Testament has quite a legacy in heavy metal. As one of the OG thrash metal bands out of the San Francisco Bay Area, they have not only survived in the music scene since 1983 but thrived, releasing some of the best music of their career in recent years. With 42 years in the business and 13 studio albums under their belt, they remain a touring juggernaut. In 2025, they decided to do something special to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their Practice What You Preach album. Not only did they re-release the album on limited-edition colored vinyl, but they also hit the road for “An Evening with Testament,” featuring no opening act and a setlist that included Practice What You Preach in its entirety, a couple of acoustic songs, and some deeper cuts to close out the night.

On Sunday, May 25, Testament played the final night of this 16-date run at House of Blues in San Diego, and it was an absolute banger. The venue, which holds about 800 people, was either sold out or as close to capacity as it could get. At 8:00 PM, the band hit the stage: the hulking Chuck Billy on vocals, Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick on guitars, Steve Di Giorgio on bass, and Chris Dovas on drums. They kicked off two hours of thrash madness with the title track, “Practice What You Preach,” and immediately the Testament diehards began moshing and crowd-surfing, creating a chaotic frenzy. The energy only intensified as they launched into “Sins of Omission,” with the band seeming larger than life on the small House of Blues stage.

Billy addressed the crowd next, welcoming everyone to this unique show. Between songs, he and the other band members shared background stories about each track, offering insights into the writing process, lyrical content, and their state of mind back in 1988/89. For example, they discussed the political tone of “Perilous Nation” and the environmental themes in “Greenhouse Effect.” It was fascinating to hear these behind-the-scenes details about how the songs were created.

Practice What You Preach is a strong but underrated Testament album, and it was incredible to hear so many deep cuts from it live. They slowed things down for “The Ballad” before ramping up the heaviness with “Envy Life.” This was likely the last time some of these songs will ever be played live, making it an unforgettable experience.

After finishing the Practice What You Preach set, chairs were brought onstage, and the band switched to acoustic instruments. They performed “Musical Death (A Dirge)” followed by Billy joining in for “The Legacy.” These two songs alone were worth the price of admission.

The band then dove into additional deep cuts, starting with the heavy-hitting “Rise Up” and “Low,” followed by the mid-tempo rocker “City of Angels.” Things slowed down again for “Return to Serenity,” a top-tier thrash ballad. Dovas even treated the crowd to a short drum solo.

The night concluded on a fast, heavy note with the crowd-chosen “D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)” and, of course, “Into the Pit.” The latter ignited a massive mosh pit as the audience caught a second wind, ending the night with a final blast of extreme energy.

Throughout the evening, Chuck Billy sounded phenomenal. His voice remains a unique instrument, effortlessly hitting deep growls and clean notes with razor-sharp precision. Alex Skolnick proved once again that he’s a guitar wizard, delivering blistering leads, while he and Eric Peterson reaffirmed their status as one of the top-tier thrash guitar duos. It was also cool to see Peterson playing a Gibson Les Paul for much of the night, as he typically uses his signature Dean guitars onstage.

The rhythm section was equally impressive. Steve Di Giorgio is one of the most technical bass players in existence, slamming on his fretless bass with unmatched skill. Meanwhile, the young Chris Dovas absolutely slayed on drums—an impressive feat, considering he wasn’t even born when Practice What You Preach was released.

This was a unique live experience that will never be duplicated. Keep those ticket stubs—this was one to remember. Testament is a force to be reckoned with, and we all eagerly await their next masterpiece.