” says Eric Peterson. “So much has happened since 2010. New albums, tours, the lockdowns with COVID-19 and we were scheduled to be back here but…We are coming now and that’s what matters. We have actually been touring ‘A Night With TESTAMENT’ across the US. People have been asking us to play our ballads which we have never done before – we might do some in Australia”.
Testament at Soundwave 2014 - Photos by Charlyn Cameron“We have a new drummer, Chris Dovas. Mind you, he has been with us now since 2022/23. He is great to work with as he is young and hungry,” says Eric Peterson. “He is a breath of fresh air in TESTAMENT as he likes to listen to ideas, and we are on the same page when it comes to song writing and instrumentation especially around the drums, And, he provides some new generational blood coming through in our music which is fun”.
TESTAMENT want to assure Australian fans that the tour will be “fun – a little classic and a little bit new,” states Eric Peterson. It is important to note that TESTAMENT have delivered some of metal’s greatest albums and songs of all time with ‘Over The Wall’, ‘Practice What You Preach’, ‘Rise Up’, ‘Into The Pit’, ‘Brotherhood Of The Snake’, ‘Low’, ‘The New Order’ and ‘First Strike Is Deadly’ for example. “The classics are great, but we are totally focused on the future,” says Eric Peterson. “After Australia, we are off home to the USA for a short tour, organise getting the new record out, then we are heading to South America and then over to Europe”.
Testament at Soundwave 2014 - Photos by Charlyn CameronTESTAMENT is a hard-working band and their live shows are legendary. Last seen in 2014 here in Oz, TESTAMENT rock hard. Your chance to see them live is at the venues below – don’t be sorry – get there!
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Brisbane - Wednesday - 18th June - The Tivoli with support act Snake Mountain
Sydney - Friday - 20th June - The Metro with support act Flaming Wreckage
Melbourne - Saturday 21st June - Northcote Theatre with support act Hidden Intent
Adelaide – Sunday - 22nd June - The Gov with support act Hidden Intent
Perth - Tuesday - 24th June - Metropolis Fremantle with support act Oceans & Omens
