Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. The band was formed in 1983 under the name Legacy. Its current line-up includes guitarist Eric Peterson, vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Chris Dovas. Testament has undergone numerous line-up changes, with Peterson as the only remaining original member. Billy, who joined in 1986 as the replacement for Steve “Zetro” Souza, has appeared on all of the band’s studio albums alongside Peterson. The band has released fourteen studio albums, including one consisting of re-recorded material, as well as several live albums, compilation albums, singles and video releases. Their sales have been estimated at over 1.4 million copies in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era and over 14 million worldwide as of 2016. Testament emerged as part of the thrash metal scene of the 1980s and is commonly associated with the second wave of the genre, particularly within the San Francisco Bay Area. The band is often grouped with other regional acts such as Exodus, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit, Forbidden and Vio-lence. After changing their name from Legacy to Testament in 1986, the group established a stable line-up featuring Billy, Peterson, Skolnick, bassist Greg Christian and drummer Louie Clemente, which is frequently referred to as the band’s “classic line-up”. Initially signed to Megaforce Records, the band later became one of the earlier thrash metal acts to sign with a major label, Atlantic Records, which released their first six studio albums. Their early releases, “The Legacy” (1987), “The New Order” (1988) and “Practice What You Preach” (1989), contributed to their growing recognition, with the latter becoming their first album to enter the Billboard 200. Subsequent albums “Souls of Black” (1990), “The Ritual” (1992) and “Low” (1994) continued their commercial presence, with “The Ritual” producing the single “Return to Serenity”, which charted on the US Mainstream Rock chart. By the early 1990s, Skolnick and Clemente had departed, initiating a period of frequent personnel changes that included various musicians on guitar, bass and drums. In 2001, the band reunited with Souza, Skolnick and drummer John Tempesta to record “First Strike Still Deadly”, a collection of re-recorded songs. This reunion coincided with vocalist Billy’s diagnosis of germ cell seminoma, from which he recovered in 2002. Following Billy’s recovery, Testament resumed regular activity. The “classic line-up” reunited briefly in 2005, resulting in the live album “Live in London”, and Skolnick later rejoined permanently, along with Christian, who remained until 2014. The band experienced a renewed level of chart success with later albums including “The Formation of Damnation” (2008), “Dark Roots of Earth” (2012), “Brotherhood of the Snake” (2016) and “Titans of Creation” (2020), all of which entered the Billboard 200. Testament has remained active as a touring band throughout its career. The group was originally formed in the San Francisco Bay Area by Eric Peterson and Derrick Ramirez. Early line-up changes led to the inclusion of Alex Skolnick, who had studied under guitarist Joe Satriani, and Chuck Billy as vocalist. After signing with Megaforce Records and changing their name, Testament released their debut album “The Legacy” in 1987, followed by “The New Order” in 1988. Both albums established the band within the thrash metal scene, supported by touring and media exposure. “Practice What You Preach” (1989) marked a shift in lyrical themes towards social and political topics, while maintaining a thrash metal style with broader musical influences. The album achieved greater commercial success and was supported by extensive touring. “Souls of Black” (1990) continued the band’s trajectory, while “The Ritual” (1992) introduced a slower and more melodic direction. Despite commercial success, internal tensions led to further line-up changes. Throughout the 1990s, Testament experimented with different musical styles, incorporating elements of alternative metal, death metal and groove metal on releases such as “Low” (1994), “Demonic” (1997) and “The Gathering” (1999). During this period, the band also experienced interruptions due to health issues affecting both Billy and guitarist James Murphy, both of whom later recovered. In the 2000s, Testament re-established stability and released new material, including “The Formation of Damnation”, their first album of original material in several years. Continued touring and recording followed, with “Dark Roots of Earth” (2012) achieving the band’s highest chart position at the time. Subsequent releases such as “Brotherhood of the Snake” (2016) and “Titans of Creation” (2020) maintained their presence in the metal scene. In 2022, drummer Gene Hoglan departed and was replaced by Dave Lombardo, who had previously played with the band. Lombardo was later replaced by Chris Dovas in 2023. Testament continued touring internationally and working on new material. The band released remastered editions of “The Legacy” and “The New Order” in 2024 and continued to perform anniversary tours. The band’s fourteenth studio album, “Para Bellum”, was released on 10 October 2025. Following its release, Testament continued touring in Europe and North America. As of 2026, the band has indicated that work has begun on material for a potential fifteenth studio album, with a possible release planned for the later 2020s. Studio albums The Legacy (1987) The New Order (1988) Practice What You Preach (1989) Souls of Black (1990) The Ritual (1992) Low (1994) Demonic (1997) The Gathering (1999) First Strike Still Deadly (2001) The Formation of Damnation (2008) Dark Roots of Earth (2012) Brotherhood of the Snake (2016) Titans of Creation (2020) Para Bellum (2025)