August '08
Artist Spotlight: Greg Christian of Testament
2008 NE Metal/Hardcore Festival Diary
July '08
June '08
George Lynch's New Band:
Souls of We!
May '08
Artist Spotlight: Michael Paget of Bullet For My Valentine
April '08
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Counterfeit ESP guitars
MARCH '08
FEBRUARY '08
Artist Spotlight: Richard Z of Emigrate
JANUARY '08
ESP is proud to announce that bassist Greg Christian of Testament is one of the newest members of the ESP family. Performing on the Vintage-4 bass, Gregʼs tenure in one of the original thrash bands merits all the respect in the world from the metal community; his new choice of basses makes him all the more cool.
"Being able to work with a powerhouse player like Greg is exactly what ESP is all about.” says Allen Steelgrave, ESPʼs director of marketing and artist relations. “If you want to see an ESP put through the paces, watch Greg. Testament being back is huge in and of itself, but having Greg in the family will make an awesome addition. We are very glad to have him onboard."
To understand the testament story, rewind yourself back to 1983. Yeah, we know a lot of you werenʼt even born yet, but letʼs pretend you were. In 1983, the metal scene was quite a bit different than it is today in 2008. While LA bands like Mötley Crüe were definitely kicking ass, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (led by Judas Priest and Iron Maiden) were in full force, the world of hardcore metal and thrash was in its infancy. In fact, it was that year when Metallicaʼs Kill ʻEm All and Slayerʼs Show No
Mercy first came out.
In San Francisco that same year, another band formed that would gain the respect of thrash lovers for decades to come, and that band was Testament. Selected as the original bass player for the band was Greg Christian. While the band took another few years to fully gel (adding members like Alex Skolnick and Chuck Billy), it was 1987 when they recorded their first album, The Legacy (based on the original name of the band). Another two albums followed over the next two years -- 1988ʼs The New Order and 1989ʼs hugely popular Practice What you Preach. In between recording, Greg and the rest of Testament did huge tours of Europe and the Americas along with Anthrax.
Getting into the ʻ90s, Greg did another three albums with Testament, including Souls of Black, The Ritual, and Low. He also played on the live album Return to the Apocalyptic City. But by 1995, the world of grunge had forced metal to take a back seat in popularity, and Greg left Testament to pursue other musical interests. He was involved in several promising bands, but after a decade-long hiatus, it was time to bring his powerful sound back to Testament, who had been through the tough times of two main band members facing serious illnesses. In 2005, Testament did a reunion tour, and brought Greg back into the mix with
immediate great results. Remaining with the band ever since, Greg is featured on the new Testament album The Formation of Damnation (Nuclear Blast Records), which was released in April of this year. As their first studio album in nine years, expectations were high, and the band delivered in classic form.
Getting back into the classic lineup of Testament meant getting into some classic gear for Greg, but with a twist. As opposed to adopting his old gear, Greg picked up the ESP Vintage-4, which offers high-performance ESP playability and sound in a familiar body shape. The bass has a bolt-on neck at the standard 34” scale, with a lightweight Alder body, a one-piece maple neck, and 21 XJ Frets. Gotoh tuners and bridge allow for great intonation, while the killer sound of the Basslines SJB-2 (Bridge) / SPB-2 (Neck) pickups leave no doubt as to the classic heritage of this bassʼs sound. Finally, the pre-distressed black finish of the bass says it all... and feels as good as an instrument thatʼs been played for decades.
Keep your eyes open for Greg and the rest of Testament this year. The latest info can be found at their official site (http://www.testamentlegions.com/) or at MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/testamentlegions).
