Testament to release "Live at Eindhoven '87"

Before Wacken, there was Dynamo.

For 20 years, the Dynamo Open Air Festival -- originally held in 1986 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Dynamo rock club in Eindhoven, Holland -- was one of metal's most important annual events, peaking in 1995 when 118,000 fans packed the grounds of an abandoned Dutch military airport to see four dozen acts play on three different stages over three June days.

In 1987, though, Dynamo was still in its infancy. For that matter, so was the performer who would leave the biggest mark on the event that year -- Bay Area thrashers Testament. After their debut album, "The Legacy," made instant waves worldwide, the group was invited to make their European debut at the second Dynamo festival.

After a "warm-up" show at the 300-capacity Dynamo club the night before, Testament took the stage on a rainy June 8 and floored the 14,000 fans in attendance with an aggressive, fiery 45-minute set that showcased much of the material on "The Legacy." Five songs from their performance were captured on the EP "Live at Eindhoven," which was issued as a cassette and a 12" LP. However, the band's full set was never released officially -- until now.

Prosthetic Records is proud to announce the April 14 release of "Live at Eindhoven '87," which for the first time brings you Testament's complete 1987 Dynamo performance. A metal history lesson of the highest order, "Live at Eindhoven '87" sees the group's original lineup -- vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson, bassist Greg Christian, and drummer Louie Clemente -- at their absolute hungriest. Their Dynamo set included the following tracks:

1. Disciples of the Watch
2. The Haunting
3. Apocalyptic City
4. First Strike Is Deadly
5. Burnt Offerings
6. Alex Skolnick guitar solo
7. Over The Wall
8. Do Or Die
9. Curse of the Legion of Death (C.O.T.L.O.D.)
10. Reign of Terror

Featuring a stunning remastered sound, new artwork by Carson Slovak (Century, All That Remains, Antagonist) and liner notes by Skolnick, "Live at Eindhoven '87" is a must-have for Testament fans both old and new. Excerpts from the album's liner notes can currently be viewed on Skolnick's "Skolnotes" blog (http://skolnotes.blogspot.com/2008/11/eindhoven.html), while the above-mentioned version of "Disciples of the Watch" can be heard at www.myspace.com/ProstheticReissues. The Prosthetic Webshop (store.prostheticrecords.com) is offering $12 pre-orders.

In addition to recently re-releasing Testament's 1997 album "Demonic" -- hailed as "the most evil-sounding album of their career" (AMG) -- and 1999's "The Gathering" (praised by Metal Hammer as the most important metal album of the late '90s), as well as the 2001 re-recordings collection "First Strike Still Deadly," Prosthetic has also just reissued "Demonic" and "The Gathering" on gatefold, etched double-vinyl. Strictly limited to 1,000 copies each, each pressing also includes 100 colored LPs (gold for "The Gathering," red for "Demonic").


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Tags:  Testament, prosthetic records, Dynamo, Chuck Billy 

jason    February 17, 2009