Testament

One of Thrash Metal’s Big 8 and a creator of its second wave, Testament has influenced generations of artists since forming in 1983. ∙ Initially known as The Legacy, the group played their second-ever show at San Francisco metal nightclub The Stone, alongside fellow up-and-coming band Slayer. ∙ Testament first captured their signature sound on 1983’s The Legacy, a breakout album that propelled them to the forefront of the emerging thrash metal movement. ∙ The band’s 1992 grunge-influenced LP, The Ritual, was their best-selling album and featured their sole charting single, “Return to Serenity.” ∙ Singer Chuck Billy, who’s been artistically inspired by his Native American heritage, was recognized in the 2010 Smithsonian exhibit Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture. ∙ Dark Roots of Earth, their critically acclaimed 2012 release, was a worldwide hit that simultaneously topped three different Billboard charts in the US. ∙ In 2018, Testament was featured as an opening act on Slayer’s farewell tour, which was one of the most highly anticipated runs in metal history.