PipemanRadio Interviews Chuck Billy of Testament

0:04 Hey, you have unto the censure for Wow Crazy you Wake up America. It's time for the Adventures of Pipeman on W four c Y dot com list. Pompeas is number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the pipe Man. This is the pipe Man here on the Adventures pipe Man W four c Y Radio. And I'm very excited. Our next guest is a legend from a legendary one of my favorite ever bands. So let's welcome to the show, Chuck, Billy and Testament. How are you good? I'm doing great. How are you Oh, I'm doing amazing. Leading My preparation for this interview was to reminisce about the times I would take a hitchhike or take a greyhound from LA up to the Bay Area to go to your shows.

1:27 I love it great. So as soon as everybody left LA, like when Slayer Metallica left LA, I mean they left us with the stuff we didn't want to see, so we had to make it up to the Bay Area. Well, the Bay Area came to LA once the Metal Storms begun in eighty two, eighty three, you know, yeah, exactly one hundred uh, you know, and then you're you're doing tour and you're touring with Possessed with I mean we Creator and Possessed and uh I was bringing up Possessed because used to go up to the Bay Area to see them too. But I was at that first ever crossover show at the Sun Valley Sportsman's Lodge, which was like an Elks Lodge or some shit like that, no security, nothing, and it was like Possessed, Dark Angel, Savage Grace on the metal side, and then Suicidal coc and I think the Descendants on the punk side.

2:30 Wow. Right, Oh, I'm telling you it was if you could imagine, it probably was the only LA show that could match the intensity of the pit and the and everything else going on of the Bay Area because there was no security and it was first time ever punk's and metal heads could go to a show without getting into fights. And it was brutal. It was probably nobody got hurt, no, no, exactly. I love how you bring that up because people have this misconception of going to a metal show or even going in the pit. It's funny my co host of my show, who is more of a what I call a not metal metal head, like she's into the metal. That to me wasn't really necessarily metal. Doesn't make it bad, but it wasn't my definition of metal. And I brought her to this club one time. We were covering a show and the pit opened up and she about lost it, and I'm like, just chill out, just stand right here, You'll be fine. You know, it's not what you think. And then that's how you turn people into lovers of metal, is they have to experience it right, probably witnessed while people are getting knocked down, but while they're picking them back up. You know, everybody's helping each other, you know, one big family, and I think that's I

4:04 also think that it's one of the greatest therapies because I've talked to this about people before, Like me going into the pit was me avoiding punching somebody in the outside world. You know, you get all your aggressions out in the pit and then you feel good and you know, you don't get into trouble outside the pit. Yeah, you know, and I'm sure it's it was all like something new to everybody too. Really back then, you know, yes, because you know, of course punk rock was probably a lot more stage diving and more dancing instead of like thrashing each other a little bit, you know, exactly one hundred. So I'm super stoked that you remastered these two amazing albums. Okay, And what I love what I was reading is that you had the ability nowadays because of technology, to make it sound the way you really would have wanted it to sound back then, that you didn't really have the tools to do it, so you were able to take out effects and stuff like that and make it the real Testament sound well to a degree, because we couldn't find the Rigital two inch master tapes because we really wanted to remix and really make it modern sounding, you know, because now we have drum samples and all that stuff. It would have sounded much bigger.

5:30 But those tapes are gone, nobody knows where they're at. Atlantic doesn't have on the shelves. So I have because Johnny Z gave me years ago the half inch unmastered tapes of those, so they're already mixes, but they're unmastered, so at least we're like, Wow, at least we can go in and remaster these, and especially with you know, technology today, it's going to sound way better than back then, because you know, back then we really didn't know better because that was our first experience making records. We're just excited to have our record in our hand, going we got a record. We got a record, didn't matter what it sounded like. It was great to us, you know, and to us the listeners, it was the same thing. It's like, cool, you didn't even really care if it sounded good. Yeah, you know. And today's stereos are much better and bigger sounding. And it's when we went into Nashville to remaster it, it was like, wow, we'd like ap the old one to the new one, or like, holy smokes man, wow, it's so much louder, so thicker. But also on the process of doing that, those effects and things we put like for example, First Strike still Deadly had a little a flanging flare snare role at the beginning, but with the new technology opening up the EQ and making it bigger, it kind of sucked at all that out of it. So it's really more drier and in your face. A

