Legacy of Testament
Artists and genres Testament directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
ExodusartistExodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting and lead vocalist Rob Dukes. Notable former members of the band include vocalists Paul Baloff and Steve "Zetro" Souza, drummers John Tempesta and Paul Bostaph, and founding guitarist Kirk Hammett who later joined fellow Bay Area thrash metal band Metallica. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who had departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Holt, who has been in the band since 1981, is the only member to appear on every Exodus album. Much of the band's career has been affected by lineup changes, feuds between both band members and record companies, two extended hiatuses, deaths of former band members, and drug addictions.
Death AngelartistDeath Angel is a Filipino-American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several lineup changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda are the only members who appear on all of their studio albums.
ForbiddenartistForbidden is an American thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. They formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, but would change their name in 1987. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes. After breaking up for the first time in 1997, Forbidden reunited once again in 2007, went into an indefinite hiatus in 2012, but reformed in 2023. The current line-up of the band is Norman Skinner (vocals), Craig Locicero (guitar), Matt Camacho (bass), and Chris Kontos (drums).
ProbotartistProbot was a heavy metal recording project led by American musician Dave Grohl, as a side project from his primary group Foo Fighters. The album was released in February 2004.
- Moonspellartist
Moonspell is a Portuguese gothic metal band formed in 1989. The group released their first EP, Under the Moonspell, in 1994 and followed up with their debut album, Wolfheart, a year later. They quickly became the most recognizable metal band from Portugal and a key figure in gothic metal.
DiabloartistDiablo is a Finnish melodic death / groove metal band, formed in 1995 as Diablo Brothers. The band cite Testament, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Opeth, Death and Meshuggah as influences, but influence from several Gothenburg bands such as Dark Tranquillity, Hypocrisy and In Flames is also evident in their music. The band has released seven studio albums, the most recent of which, When All the Rivers Are Silent, was released in 2022.
EvileartistEvile are an English thrash metal band from Huddersfield, formed in 2004. They have experienced numerous line-up changes over the years, with drummer Ben Carter being the only member of the original line-up to have stayed consistently. The current line-up consists of Carter, bassist Joel Graham, lead guitarist and vocalist Ol Drake, and rhythm guitarist Adam Smith, who replaced Drake's older brother Matt in 2020.
36 Crazyfistsartist36 Crazyfists was an American metalcore band formed in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1994. The band's name comes from the Hong Kong martial arts film The 36 Crazy Fists (1977). To date they have released eight studio albums.
HavokartistHavok is an American thrash metal band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2004. As of 2024, their current lineup consists of frontman David Sanchez, drummer Pete Webber, and bassist Nick Schendzielos. They have gone through a number of personnel changes, with each album featuring a different lineup, and leaving Sanchez as the only remaining original member left in the band.
Nuclear AssaultartistNuclear Assault was an American thrash metal band formed in New York City in 1984. Part of the mid-to-late 1980s thrash metal movement, they were one of the main bands of the genre to emerge from the East Coast, along with Overkill, Whiplash, Toxik, Carnivore, and Anthrax, the last of which was co-founded by Nuclear Assault bassist Dan Lilker, who had been fired from Anthrax shortly after the release of their first album. Nuclear Assault released five full-length albums and toured relentlessly throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, and broke up in 1995. The band reunited briefly in 1997, and permanently from 2001 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2022.
ThresholdartistThreshold are an English progressive metal band formed in Surrey in the late 1980s. The guitarist and producer Karl Groom has been the band's only consistent member.
Great WhiteartistGreat White is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The band is named after both the shark with the same name, and guitarist Mark Kendall's former stage nickname. In August 2008, the band estimated they had sold around eight million records worldwide.
Entombedartist
Primal Fearartist
OverkillartistOverkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only remaining original members. The band's current lineup includes Verni, Ellsworth, Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek "The Skull" Tailer on rhythm guitar, and Jeramie Kling on drums. Notable former members include guitarists Dan Spitz, Bobby Gustafson, Merritt Gant and Joe Comeau, and drummers Rat Skates and Jason Bittner.
Armored Saintartist
Mike Wengrenartist
Ola Englundartist
Mariusz Dudaartist
Drowning PoolartistDrowning Pool is an American rock band formed in Dallas, Texas, in 1996. The band was named after the 1975 film The Drowning Pool. Since its formation, the band has consisted of guitarist C.J. Pierce, drummer Mike Luce and bassist Stevie Benton, as well as a revolving cast of vocalists.
MegadethartistMegadeth is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—along with Slayer, Anthrax, and Metallica—and is credited with helping to develop and popularize the genre. Their music features intricate arrangements, fast rhythm sections, dual lead guitars, and lyrical themes such as war, conflicts, politics, religion, death, and personal relationships.
Rodrigo y GabrielaartistRodrigo y Gabriela are a Mexican acoustic guitar duo featuring musicians Rodrigo Sánchez and Gabriela Quintero. Residing in Mexico City, they began their career in Dublin, Ireland, where they played for the first eight years of their career as a duo. Their music consists largely of instrumental duets on the flamenco guitar, with a musical style influenced by a number of genres including nuevo flamenco, rock, and heavy metal.