Testament guitarist Eric Peterson has dismissed any speculation about the band’s potential retirement, stating in a new interview that he “could keep going forever” and that the “metal lifestyle” itself keeps him young.
Speaking with “The Metal Meltdown“, Peterson was asked about the future and if he could see the band stopping. The guitarist, who is 60, affirmed that he and vocalist Chuck Billy are committed to the long haul.
“We’re gonna take it to the end. I mean, that’s what Chuck [Billy, Testament singer] says. I could keep going forever. That’s what I think,” Peterson responded. “But who knows? I still feel young, and I don’t feel like I’m 60.”
He contrasted his current life with previous generations, noting how the perception of aging has changed, especially in the metal scene.
“I remember when my grandfather was 60, he was bald and he had this little pencil holder and he was wearing polyester pants up to [his stomach]. And I just don’t see that,” he said. “And I think people now that are older, I think maybe ’cause of our lifestyle… And I think metal keeps you young too.”
Peterson pointed to his thrash contemporaries as proof that the genre is still vital. “Metallica — look at Metallica; they’re still kicking a**… And Exodus is on fire… Gary‘s [Holt, Exodus guitarist] like me; he is on fire. Overkill is still around,” he listed.
He also draws hope from the longevity of the bands that inspired Testament, who are still actively touring.
“There’s a lot of bands that all of us listened to, like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, when we were 18, 17, 19… and they’re all probably, like, 10, 15 years older than us, and they’re still out there. So there’s hope,” Peterson said. “I remember being in my late 20s and even 30s and seeing, ‘Okay, Iron Maiden‘s still going.’ And they’re still going now. So, yeah, we’ve still got some time, I think.”
Peterson did admit that maintaining the pace of a thrash metal musician requires more effort with age.
“It gets harder when you get [older],” he admitted. “And you’ve just gotta take care of yourself and just eat right and work out. I think if you do that and just maintain yourself… I know we all still drink still, but it’s a little bit harder to recuperate.”
This forward-looking attitude comes as the band continues to support their latest album, Para Bellum, and celebrates their legacy with a series of reissues of their first six albums on Nuclear Blast, including 1989’s Practice What You Preach.
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