7:02 lot of those effects kind of dried up, but for the better because we're like, wow, it just sounds so strong now, yeah, totally, And this tour is badass one, Like I mean, it's probably, in my opinion as an old school thrash metal head, probably one of the best tours this year. For sure. It's gonna be. You know, we we went to South America with Creator last year, and we have let's get together and go to the US, and then after the US at towards the end of the year, we're going back with Creator and Anthrax in Europe. So we're gonna be spending some time with Creator to pick the opening act for our tour. Though, we're like tossing around a lot of bands, and you know, some European bands that you know, came from our era, and I just thought that Possessed doesn't tour enough and hasn't done enough over the years, that let's bring them out there, you know, let's get them out there amongst everybody. You know, they're so excited. I called Jeff up and he thought it was a prank call. When I first called him, He's like, I go, it's Chuck Billy, you know. He's like, no, it's not. And I go, touch not call him.

8:18 I go, seriously, it's me, man, you guys, really, so what's up? So I said, you know, we have this tour Creator and we'd like to have you guys as the opening neck. He's like, come on, you're pulling a prank on me, right, I'm like, no, I'm serious and he and he was like, I said, after you hang up, call your agent, he knows about it. You'll know it's real, and call me back. And he did, and he called me back his old dude, sorry about that. I thought it was a joke, but thank you so much for asking us. We're so excited to do it, and and and now everybody's exciting and we played the Milwaukee Metalfest with them. They're over in South America and well, so it's just gonna be a great tour, bring back some old memories with the guys getting out there representing the Bay Area. So yeah, we're looking forward to it totally. And I love that you brought up Milwaukee Metal Fest because I saw that you said something where you asked the crowd who'd seen us in the late eighties and you only got a few hands. And I love that.

9:26 I love that because it's like, Wow, the newer generations actually are listening to this music and love it just like I did when I was a teenager. Yeah, and how lucky are we getting to play thirty seven year old song while they're older than that. But that record came out thirty seven years ago, so for the younger, newer metal heads, there was a lot of young metal heads out there. They're pumped up to hear that old stuff. And it was cool that we're a little better now than we were probably back then. So we performed the songs, you know, little heavier different, we tuned down, so the songs are a little more aggressive now. So it was just it was fun to see that and then talking to you new young fans, they're like, you know, I know your history.

10:11 I've seen the records, but to see it live is totally different than listening to those old records. Yeah, that was the cool part about it. Yeah. What else I think is cool nowadays is okay, back in our day, people our age being at gigs like doing artists bands our age unless they were like the you know a Deep Purple or something like that. I couldn't see us teenagers going to that show. It would be like, you know, all the shows we went to, everybody was basically our age, maybe a couple of years older. And then you got shows now and it's like you see these young kids so into the you know, older bands, and I think it's cool. It's just it's pun intended a testament to the musicianship and the and the music that you make. And and I give a lot that to the Internet and just being more accessible music in itself, just being more accessible to the masses all over the world. Yeah, you know.

11:13 So there's a lot of people just sitting in the room, you know, listening to new bands and then going back and saying, Okay, I heard about this thrash metal movement word Metallica start, and then and then find out, oh, it's a Bayer thing. Well, who are these other Bayer bands. Let's check that out. And it's neat that they get to, you know, hear, learn about the history, but actually to be have a band still here kind of doing it and then playing those songs too, it's kind of wow. Okay, I never thought i'd get a chance to see those songs live. I know the records, you know, and wow, what a difference it is hearing them loud now today compared to them oh yeah, hundred and so on this tour, you're actually I'm in South Florida now you're making a couple of steps in Florida to Orlando and Saint Petersburg.

