Testament – The Myth – Maplewood, MN – November 18, 2013

Written by Tracy Hansen.  Photography by Kyle Hansen of RKH Images.

It’s interesting when a band that isn’t even the headliner of a show makes the concert worth the price of admission with only eight songs.  However, that is exactly what Testament do at The Myth in Maplewood on November 18, 2013.  This leads numerous people to ask, “Why aren’t they headlining this show?”

Testament is opening for Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God at The Myth.  A cross section of fans has come to the club for the sole purpose of seeing the Testament portion of the evening.  Being one of the “Big Four” in heavy metal of the 1980’s, they have a large following.  The fact that Lamb of God was kind enough to bring them along on their tour introduces the band to a new generation of metal enthusiasts that may never have even heard of them.

In standard fashion, Chuck Billy comes onstage with growling vocals, enticing the crowd.  The mosh pit responds fervently to their sound, regardless of their knowledge of the band.  They open with “Rise Up” and move into “More than Meets the Eye”, “The Preacher”, and more.  One of the highlights of Chuck, asides from his vocals, are the oversized guitar picks he throws into the crowd, ones nearly cartoon like in nature.  Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson play effortlessly, still lingering on the promotion of their latest release, “Dark Roots of Earth”.

After eight songs, they depart the stage gracefully, awaiting Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God.  That night, bassist, Greg Christianson, is playing his last show, leaving for personal reasons. He goes out on a fantastic note, playing as if there is nothing to it.  For a group that is playing a small club, they play it as if they were presenting themselves to the biggest stadium in the world.

Set List: Rise Up, More than Meets the Eye, The Preacher, Native Blood, Into the Pit, The New Order, Disciples of the Watch, Over the Wall