Testament formed in 1983, originally under the name The Legacy , by guitarists Eric Peterson and Derrick Ramires . The band recruited bassist Greg Christian and drummer Mike Ronchette , and before releasing their first demo, they had already changed guitarists; Ramires was replaced by Alex Skolnick on guitars and Steve 'Zetro' Souza on vocals. As soon as the demo *First Strike Is Deadly* was released in 1985, Ronchette was replaced by Louie Clemente , and Souza left to join Exodus . Vocalist Chuck Billy took his place.
The band's first album, The Legacy , released in 1987 under the name Testament, brought them instant success in the California metal scene. Soon after their debut, Testament was opening for Anthrax on world tours. Subsequent albums, The New Order (1988), Practice What You Preach (1989), Souls Of Black (1990), and The Ritual (1992), enjoyed similar success and featured the same lineup, despite growing tensions among the group members.
During the 1990s, Testament underwent several lineup changes. Skolnick and Clemente left the band to join other projects, being replaced first by Glen Alvelais and Paul Bostaph , and later by James Murphy and John Tempesta , who would record the 1994 album, *Low *, with the band. The album marked a search for an even heavier sound, with influences from death metal and groove metal. After Tempesta's departure, Jon Dette Chris Kontos joined . In 1996, Kontos, Christian, and Murphy left the band, leaving only Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson. The 1997 album, *Demonic *, featured Derrick Ramires on bass and Gene Hoglan on drums. *The Gathering *, from 1998, featured James Murphy again on guitars, Steve DiGiorgio on bass, and Dave Lombardo on drums.
After the release of The Gathering , Testament went on hiatus, partly due to health complications, as James Murphy was diagnosed with a brain tumor and Chuck Billy with testicular cancer. Even so, in 2001 Testament re-recorded and re-released their first EP, now titled First Strike Still Deadly . From 2003 onwards, Testament returned to playing live, with different lineups but always featuring Billy and Peterson.
In 2008, the band released their first album with new compositions since 1998, *The Formation of Damnation *, featuring Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, Greg Christian, and Paul Bostaph. In 2011, Bostaph left the band again, and Gene Hoglan joined in his place. In July 2012, Testament released their 10th studio album, * Dark Roots of Earth *.
Throughout their history, Testament has sold over 1.4 million albums in the United States alone. The band is still recognized today as one of the founders of the thrash metal movement, and one of the most successful metal bands of the 1980s.
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