For the last few months, we have gotten several information tidbits on how Bay Area thrash legends Testament are gearing up for the release of their next studio album, and here's another one that I personally love hearing about: seems the band has enlisted the expertise of renowned Swedish producer Jens Bogren to mix the highly anticipated follow-up to their 2020 release, Titans Of Creation.
In a recent interview with Brutal Planet Magazine, guitarist Eric Peterson shared some insights into the project, stating, "It's, like, 90 percent done. And it's gonna get mixed in December by Jens Bogren. He's a producer from Sweden, and he's done — God, he's done Kreator, he's doing the new Behemoth right now, he's done In Flames, Arch Enemy. A lot of European bands."
"We usually work with Andy Sneap, but he's the touring guitarist in Judas Priest and he's just, like, ‘Bro, I need some time off.' It's a good switch, though. I think Jens will do a good job. And yeah, there's a lot of crazy stuff on this record. I'm excited for everybody to hear it."
Testament's previous albums, including 2012's Dark Roots Of Earth and 2016's Brotherhood Of The Snake, were co-produced by Juan Urteaga.
In a recent conversation with Nikki Blakk from San Francisco's 107.7 The Bone radio station, Testament's vocalist Chuck Billy talked extensively about what to expect from the upcoming record, and touched upon the chance of the arrival of a first single: "We hope to have a single maybe, just towards the end of the year. Give whomever we select to mix the album one song, 'Let's see how you do, see if we're happy,' before we do the whole record maybe. It's a pain in the butt, but it's still a little more convenient for us this time."
Lyrically, the album explores a range of topical themes, including environmental issues and artificial intelligence. Billy expressed his preference for writing about real-world events, believing it lends more authenticity to his vocal performances.: "It's not as focused on, like, the aliens, creating mankind and that kind of stuff, but there is some of that. There's a lot. Each song definitely has its own identity lyrically. And again, we're writing stuff that is real, that happens with the environment; we're singing about that again. A.I., we're singing stuff about that. That's a big thing. So, there's always an inspiration for songs. I think it's a little easier."
"There's so much going on in our world to write about now. It's a crazy world today, so there's a lot of stuff to talk about. And I like singing about what's real and what's going on instead of some fantasy lyrics, because, for me, I think when I sing 'em, I have more conviction, I believe in 'em a little more. And maybe it's easier for me to remember the lyrics live".