12:01 So that's cool. That'll be in October around my birthday there. And I love it because not many bands come to Florida anymore because it's a pain to get to Florida and get out of Florida. Yeah, but we've tried because our agent there's some years we're just like, why aren't we playing Florida. So I've really taught my agent, Dude, get us into Florida. You just just book it. You know, if if a few people show us up, are a lot, oh well, we just want to go to Florida. You know. I love it, and so we have and now it's grown again and now it's kind of a stop that we'll do every time on tour now. So the interesting thing is, back in the eighties, people like us. I don't know about you, but me and my bros would be like, that doesn't matter the world's going to blow up in nineteen eighty for it anyway, we never would have conceived of the fact that you know, you and I be seeing here talking right now. Does it blow your mind that, like, or could you even conceive back then then there's blow your mind now that you're still playing and still relevant. Well, I'm very fortunate. And me and Eric talked about this, you know, because our new record we're writing is very aggressive and very current style. And I look at Eric and he goes, dude, did you ever think at sixty two you're gonna be writing songs like this, right, singing like that?

13:26 And I'm like, no, actually no, you know. And when I was young, starting, you know, my career as a musician, I always had this premonition that, you know, I'll be fortunate to make it to thirty eight, which sounded old to me. At thirty eight, man, you're better get ready to retire, right, and you know, And then I got thirty eight and I got cancer, so I thought, oh shit, here it comes. My premonition is gonna come to fruition now. And I beat that. But that was like the moment for me like Okay, this is it, and from that point beating it on forward, I just look at I'm very lucky, very fortunate to be doing this and to making music the way we've been making it over the last twenty years.

14:07 The records have been getting better and better. We're we're growing with the times and the generations, with what's being written out there, bands that are getting the new exposure on you know, big festivals or radio or internet. You know. So it's great that we're here, but like you said, to still be relevant, that's even a bonus. Oh yeah, one hundred percent, because you know, back then, you who have ever imagined that metal would be as big as it is today, Like I go do festivals where there's fifty one hundred thousand metal heads there and like man, I went to Metallica in LA with twenty five people. You know, wow, Like it just isn't even conceivable, you know that you would that like we didn't want Hey, we didn't want the masses to know about metal. This was our baby. But I'm so happy that you know, us gatekeepers didn't succeed with that, but we still got to spread that word. I wish like the Grammys or these award shows would recognize and understand and not just have the perception because they've never listened to it or experienced it to think, oh, that doesn't deserve the acclaim, and like these other artists do, even they are radio bands and maybe we aren't radio bands. But like you said, there's still the masses selling these big festivals, and there's a lot of young rebellious

15:43 use that still like when we were we're rebellious. That's what the music we wanted to, you know, support being different, being something that's against the grain. That was cool, you know back then. And I don't think it's changed today. But you know, people like the Grammys still don't recognize it's when and doesn't give you the attention. They don't even give you the airtime on TV. It's just you got to read about it who won and was nominated. So it's still a little sad and we're still climbing out of the grave. But I think one day it's gonna get there. Think you think God Metallica, you know, it's only representation pretty much of that old thrash style. You know. There's a lot of great rock metal bands, but not like that thrash style. Yeah, exactly. And it's funny.

16:30 I was just doing an interview recently with an old school musician who basically he said that bands like you, Guys like you and Metallica and soff are really what started metal. You know, even though the thrash mellow movement had their influences from like the you know, the UK metal invasion, but he saw it as that was really the start of metal, that everything before that was hard rock, and you know, agree or not agree, it did take it to a whole other level where you have bands today that maybe wouldn't exist without a band like Testament. Yeah. And I think it started where you know, a lot of bands like eighties, seventies, early eighties, bands like us in our style of music could only get signed to independent labels.

