Words by Matt New
Pix by Angie New Photography
Since its emergence in the early 1980s, Thrash Metal has long been regarded as one of the most popular subgenres within the wide spectrum of heavy metal. Many of the founding bands of the movement hail from the Bay Area in California, making it a musical mecca for heavy metal music fans. The genre is often characterised by the Big Four (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax), but there is a wave of other bands that have helped popularise the genre within mainstream music.
Testament is one of the iconic bands that helped lay the foundation of thrash metal – a genre that has thrived for five decades and spanned generations. This is the first time in 11 years that Testament has toured Australia. Given that their last attempts were thwarted due to Covid, a sold-out Metro Theatre would host these Thrash Metal icons for a night of headbanging and reconnecting with their diehard Sydney audience.
Opening the proceedings for the evening was Sydney’s homegrown metal juggernaut, Flaming Wrekage. The four-piece band has had numerous opportunities over the past few years supporting incredible international touring acts, which has significantly boosted their popularity. The band consists of frontman Dan Upton on vocals and rhythm guitar, Justin Humphrey shredding on lead guitar, Matt Thornton providing intense power and precision on drums, and Lachlan Campbell delivering the low-end roar on bass. These musicians are highly skilled and entertaining in their craft.
Flaming Wrekage delivered an abrasive and electric performance. Their blend of melodic death metal, thrash, and occasional progressive metal elements makes them a captivating act to watch. They were focused and flawless in their delivery, visibly excited to perform for a near-capacity audience at the Metro Theatre. The crowd was enthusiastic and receptive to this fantastic local live act, supporting them throughout their entire set. Running Blind showcased the band’s technical abilities, while Ghosts highlighted the variety and complexity that sets them apart from your typical death metal band. As they posed for a photo with the crowd at the end of their set, it was clear Flaming Wrekage are destined for greater stages in the near future.
Testament has been a fan-favorite thrash metal band that has remained a constant force since the 80s. It was very encouraging to see the Metro Theatre completely sold out for this show, with fans of all ages packed in like sardines, ready for a wild night of fast-paced music. Testament, like the seasoned professionals they are, wasted no time asserting their dominance on stage, ripping into Practice What You Preach and Sins of Omission. They gave the fans a taste of classics before warming up with the newer material, they were long overdue to perform live on our shores. Testament’s endearing frontman, Chuck Billy, made it abundantly clear that the band missed performing in Australia and intended to make up for their absence. Having released three albums since their last visit, Billy politely ensured the fans would be up for hearing these newer tracks, to which the Sydney audience responded with a raucous cheer.
Testament’s musicianship is absolutely breathtaking, as they perform with a technical ability that could be argued to be more precise and intricate compared to their Big Four compatriots. This is evident in the blistering performances of long-term lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, who made the most impossible guitar solos seem like a walk in the park. Skolnick’s fluidity and melodic prowess fuelled many fans close to me to whip out their air guitars and shred along. Eric Peterson, the band’s founding guitarist and the group’s musical heart, was also no slouch on the axe. Peterson traded solos with Skolnick and showcased his soulful bluesy sounds that contrasted his incredibly powerful rhythm guitar playing, providing the foundation for Testament’s sound. Chuck Billy is one of thrash metal’s more interesting vocalists, blending the perfect amount of melody with his raw and energetic power. His presence was hard to miss as he explored the entire Metro stage, interacting with fans throughout the audience all night.
The interaction between Testament and the crowd was refreshing, as they genuinely appreciated the continued support of their Australian audiences. Both Skolnick and Peterson took the opportunity to communicate with their fans in addition to Billy, making the message of their words seem very intimate and special. Peterson shared the story of how Skolnick and he wrote The Haunting as teenagers, which was a very personal walk down memory lane before the two duelled away with their guitar harmonies under a soft spotlight. Rise Up continued the amazing crowd participation for the evening, as everyone in the venue sang along to the powerful vocals in the chorus to almost deafening levels. Before progressing to tracks such as D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate), a song dedicated to Billy’s late father, and Native Blood, a song very special to Billy, paying honour to his indigenous Native American heritage. Billy took a break before Native Blood to draw focus to his concerns about issues surrounding indigenous Australians, advocating for change.
Given that most thrash metal bands are noted for their dynamic frontmen and memorable guitar riffage, it was very humbling to see both bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Chris Dovas get their own moment to showcase their talents. Di Giorgio has been with Testament for quite some time now, is one of metal’s most potent bass players, and it is completely validated why he is one of the most in-demand session bass players within the genre. Dovas, who is relatively new to Testament, demonstrated a fiery ability on the kit throughout his solo. Testament has had no shortage of good drummers over the years, including Paul Bostaph, Dave Lombardo, and Gene Hoglan, to name a few, and Chris Dovas delivered a perfect performance that honoured all of his previous drumming alumni.
Testament returned to the early chapters of their extensive catalogue, concluding the set with First Deadly Strike and Over The Wall from their 1987 album The Legacy, and More Than Meets The Eye from 1992’s The Formation of Damnation. As the final encore, Testament unleashed arguably their most iconic track, Into The Pit, sending the Metro Theatre into a frenzy and concluding a night of truly electrifying heavy metal. Sydney’s crowd rose to the occasion, delivering an explosive energy that set a high benchmark for the rest of the tour. It was a headbanger’s dream – Testament performed with flawless precision, passion, and power in every aspect.
Overall, the show was a fireball of frenetic energy and aggression. The fact that we still get to experience these pioneering thrash metal bands is a blessing, and it is heartwarming to see it shared by a crowd that extends across multiple generations, with obvious heavy metal families at the show that have passed on the passion for their music, sharing in the experience together.
