In a model new interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy spoke in regards to the progress of the songwriting cla***es for his upcoming first-ever solo album. He talked about (as transcribed by Phoosi.com): “I recruited guitar players and I instructed guitar players that I’ve recruited, ‘Merely write me a observe. Nonetheless don’t write a TESTAMENT observe and a thrash observe. I wanna write one factor utterly totally different than that. Write me one factor each bluesy, precise heavy, additional rock. I grew up in an interval of loving THIN LIZZY and UFO and bands like that, so write some cool THIN LIZZY-style riffs.’ Nonetheless I really wanted it to be a file the place it really took it once more, saved it straightforward, saved it dry — no sampled drums and triggered kicks. Merely make it rock, identical to the earlier knowledge you was as soon as — merely clear, which you may crank up they normally sound good. I would really like it to be the place any person locations it on and goes, ‘Oh, that’s Chuck?’ Kind of listening to it. That’s type of what I’m looking for.”
Elaborating on how utterly totally different his vocal methodology is prone to be on his solo album compared with the music he has written and recorded with TESTAMENT, Chuck talked about: “Tempo metallic and thrash metallic is based on a great deal of cadence — it’s the timing and the beat of the observe — so I’ve realized how one can sing in cadence, really, the place totally different rock songs [have] additional melody or maybe there’s additional remember altering throughout the guitar having fun with the place I can carry utterly totally different melodies and points like that. I suppose I’m looking for an issue and one factor that I’ll actually be pleased with.”
Billy went on to say that his debut solo album will “positively happen. I merely thought maybe all through COVID [I would have more time to work on it… But you just get busy in life, and I just didn’t focus on it,” he explained. “But I do have a lot of people reaching out to me going, ‘I’d like to contribute a song.’ It’s, like, ‘Write it and just send it to me. And we’ll take it from there.'”
Last month, Billy told the “Let There Be Talk” podcast that he has spoken to “about six guitar players” so far about collaborating with him on his solo album – “anywhere from Gary Holt [EXODUS, SLAYER] to Mark Morton from LAMB OF GOD. I even chatted with Joe Bonama***a,” he talked about. “Merely all varieties of varied guys.”
Billy beforehand talked about his plans for a solo album all through a summer season 2021 look on the “Not These Two Fucking Guys” podcast. On the time, he talked about: “Properly, it started [to be] throughout the works, nevertheless then points merely type of purchased held up. I was recruiting some guitar players over the past six months to jot down down a file with me, and I was gonna use a particular guitar participant on every observe to a***ist me write songs. Mark Morton, I’ve talked to him; he wishes to work [with me]. I moreover want Gary Holt to jot down down some songs with me. Glen Drover [ex-MEGADETH] is gonna write some songs… I’ve by no means approached my cousin Stef [Stephen Carpenter] from the DEFTONES however, nevertheless I’m gonna see if he’ll wanna write a observe with me. I tried to realize out to Joe Bonama***a [to see if he wants to] write a observe with me.”
As for the musical course of his solo LP, Billy talked about: “I would really like it to be utterly totally different. And what I’ve instructed all these guys [is] that I wanna do a solo file, nevertheless I don’t want it to resemble TESTAMENT; I wanna do one factor utterly totally different. And the course I wanna go is the earlier conventional vinyl-sounding knowledge — merely precise, clear and dry and ma***ive. Precise tones — not compressed digital stuff. I would really like it to be conventional sounding, nevertheless have it rock, have it bluesy. Have some metallic, nevertheless merely have it the place [it doesn’t sound like what people are used to hearing from me].”
He continued: “I’ve carried out these compilation knowledge for this Cleopatra label, and I’ve carried out one thing from Michael Jackson to Christmas songs. And every time people hear it, they go, ‘Man, that’s type of cool.’ And I was desirous about it — it’s fulfilling to do, and it’s tough and utterly totally different. So as soon as I contemplate a solo file, I would really like it to be utterly totally different — I would really like every observe to type of have its private character and stand on their very personal. So that was type of my goal. If I do a solo file — maybe I’ll do a few, however after I do one solo file, I would really like it to truly be one factor that [is] tough to me, utterly totally different for me and utterly totally different from [people’s] expectations, when any particular person locations it on, [but] that they’ll have the benefit of it nonetheless.
“So that’s what I wanted to do,” Chuck added. “So I’ve been telling [the various guitar players], ‘Merely start writing. Put the observe collectively for me. Nonetheless don’t suppose metallic. Don’t suppose TESTAMENT. Don’t suppose the bands you’re in. Merely write one factor cool that’s purchased a vibe. And gives it to me. Let me do my issue on it.'”
TESTAMENT, EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL kicked off the 2022 model of “The Bay Strikes Once more Tour” this earlier Saturday night (April 9) on the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California. The current marked TESTAMENT‘s first look with drummer Dave Lombardo since he rejoined the group earlier this yr.
An genuine member of thrash metallic legends SLAYER, Lombardo was the customer drummer on TESTAMENT‘s 1999 studio album “The Gathering”, which moreover marked the first time the band labored with then-up-and-coming British producer/engineer Andy Sneap.
In January, TESTAMENT parted strategies with its longtime drummer Gene Hoglan. Hoglan initially carried out drums on 1997’s “Demonic”, nevertheless didn’t stick spherical prolonged enough to do any touring with the band. He formally joined TESTAMENT in 2011 and carried out on the group’s closing three albums: 2012’s “Darkish Roots Of Earth”, 2016’s “Brotherhood Of The Snake” and 2020’s “Titans Of Creation”.