17:25 There wasn't a lot of major labels taking the chance. You know, bands like Metallica and Anthrax and then even Slayer, you know, they they got that chance. Somebody in a major label seeing something thought to give it a chance. And then, you know, I think once like for us, we were lucky we got signed with Atlantic. You know, even though we were still a thrash band. It was this big machine that was trying to get us to like like make radio songs and stuff. We're like, we don't know what that's is. You know, I don't know how to do that, you know, so let's just keep writing what we do and here's what we got to do, your best with it, And and that opened a lot of doors and then next to you know, a lot of these indie labels had great bands, and next you know, they have major distribution with major labels, and it's just grown from there, you know, yeah, exactly. Well, like you talked about Johnny and then you got Brian, Like between those two, I mean what they accomplished. I remember Brian was a store clerk at OZ Records in the Valley and me and my friends used to go there, and he used to He was brilliant. I told him a few years ago, like it was so brilliant. I don't even think he realized what he was doing, but we came we would come in there and he was like, hey, check this album out. You gotta listen to this, and you know, like I remember the first album he showed me was Venom Welcome the Hell, and I had never heard anything like that before. And I went home and I did the thing where I was

18:55 like sitting on the balcony with my headphones on, looking at the lyrics, looking at the artwork, and I was kind of tripping out at first because like nothing else was ever like that. But then after a while, like listening to it like ten times in a row, I'm like, holy shit, I don't even want to go back to that Mellower music. And a lot of it was album covers that grabbed you. Yeah, it's not likely Iron Maiden, you know. That was like, you know, before Bruce was in the band, I was a big fan, and then I heard, you know, Bruce's first debut on the rad I'm like, whoa, this is Iron Maiden with a new singer. And I knew Samson before that, I recognized Bruce. I'm like, whoa, Bruce Dickinson's and Iron Maiden now whoa? And right? That was great, But it was like fands like exciter. I'd just look at the album cover, Oh wow, this is this is a very cool cover, the knife and the amps and stuff.

19:48 I'm gonna give that record. So a lot of that imagery was really captured a lot of us fans as well. That made us interested in that oh one hundred percent, and even like you know, for sh oh, like I went to shows based on the picture I saw in the magazine and like, oh, they look cool, let's go to that show. You know. Yeah, I don't know how many times at my parents' house, you know, we had a bunk bed and i'd have we sold our soul for rock and roll. Vinyl opened up where it had the picture and it was just so heavy, and I was like, wow, this dimmed the lights down. It was so scary and heavy but cool, right exactly. So let's tell everybody how they can connect you on socials, connect on the web, get the remasters and check out all your tour dates, merch and all that good stuff. Yeah, you get the albums on Nuclear Blast Records, but you can also go to Testament Legions dot Com that'll have all our dates, all the music. We're doing meet and greets on the tour.

20:52 So if you want to come hang with the band, we got some cool guitars that we're going to be, you know, selling on tour, so fans could come hang out with the band, come backstage, do their thing. Just a lot of cool stuff's going on and going to get started this year. We're pumped up and we're rarely looking forward to putting out this next record. Like I said, we have a new drummer, Chris Dovas. He's twenty five years old, so he's reading a lot of new young life into the band and he's he's pushing us hard and so that the music's really really really up to date. I'll just say that I love it. I love it, and you know, one of the things I also love that you guys believe in and it is to me, just from my memories, the difference between the Bay Area and LA is the number one one thing that matters to you guys, is the show, not the party. And yeah, it used to be the party, right exactly like you know what, you know what they said, if you're on the Sunset Strip in the eighties and you remember it, you weren't really there exactly. Yeah, So I love it. So people can't miss your live show because it is massively incredible and uh and because you're there for the show and there's nothing like seeing a live Testament show. So everybody, you have to check out the tour day.

22:18 It's go, even if it's not in your area, take a drive, whatever you gotta do, get to this show. Cause between you guys and Creator and Possessed and Anthrax, wherever it's gonna be. I mean that's like a lineup that is a dream lineup to somebody like me. Yeah, it's it's gonna be great. It's it's like I said creators. Great guy, who's great band. It's gonna be an awesome tour. We both are working together to put on a killer show. As far as the way it looks production wise, we got some cool stuff going on. It's gonna be fun and I hope to see a lot of you know, new young metal heads out there to come experience it because on this next tour for the rest of this year, we're playing the Legacy New Order, a set combined only of those two records, so it's going to be able to experience that early thrash movement today. Love it. I love it. That's amazing. And you know, thanks for all the music you've given us for all these years, and thanks for being on the Adventures of Pipemin right on. Appreciate you having me. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipemin on w for CUI Radio.