Bay Area thrash legends TESTAMENT are taking the stage once again for their first US headlining tour in support of the award-winning The Formation of Damnation. The band’s first new studio album in nine years won “Album of the Year†at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. The tour will feature the classic lineup of vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, bassist Greg Christian, and drummer Paul Bostaph. TESTAMENT will be bringing along metalcore heroes Unearth and neo-thrashers Lazarus A.D. The tour kicks off May 2.
The password for the TESTAMENT ticket pre-sale is “Damnation.†Links to purchase can be found below along with the individual tour dates. More details will follow regarding  Meet and Greet and VIP ticket packs .
Singer Chuck Billy commented on the upcoming US headlining tour: “It was really exciting last summer touring with Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, and Motorhead, playing in front of all the old-school as well as new-school metalheads. Now we look forward to CRUSHING on our first headline tour on the Damnation Vacation US run. Heavy metal forever!!!â€
For over 20 years, TESTAMENT has remained committed to the thrash metal sound that brought them to prominence in the late 1980s. The band has never compromised its unmatched intensity or musicianship and has only continued to up the ante with each release.
The Formation of Damnation was named one of MySpace’s Top Albums for 2008 and found itself at the top of many year-end lists including #9 Rock Album of the Year on iTunes for 2008, #4 Album of 2008 in Revolver Magazine, #10 on Metal Edge Top 50 of 2008, #1 on Metal Maniacs Top 20 of 2008, and the #2 Brave Pick in Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles. The album also dominated metal radio, coming in at #1 on Sirius-XM’s metal channel, #1 on CMJ’s Loud Rock charts, and was the most played album on metal radio according to FMQB.
Combining elements of hardcore, thrash, and extreme metal – while also never overlooking the importance of thought-provoking lyrical ideas and concepts – UNEARTH has steadily become one of the leading lights in heavy metal. Over the years the quintet has played in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, South America, Mexico, Japan, Europe including the Netherlands and Russia, and has appeared on such renowned metal fests as Ozzfest and Download. They have also appeared on International festivals such as Rock Am Park, Rock Am Ring, Loud Park, Wacken and others. UNEARTH’s latest offering, The March, was released in October of 2008.
“THRASH OR DIE†is the motto Lazarus A.D. have lived by since day one and their no holds barred attitude is equaled only by their will to become a leading force in modern metal. Their supreme level of creativity, musicianship and professionalism makes them an electrifying and engaging live act. Powered by only a three-song demo, they earned a spot opening for Anthrax and were the only unsigned band included on Earache Records’ Thrashing Like A Maniac compilation. After being signed by Metal Blade in 2008, Lazarus A.D. released The Onslaught on March 3, 2009.
Stay tuned for more details on TESTAMENT’s upcoming US tour!
Testament US headlining tour:
(with Unearth and Lazarus AD)
5/2 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon                                  Pre-sale link
5/3 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory            Pre-sale link
5/4 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore                            Pre-sale link
5/6 – Calgary, AB – MacEwan Ballroom                     Pre-sale link
5/7 – Edmonton, AB – Edmonton Events Centre          Pre-sale link
5/9 – Winnipeg, MB – The Garrick Centre                   Pre-sale link
5/10 – Maplewood, MN – The Rock                           Pre-sale link
5/12 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Theater                      Pre-sale link
5/13 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s                                           Pre-sale link
5/15 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues                            Pre-sale link
5/16 – Detroit, MI – Harpos                                        Pre-sale link
5/17 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues                       Pre-sale link
5/18 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s                                 Pre-sale link
5/20 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy                       Pre-sale link
5/21 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis                               Pre-sale link
5/22 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom                    Pre-sale link
5/23 – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater                       Pre-sale link
5/24 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium                       Pre-sale link
5/26 – Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live                   Pre-sale link
5/27 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero                           Pre-sale link
5/28 – Norfolk, VA – Norva                                       Pre-sale link
5/29 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theater              Pre-sale link
5/30 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade                               Pre-sale link
5/31 – New Orleans, LA – House of Blues                  Pre-sale link
6/2 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar                                  On sale link
6/3 – San Antonio – Scout Bar                                   On sale link
6/4 – Ft. Worth, TX – Ridglea Theater                       On sale link
6/6 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont                     Pre-sale link
6/7 – Denver, CO – Cervantes                        Pre-sale link
6/9 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues                       Pre-sale link
6/10 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues                      Pre-sale link
6/11 – Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues                   Pre-sale link
6/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore                    Pre-sale link