Few bands completely own the live stage as Testament, and even fewer have the catalog of both classic and modern releases to back it up. Testament’s track record of releases is rock solid, and time has even been kind to their more controversial releases. On May 13, 2025, at the Warsaw, in Brooklyn, NY, we celebrated one album in particular — their legendary 1989 release, Practice What You Preach; Testament’s conscious effort to just slow down their blistering thrash a few beats. This record was a breakthrough at the time, and holds up incredibly well in 2025. This is more than just a tribute – it’s a monument to one of the greatest metal records ever written. It’s refreshing that this is truly an evening with Testament, and Testament alone. No opener, no nonsense – the house lights went down at 8pm, and the Titans of Thrash stood before us.
With three-fifths of the original Practice What You Preach lineup on stage (Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, and Alex Skolnick), there’s no denying that this is the real thing. And it’s even harder to argue when the remaining two slots are filled by Steve Di Giorgio (ex-every band you’ve ever loved) on bass and Chris Dovas on drums (ex-Seven Spires), who are the epitome of both feel and technical precision. I was lucky enough to have caught Chris’ first show with Testament back in 2022, when he was just filling in for Dave Lombardo. Chuck made a comment on stage that night – “I’ve got shoes older than this kid” – and though Practice What You Preach came out before Chris was even born, his style is much more aligned with the heavier, more death metal-influenced sound of modern Testament, who have successfully adapted their older material to fit their modern playstyle.
The night was absolutely full of highlights – the title track, “Sins of Omission”, and “The Ballad” immediately come to mind. While we were all expecting Practice… from beginning to end, we were also treated to some extra special moments – an additional 10 songs, spanning the entirety of their career. Peterson in particular was on fire – criminally underrated as one of metal’s most inspired songwriters, the evening was an incredible showcase of his rhythm and lead chops.
A brief acoustic interlude gave us “Musical Death (A Dirge)” and of course, “The Legacy.” The rest of the band returned to the stage to continue to pummel the audience with new and modern classics, including a few rare choices, like reintroducing “Low” and “Trail of Tears” back into the setlist after a long absence. And would it really be a Testament show without “Into the Pit” – somehow sped up, and more angry and aggressive than it’s ever been.
For Chuck, Eric, and Alex, the night was full of nostalgia. Old stories about their first record deals, tours, and moving out of their parents house were all shared. The crowd went absolutely wild for every story, every piece of Testament history. This was not a typical show, this was a band acknowledging their history, and giving those of us who weren’t there a chance to feel like we were a part of it. But tonight will be history too, as the band continues to move forward. Dedicating “Return to Serenity” to Jon and Marsha Zazula was the classiest move. They are every bit the larger than life icons they appear to be, but they’re also incredibly human and lovable. Capping the show with a “Happy Birthday” singalong to Eric was just the icing on the metaphorical cake.
Though the band has been hinting at new material for some time now – and proudly declared that they’ve got a new record done – this special, intimate yet massive show was plenty to hold us over for now. For metal fans across the states, this is an unforgettable show and an unmissable tour. The chances of them ever repeating a setlist like this is slim – catch it while you still can.
Photo Credit: Tom Mis
