TESTAMENT announces U.S. tour, UNEARTH & LAZARUS A.D. to support

Bay Area thrash legends, Testament, are taking the stage once again for their first US headlining tour in support of the award-winning The Formation of Damnation. The band's first new studio album in nine years won “Album of the Year” at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. The tour will feature the classic lineup of vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, bassist Greg Christian, and drummer Paul Bostaph. Testament will be bringing along metalcore heroes UNEARTH and neo-thrashers LAZARUS A.D. The tour kicks off May 2.

Singer Chuck Billy commented on the upcoming US headlining tour: “It was really exciting last summer touring with Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, and Motorhead, playing in front of all the old-school as well as new-school metalheads. Now we look forward to CRUSHING on our first headline tour on the Damnation Vacation US run. Heavy metal forever!!!”

For over 20 years, Testament has remained committed to the thrash metal sound that brought them to prominence in the late 1980s. The band has never compromised its unmatched intensity or musicianship and has only continued to up the ante with each release.

The Formation of Damnation was named one of MySpace's Top Albums for 2008 and found itself at the top of many year-end lists including #9 Rock Album of the Year on iTunes for 2008, #4 Album of 2008 in Revolver Magazine, #10 on Metal Edge Top 50 of 2008, #1 on Metal Maniacs Top 20 of 2008, and the #2 Brave Pick in Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles. The album also dominated metal radio, coming in at #1 on Sirius-XM's metal channel, #1 on CMJ's Loud Rock charts, and was the most played album on metal radio according to FMQB.

Combining elements of hardcore, thrash, and extreme metal, while also never overlooking the importance of thought-provoking lyrical ideas and concepts, UNEARTH has steadily become one of the leading lights in heavy metal. Over the years the quintet has played in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, South America, Mexico, Japan, Europe including the Netherlands and Russia, and has appeared on such renowned metal fests as Ozzfest and Download. They have also appeared on International festivals such as Rock Am Park, Rock Am Ring, Loud Park, Wacken and others. UNEARTH's latest offering, The March, was released in October of 2008.

“THRASH OR DIE” is the motto LAZARUS A.D. have lived by since day one and their no holds barred attitude is equaled only by their will to become a leading force in modern metal. Their supreme level of creativity, musicianship and professionalism makes them an electrifying and engaging live act. Powered by only a three-song demo, they earned a spot opening for Anthrax and were the only unsigned band included on Earache Records' Thrashing Like A Maniac compilation. After being signed by Metal Blade in 2008, LAZARUS A.D. released The Onslaught on March 3, 2009.

Check the TOUR DATES section for more information.