New TESTAMENT Drummer CHRIS DOVAS Shares 'D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)' Audition Video

TESTAMENT's new drummer Chris Dovas has shared his audition video — an in-studio performance clip of the song "D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)" from 1999's "The Gathering" album. Check it out below.

Says Dovas: "This performance is one single take all the way through. No editing, no quantizing etc. I wanted to show the RAW performance.

"I'm using Czarcie Kopyto drum pedals which really help me create the sound I want when playing drums. Also using Kaptor Triggers."

This past May, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy threw shade at Lombardo while introducing Dovas at the group's May 2 show at the Teatro Royal Center in Bogotá, Colombia. Before launching into "D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)", which originally appeared on the sole TESTAMENT album Lombardo played on, the aforementioned "The Gathering", Chuck presented the band's new drummer to the audience, saying: "Stand up and take a bow. Give it up for Mr. Chris Dovas. Lombardo who? Yeah. That's Chris Dovas right there. Don't forget it."

In April, Lombardo revealed in an interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET that he would sit out the remainder of TESTAMENT's 2023 shows, with no guarantee that he will return to the band.

A few days after Dave's interview was published, TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson said that Dovas's addition to the group had turned out to be "a blessing in disguise" after Lombardo's "short-lived return".

Lombardo, who was the guest drummer on "The Gathering", formally joined the long-running San Francisco Bay Area act last year. The former SLAYER drummer is currently a member of the MISFITS, MR. BUNGLE, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD and SATANIC PLANET, among others. He also played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES from 2016 up until 2020.

Dovas, who is also a member of SEVEN SPIRES, previously filled in for Lombardo on the first six dates of TESTAMENT's summer/fall 2022 leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour". Lombardo was unable to make those gigs due to a scheduling conflict with the MISFITS.

On April 17, Peterson shared a video of Dovas performing with TESTAMENT and he wrote in an accompanying message: "What can I say? Things sometimes just happen for a reason, I mean just when everything seems to go ok BAM! Nope! but then something opens up… @chrisdovas happened.

"Chris replaced Dave on our last North American run cause of over booked scheduled from Dave, but it was a blessing in disguise. Chris has turned out to be totally unbelievably amazing and a very kind and awesome brilliant drummer."

The guitarist continued: "We are more than thrilled for our fans to experience his more than meets the eye capabilities with our South American and European tours coming up, also in this last minute situation we've connected on a killer spree, working on new ideas this last week has become more than promising, I am stoked to say it's gonna be KILLER peeps!

"Anyway rest assure Chris will push the envelope so to speak and make TESTAMENT heavier and more precise than before! More to come!!!!! W00t!

"I have to add it was a pleasure and a great time to have Dave back in his short lived return again".

Lombardo told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that he was unsure as to whether would play with TESTAMENT again in the foreseeable future, including performing on the band's next studio album. "I don't know, because everything is starting to snowball with MR. BUNGLE and EMPIRE STATE BASTARD and the MISFITS," he said. "I've been with the MISFITS since 2016. TESTAMENT is a well-oiled machine. They're always touring and releasing albums. To try to find that space or that time to release something… I don't know."

When asked whether this meant his status with TESTAMENT was "uncertain," Lombardo replied, "Yes. It's wait-and-see. I can't guarantee anything because of my commitments. I did fulfill my contractual commitment for 2022, which was quite extensive. We did one of the longest tours I have done. It was like seven weeks in Europe, which was great. I really needed to get out there and build my chops after the pandemic. That was a lifesaver. We'll see. The relationship is good. The doors are open. The communication is there. I told them that I was seeing some clashes coming up. This was in the first week of January when I reached out to Eric and told him. This has been brewing for a while. Actually, I saw it in November/December of last year. I started seeing, 'Oh no. This is going to happen. This is not going to happen.' It's very tricky."