TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson is featured in a new interview with Matthew Parker at MusicRadar.com. An excerpt is available below:

Q: 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Testament's debut album, The Legacy. What were your initial expectations of the band?

Peterson: "Initially, none. I just wanted to put a record out. Then when (second album, 1988's) The New Order came out, we had a seven record deal with Atlantic Records and we just thought, 'If we can live out that term, that would be awesome.'

"We were watching a lot bands around us fold on their second or third album. We realised how hard it was. The playing is the easy part, it's just everything in between - that's what breaks bands up. I don't think it's the music at all, it's the chemistry. It's dealing with all of the downtime in between the two hours you're onstage."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Testament have announced their first US headlining tour in support of their new album, Dark Roots of Earth. The trek promises to be one of the best thrash metal lineups of the year, with support coming from the world renowned OVERKILL and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, as well as Australian thrashers 4ARM.

“It’s a thrill to announce our upcoming dates with Overkill and Flotsam And Jetsam,” commented guitarist Alex Skolnick. “It’s a tour that brings together three different metal bands from three different regions: West Coast, East Coast and Southwest. All three bands sound very different from one another yet are highly compatible. All have been around the block (and the world) a few times and all have managed to keep a sound that feels current. This tour will be a ‘must see’ for fans who remember the early days of thrash/speed metal as well as those whose age is younger than the genre itself.”

VIP packages are now available for each show but will be on a limited basis per gig. Act now before they’re all gone!

VIP ticket packages will include the following:

- Meet and Greet with members of Testament.
- Photos with members of Testament.
- Special VIP collector pass.
- 8×10 photo of Testament.
- 1 Merchandise item.
- Discount Coupon for online shopping.
- VIP purchasers will receive a raffle ticket. Two lucky raffle winners per show will get to watch a portion of Testament's set side stage with the opportunity to sing background vocals on 'Into The Pit'!
- All VIP purchasers will be in an end of the tour drawing for a signature Eric Peterson Dean guitar signed by Testament.

Dates:

January

30 - The Filmore – San Francisco, CA*
31 - House of Blues – Anaheim, CA*

February

1 - The Marquee – Tempe, AZ*
2 - House of Blues – Hollywood, CA*
4 - Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM*
5 - Emo’s – Austin, TX
6 - House of Blues – Houston, TX
7 - House of Blues – Dallas, TX
9 - Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
10 - The Filmore – Charlotte, NC
12 - The Filmore – Silver Spring, MO
13 - Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
14 - Best Buy Theatre – New York, NY
15 - The Paramount – Huntington, NY
16 - The Palladium – Worcester, MA
17 - Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
18 - Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON
20 - Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
21 - The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
22 - The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
23 - First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
25 - The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
26 - In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT
27 - Knitting Factory – Reno, NV
28 - Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA

* Denotes Flotsam And Jetsam will not be playing