Music

Native-American healing and a Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist rejuvenate metal thrashers Testament

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The sickness helped heal his band. Friends held a benefit concert to offset a mountain of medical bills. Souza and Skolnick rejoined their old bandmates, performing as Legacy. Billy performed a song at the end, and the vibes were good. Skolnick rejoined in 2001, to rerecord classic songs with modern production on the First Strike Still Deadly album. A European promoter lured the remaining Legacy-era players back into the fold for one show in 2005, which turned into a tour. Momentum carried into talks of a new record. In 2006, drummer Louie Clemente's arthritis forced him to bow out. Testament ultimately recruited another ex-Slayer drummer, Paul Bostaph.

The strong new Formation of Damnation doesn't sound like Testament's death-metal days, and while it still doesn't have the headbanging groove of The Legacy, the recognizable crunch of Skolnick and never-departed guitarist Eric Peterson plays like a worthy sequel to The New Order.

"As long as Alex wants to do it and we're having fun, I think we'll be doing this for a while," says Billy. "The music is keeping me younger. I haven't grayed. I figure, one day, I'm going to turn that corner. But I look at my heroes like [metal singers] Dio and Halford and say, 'They're still rocking.' And hopefully, I can follow in their shoes." 

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