Page 36 - RockRevoltMagazine-FebruaryMarch2016

eric petersonBy Mark Uricheck

On an episode of the documentary series, Metal
Evolution, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian is quoted
as saying that Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris’ right hand
IS metal when speaking to the legendary bassist’s
influence on the genre. If that’s the case, then the same
can be said about Testament guitarist/mastermind
Eric Peterson when referring to the Bay Area thrash
machine’s concrete-leveled prowess. Peterson’s
stroke on titanic Testament classics like “Over The
Wall,” “Practice What You Preach,” and “Disciples
of the Watch” certifies the guitarist as one of the
true emperors of thrash itself – the Testament stamp
unmistakable to many who believe this band to be
the theoretical fifth seed to The Big Four of Metallica,
Megadeth, and Slayer.

Eric Peterson spoke to Rock Revolt recently about
Testament’s upcoming U.S. tour, embarking on
February 19th, that will pair the band with fellow
thrash icons Slayer, and British melodic death metal
veterans, Carcass. While Peterson is delighted at
the opportunity to be part of a monumental metal
package like this, he’s equally buzzed at the notion
of Testament finishing a new studio album upon
this tour’s completion – look for that possibly late
2016. Peterson also chatted a bit about other current
musical endeavors, like his collaboration with
symphonic vocalist Leah – the duo has a new single
out called “Winter Sun.” We even talk a bit about
one of the unsung eras in Testament history – the
“Demonic” album; Peterson’s actually got plenty of
great memories from that time.

In addition to Testament and the Leah collaboration,
Peterson’s also been knee-deep in a new Dragonlord
record – the black metal band with which he’s released
two albums. Interestingly enough, he’s enlisted ex-
Battlecross drummer Alex Bent (fast becoming a first-
call player) for the project – Bent having been tapped
for Testament shows this past fall upon drummer
Gene Hoglan’s prior live commitments. With this
conversation, one gets the sense that Peterson is the
quintessential metal workaholic – he’s an astute artist,
firmly in control of his craft, and is rather optimistic
about his creative future.