TESTAMENT Working With Ex-SLAYER/EXODUS Drummer PAUL BOSTAPH On New Album

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT have recruited Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN, SYSTEMATIC) to play the drums on the band's forthcoming album, tentatively due next spring via Nuclear Blast Records. The group was previously rehearsing and writing new material with British drummer Nick Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR),but Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and international work visa issues have prevented Barker from continuing to be involved in the project.

Bostaph, who was a member of TESTAMENT for a brief period starting around February 2004, had previously played several live dates with the group in 1992 and appeared on the band's 1993 live EP, "Return to the Apocalyptic City". He also toured with TESTAMENT in 2006.

TESTAMENT's current lineup is rounded out by Chuck Billy on vocals, Alex Skolnick on lead guitar, Eric Peterson on rhythm guitar and Greg Christian on bass.

The band performed a brand new track, titled "The Afterlife", at the Earthshaker Fest in Germany on July 20 (view video below). "That's probably one of the more melodic, commercial-sounding songs," Billy recently told Metal-Rules.com. "The other songs are a lot more heavy, a lot more intense. That was one that just fell into place really quick and we knew we wanted to play a new song for that show so we decided not to give them everything but to give them something in the vein of what we were playing. I think it's a catchy song, a melodic song. But I don't think it represents the whole record, no."

HeavyMetalSource.com posted a video interview with Chuck Billy, conducted on July 14, 2007 at the Sayreville, New Jersey stop of the Sounds of the Underground tour. Watch the 10-minute clip at YouTube.

Fan-filmed video footage of TESTAMENT performing at this year's edition of the Waldrock festival, which was held on July 7 in Burgum (Bergum),in the northern region of The Netherlands, has been posted at YouTube:

"D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)": Video
"The Haunting": Video

TESTAMENT parted ways with Spitfire Records earlier in the year (the Spitfire Records catalog was acquired last summer by Redux Records, the company formerly known as Sheridan Square Entertainment).

Spitfire released a TESTAMENT compilation, "The Spitfire Collection", in February. Consisting of tracks from such Spitfire titles as "The Gathering", "Demonic", "Live at the Fillmore", "First Strike Still Deadly" and "Live in London", the 14-track set chronicles an era that ultimately saw the original TESTAMENT reunite for a successful 2005 tour.

Fan-filmed video footage of TESTAMENT performing a new song, entitled "The Afterlife", on July 20, 2007 at the Earthshaker Fest in Kreuth, Germany can be viewed below.