Back in March we had the absolute pleasure of sharing some time with Testament drum lord Gene Hoglan chatting everything from their brand new album Titans of Creation to their then-impending appearance at Download Australia just over a month later. Few could have predicted the catastrophic events about to unfold, with just weeks passing and the COVID-19 pandemic placing a stranglehold on the world and bringing the music industry to its knees.
But while Testament's Download appearance sadly failed to transpire, one morsel of excitement comes today as Testament officially unveil their thirteenth studio album Titans Of Creation - a truly monster outing that more than lives up to expectations as these colossal lords throw everything they've got and deliver an unwavering masterstroke of thrash and finesse, and proves without a doubt why this group have endured as one of Bay City's proudest exports since the Bay City eruption of the 1980s. And while Australia may have missed out on grabbing a glimpse at the group due to the unprecedented state of the world right now - today we're celebrating the release of Titans Of Creation, and re-running the interview Tiana Speter grabbed with Gene before the madness took hold. So whack on the new album in the background (you can find it here), step into a parallel universe when Testament were still ready to head down under, and get to know the delightful Gene Hoglan a bit better...
Original intro and interview below xo
**INTERVIEW PREVIOUSLY RUN ON 5TH FEBRUARY**
They're the titans of thrash who fiercely cleaved a legacy of success and persistence since their eruption during the infamous second wave of thrash metal in the late 80s. And while change, occasional failures and actual fights for life have weaved their way through the Testament story over the years, one thing has eternally remained: a lust for great music and a desire to subvert the inevitable expectations laden upon a group who sprung out of the Bay City area in the wake of the Metallica steam train.
For a group originally named Legacy (only changing to avoid treading on the toes of another local band), the irony of the eventual lasting saga of the modern-day Testament is perhaps not one that would've been predicted back in those early years - but nonetheless it is one that covers millions of album sales, an eye-watering amount of live shows (including alongside fellow thrash lords and longtime collaborators Slayer) and soon to be thirteenth full-length albums, with lucky #13 Titans Of Creation officially dropping this April 3 via Nuclear Blast.
But before the new album release, the group are also bringing their brawling tunes down under jumping onstage in Sydney and Melbourne for Download Festival this March, plus a special side-show for Brisbane thrown into the mix. And to get well and truly into the Testament spirit before they hit our shores, Tiana Speter caught some time with drum king Gene Hoglan to chat Aussie shows, Aussie accents and how he came full circle with Aussie Download's 2019 headliner Slayer. Grab a listen below!
TITANS OF CREATION IS OFFICIALLY OUT IN THE WORLD NOW, YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON IT RIGHT HERE
FOR ALL OTHER TESTAMENT INFO HERE
BY TIANA SPETER