American thrash metal legend Testament proved that a metal band can as well transmit feel-good energy amid neck-breaking mayhem.
While not every smile is contagious, the good vibes of vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarist Eric Peterson, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick and bassist Steve Di Giorgio were easily felt by the audience while their new drummer who entered the band recently, Chris Dovas, played precise double strokes and galloping beats on the bass drums.
The tempos were tight! Occasionally, when Billy was observing the guitar work of Peterson, he smiled, put his hand in the pocket of his black jeans, pulled out a stack of picks and threw them in the crowd.
A man grabbed one and was in no time dancing in the moshpit, a circle not for the faint of heart.
Testament’s gig ran the gamut from their first album Legacy (1989) to The Formation of Damnation released in 2008.
Good examples of their early work included “The New Order” and “Over The Wall” where the skank beat is the kind of backbone in both, and where Dovas, especially, earned his wings.
“Practice What You Preach,” the first song of the eponymous album released in 1989 was another banger that set the crowd ablaze.
For one reason or another Testament skipped some groove metal bangers such as “Low” from their album Low released in 1994.
Luckily, they decided to serve the crowd with another treat:
“More Than Meets The Eye” from The Formation of Damnation was just what the crowd needed.
View our gallery below.
Chuck Billy, the vocalist of Testament, savouring the moment at Rockfest in Hyvinkää on June 9, 2023. Click to view the gallery. Photographs: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY
