Bay Area thrashers that many doubted that they would survive for so many years (almost 25!), are alive and still very loud! Guitarist and founding member Eric Peterson is talking about the band’s past, present and future during Testament’s last visit in Athens for “Rocking Athens Festival”.

Eric Peterson: It’s been a long time on the road. Two more weeks, though…

Solid Rock: Two more weeks and then?

Eric Peterson: Then we go home!

Solid Rock: The last shows are in Japan, right?

Eric Peterson: Yeah.

Solid Rock: This is your third time in Greece. Do you remember anything from the past shows?

Eric Peterson: I remember the shows were really good. The fans were great. I remember the travel to get here was crazy because we came from Germany or something. So it’s like a very long drive.

Solid Rock: You drove here???

Eric Peterson: I think the second time we drove. The fans reminded me a lot of Spain or Italy…

Solid Rock: Mediterranean style?

Eric Peterson: Yeah, a lot of energy, passion.

Solid Rock: So you have a strong fan base in Greece?

Eric Peterson: You know, pretty equal everywhere. This is a good show for us, Gojira is a great band and Heaven & Hell, you know, I’m nervous about that…hahaha!

Solid Rock: There are going to be different kinds of fans so you’ll get a chance…

Eric Peterson: …to play different people. Yeah, I don’t know the hall, is it a big hall?

Solid Rock: It’s pretty big, it’s for Olympic martial arts, Tae-Kwon-Do…

Eric Peterson: I took tae-kwon-do when I was a kid, hahahaha!

Solid Rock: I want to ask about the coming back of the older members. After the Gathering you were supposed to do an album with the touring line-up you had back then… You had an album “First Strike Still Deadly” instead…

Eric Peterson: Em, it made sense ‘cause Alex came back and did it with us. So that was pretty cool. We were going to put out a record after The Gathering with new members, not the old ones. And there are too many things that happened. Chuck got sick, me breaking a leg, touring, different members, stuff like that.

Solid Rock: So was it your move to bring the old members back?

Eric Peterson: No things were falling apart at that time. Basically, things were withering away. I was kind of done of finding another guitar player, find this or whatever but everything kind of made sense and came together with the old members coming back.

Solid Rock: So Testament is more solid now?

Eric Peterson: Oh, yeah, definitely. It started off kind like a reunion to see how things will go and one thing kept on leading to another, a lot of positive things happened, so that was pretty cool.

Solid Rock: Tell us some things about the release of “Live At Eindhoven ’87”. Some songs are from the old EP, right?

Eric Peterson: We did a full show and there was like ten songs or something but we decided to use it only as an EP but now we have access to the full concert. So the new record is the full concert, ten songs or eleven, something like that.

Solid Rock: As far as your last album (The Formation Of Damnation), most fans considered it a return to your old style but with a fresh sound. Most of your albums are not the same with their previous one!

Eric Peterson: Basically, it’s the best from everything we’ve done I think.

Solid Rock: So you’d say it’s your favorite album?

Eric Peterson: Well, I like The Gathering a lot. It’s one of my favorites, it’s just brutal. The new one is like The Gathering but it also has the feeling of the old sound. But it’s got the more modern production, so I think it’s probably one of the better sounding records and the songs are like every period of Testament in one.

Solid Rock: Testament’s guitar sound impressed me when I saw you live the first time became a trademark and since you’re the main composer tell us a few things about the equipment since you had a new deal with…

Eric Peterson: EDH, yeah. Well, that’s a big part. Technology and music gear has just got a lot better. Every amp sounds good right now but the EDH amp is kind like the best of all in different styles of amplifiers. It’s got the mid range of a Marshall but it’s got the dents sound of Mesa Boogie, all in one. It’s like a modern Marshall. It’s designed by Eddie Van Halen. I think it sounds kind like his first record, you know that crunch.

Solid Rock: Do you believe the competition among bands is increasing year by year?

Eric Peterson: There’s a lot of bands out there, that’s for sure but I think one strong thing about us is that we’ve been around for a long time. We’re Testament, you know, there’s a history there so that’s a good thing.

Solid Rock: There is a feeling that most of the new bands can’t produce good albums with 10 or eleven strong tracks.

Eric Peterson: Probably because a lot of our influences are from strong bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, stuff like that. Hese are good bands tro be influenced by. I think that’s a big thing.

Solid Rock: You have another band Dragonlord but you haven’t put out anything since “Black Wings Of Destiny”, full-length, 2005. What’s the state of the band and some possible future plans?

Eric Peterson: Yeah, I’m definitely doing another record but it’s been so busy I haven’t really had time to put something together but there are ideas to do something.

Solid Rock: Same line-up as the previous?

Eric Peterson: No. It’s not a band that’s always jamming so other people move on and do other things. It’s my project.

Solid Rock: Did you ever think of disbanding when you faced Chuck’s problem?

Eric Peterson: Not really. It crossed my mind but it wasn’t something I would want to do. But it entered my mind like: ‘Maybe this is it.’

Solid Rock: Was his condition ever that bad that it would be impossible for him to go on?

Eric Peterson: For a little bit. But I think through my will…I was always the one that said you can do it.

Solid Rock: Do you have something to say to your Greek supporters?

Eric Peterson: LIFE’S HARD BUT TESTAMENT IS HARDER!

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