Mark Morton at Examiner.com recently caught up with TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

Morton: I know in interviews you did over the summer, you mentioned that you were planning to enter the studio in October for five months to work on and complete the new album. Does this tour with MEGADETH and SLAYER put a speed-bump into those plans, or do you see it as a good thing?

Chuck Billy: "Well, it’s a good thing, for sure. But when we said we were going to take five months off, that tour wasn’t even announced yet anyway. And of course, when you get offered a tour like that - which doesn’t come around very often - we had to accept it, because we couldn’t pass it up."

But we’re still working on the album, too. On one of the buses, we’re setting up a recording studio. So, the whole time we’re on the road, we’ll be writing and getting ideas down on tape. Since we’re the opener, we’re going to have a lot of time on our hands, so we might as well write a record out there!"

Morton: So how did your name come into the equation to be a part of the package? Originally, it was just Megadeth and Slayer, right?

Chuck Billy: "Yeah, well, I know they were looking to put together some kind of nostalgia-like event, and that was the talk at first. And then they threw our hat into the ring, and things happened really quickly. It was a Thursday when our name was suggested and by Monday, they had announced the tour."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

BW&BK; recently received the following update from the Tetament camp:

Testament's highly successful and award-winning album The Formation Of Damnation will be reissued in a deluxe tour edition just in time for this amazing tour with SLAYER and MEGADETH. Information can be found below:

The Formation of Damnation (Deluxe Tour Edition)

-- Two disc deluxe tour edition of the band’s comeback album! Includes bonus footage of classic tracks + more;

Disc 1:

The Persecuted Won’t Forget

Killing Season

Afterlife

The Evil Has Landed

The Formation Of Damnation

Henchmen Ride

More Than Meets The Eye

Dangers Of The Faithless

False Evidence Appearing Real (F.E.A.R.)

Leave Me Forever

Disc 2:

'The New Order' *

'Practice What You Preach' *

'Souls Of Black' *

'More Than Meets The Eye' (music video)

* Audio and video, recorded in Alcatraz for MTV 52/52 special

The deluxe tour edition will be in stores on February 23rd although fans will be able to pick up the release on all of the dates of the upcoming American Carnage Tour prior to it hitting stores.

As a special exclusive to the dedicated Testament Legions, there will be an exclusive VIP package available for purchase. This VIP package makes a great stocking stuffer for every Testament fan. Now is your chance to give your friends and family the Metal Christmas present they have always wanted. The Testament VIP Pack is available for all of the shows and includes the following:

-- One general admission ticket with early entry
-- Exclusive meet & greet with the members of Testament
-- Personal photograph with the band
-- Autograph session (includes 8X10 photo)
-- Exclusive Testament Affliction shirt
-- Collectible tour poster (limited, numbered)
-- Exclusive Testament music skin
-- Official VIP meet and greet laminate
-- Official set of Testament guitar picks

Confirmed dates for the American Carnage tour are as follows:

January

18 - WaMu Theatre - Seattle, WA
19 - Memorial Coliseum - Portland, OR
21 - Cow Palace - San Francisco, CA
22 - Long Beach Arena - Long Beach, CA
23 - Dodge Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
25 - Magness Arena - Denver, CO
26 - Tingley Coliseum - Albuquerque, NM
27 - El Paso Coliseum - El Paso, TX
29 - Verizon Wireless - Houston, TX
31 - Municipal Auditorium - Nashville, TN

February

1 - Gwinnett Arena - Duluth, GA
2 - Broadbent Arena - Louisville, KY
4 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium - Minneapolis, MN
5 - UIC Pavilion - Chicago, IL
6 - Cobo Arena - Detroit, MI
9 - Chevrolet Theatre - Wallingford, CT
11 - Izod Center - East Rutherford, NJ
13 - Susquehanna Center - Camden, NJ
14 - Tsongas Arena - Lowell, MA
16 - Pavillon de la Jeunesse - Quebec City, QC
18 - John Labatt Centre - London, ON
19 - Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON
20 - Bell Centre - Montreal, QC
22 - Moncton Coliseum - Moncton, NB
23 - Metro Centre - Halifax, NS