TESTAMENT Guitarist: 'If We Do Another Record I'd Rather Have The Original Lineup'

TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson recently spoke to RockConfidential.com about the new DRAGONLORD CD and TESTAMENT's upcoming reunion tour with guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Greg Christian and drummer Louie Clemente. A couple of excerpts from the interview follow:

RockConfidential.com: There's just been some classic TESTAMENT footage released on DVD for the first time. How much participation did the band have with the "Seen Between the Lines" release?

Eric Peterson: "We're definitely glad it's out there on the DVD format. It's something we wanted to do for a really long time. The whole VHS thing is kinda lame. There's some bonus Japanese footage on there that wasn't seen anywhere but Japan. It's cool because we didn't have it planned but we're doing a reunion tour. In May we're doing nine shows in Europe with Alex, Greg, and Louie. It came at a pretty cool time."

RockConfidential.com: That's a big subject in itself. I'm stoked it's happening, but it's in Europe!

Eric Peterson: "Well, Europe's got festivals and it's just a normal thing here. They're very organized with it. It's like going to Ozzfest but it's more laid back, not so controlled. They'll set up a tent out in the middle of the country and they'll have big stages. It's like going to the Renaissance Fair but with music. It's really cool. I really wish they had something like that in the States that wasn't as commercial as Ozzfest where half the bands are paying to be on it. The other half are kissing someone's ass to be on it! Over here they've got so many festivals that you could go see any cool band, really."

RockConfidential.com: So, what happens if these nine reunion shows blow everyone away? What then?

Eric Peterson: "Hopefully we're all blown away and we...I told Chuck when we were working on our new record that it's hard to get into it because we've gone through so many different members. We've had members where I've thought 'This is it!' and then someone leaves, we'll get a new member and I'll think, 'OK, this is it!' I'm at the point now, I haven't told Chuck, if we do another record I'd rather have the original lineup. Even if they just did the record and we did some festivals, that would be the way to go. That's just the way I'm feeling right now. I'm sure we can...we're actually getting ready to ...last summer we worked with Metal Mike from HALFORD and he's amazing. He's really good. He would be cool to work with. I talked to Alex (Skolnick) before I left to come out here. I told him I though it was time for us to fucking get together and do a record. I didn't know what he was gonna say. He kinda went, 'Yeah, I think so!' He told me, 'I'm playing rock again!' I told him, 'Cool, man! I'm playing black metal! Let's put those two together and see what happens.' I think the original lineup is definitely the band."

RockConfidential.com: All nine shows are back-to-back, right?

Eric Peterson: "Yeah. And we're supposed to come back over here in July. Hopefully this works out. I never thought we should all move into the same town and just focus on TESTAMENT. I don't think that would be the way to do it. Let's just meet up, get together for a couple of weeks and record something, and maybe book some big shows for a couple of weeks in the States and do Japan and Europe. It would be more special, too. It would be more fun for us rather than being on the road for two or three months. We don't really need to break ourselves anymore. We've got our cult following and we are who we are."

RockConfidential.com: What will the setlist be like?

Eric Peterson: "Management keeps calling me up and asking what the set is. It's always been me first. I'll write out a list and Chuck will maybe change a couple of songs and Alex will throw 'em right back in. We're definitely be doing a lot of the older stuff. I don't think we'll be playing anything from 'The Gathering' and 'Low', maybe. We'll see. I definitely want to do some stuff that we haven't done in a while, like 'The Ballad'. That's a really cool song to do live, the way it builds up. Maybe some crazy stuff we've never played before like 'Seven Days Of May' off 'Souls Of Black'."

Read Eric Peterson's entire interview with RockConfidential.com at this location.