# List of Testament members

Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983, the group originally consisted of guitarists Eric Peterson and Derrick Ramirez, bassist Greg Christian, drummer Louie Clemente and lead vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. The band's current lineup features Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy (since 1986), lead guitarist Alex Skolnick (from 1983 to 1992, and since 2005), bassist Steve Di Giorgio (from 1998 to 2005, and since 2014) and drummer Chris Dovas (since 2023).

## History
### 1983–1997

Formed under the name Legacy in 1983 by cousins Eric Peterson (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Derrick Ramirez (lead guitar), the original lineup of the group also featured bassist Greg Christian, drummer Louie Clemente and lead vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. Clemente left the band in 1985 and was replaced by Mike Ronchette. Ramirez departed soon after and was replaced by Alex Skolnick. This lineup recorded a 4 song demo in 1985. Souza left to join Exodus in 1986 and was replaced by Chuck Billy, who the departing vocalist had suggested for his replacement. Drummer Louie Clemente returned to the band in 1986.
Also in 1986, the band was signed by Megaforce Records and subsequently changed its name to Testament, due to another band using the name Legacy. The group's lineup remained stable until October 1992, when Skolnick left due to musical differences and was replaced by Glen Alvelais, formerly of Forbidden. Clemente also left at the same time, with his place taken by Forbidden drummer Paul Bostaph. By April the following year, Bostaph had been replaced by former Exodus drummer John Tempesta, and by early 1994 Alvelais' lead guitarist role had been taken over by James Murphy.
After recording the band's sixth studio album Low, Tempesta left Testament to join White Zombie, with Jon Dette taking his place. The new drummer also left after a year, reportedly following a disagreement with vocalist Billy, subsequently joining Slayer. He was replaced briefly by Chris Kontos, formerly of Machine Head, who recorded a cover version of Judas Priest's "Rapid Fire" for the tribute album A Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal, Vol. 1 before leaving again. By 1996, only Billy and Peterson remained members of Testament, as Murphy, Christian and Kontos had all departed.

### 1997–2011

In 1997, Testament returned with Demonic, which featured a lineup of vocalist Chuck Billy and guitarist Eric Peterson, alongside original guitarist Derrick Ramirez on bass and Gene Hoglan on drums. For the album's touring cycle, the band was rejoined by guitarist Glen Alvelais and drummer Jon Dette. In 1998, the group recorded The Gathering with returning lead guitarist James Murphy, former Death bassist Steve Di Giorgio and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. For the album's promotional tour, Murphy and Lombardo were replaced by Steve Smyth and Steve Jacobs, respectively.
Jon Allen took over from Jacobs in early 2000. The following year, Billy, Peterson and Di Giorgio released First Strike Still Deadly, a collection of early songs re-recorded with former guitarist Alex Skolnick and drummer John Tempesta, as well as early vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza on two tracks. After several temporary breaks from the group due to family issues, Allen left Testament in February 2004 and was replaced by the returning Paul Bostaph. Just two months later, Smyth also left to join Nevermore and was replaced by former Halford guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak.
In February 2005, it was announced that Billy and Peterson would be reuniting with Skolnick, bassist Greg Christian, and drummers Louie Clemente and John Tempesta for a European tour. In summer 2006, Clemente was forced to leave the tour for medical reasons, with Bostaph returning again to take his place as the sole drummer. By the end of the year, Nick Barker had taken over on drums. In October 2007, Bostaph returned to Testament for his fourth tenure in the group, who released their first album of new material in eight years, The Formation of Damnation, in 2008.

### Since 2011

In June 2011, Gene Hoglan returned to Testament in time for the recording of Dark Roots of Earth, which was released the next year. In January 2014, Christian was replaced by Steve Di Giorgio. The lineup of Billy, Peterson, Skolnick, Hoglan and Di Giorgio recorded two albums, Brotherhood of the Snake (2016) and Titans of Creation (2020), before Hoglan once again left the band in January 2022. Nearly two months later, he was replaced by The Gathering-era drummer Dave Lombardo, who rejoined Testament right before the band's US tour in support of Titans of Creation. In 2023, Dave Lombardo was replaced by current drummer Chris Dovas.

## Members
### Current

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Eric Peterson | 1983–present | rhythm and lead guitarbacking vocals | all Testament releases |
| Alex Skolnick | 1985–19922005–present | lead and rhythm guitarbacking vocals | all Testament releases from the Legacy Demo (1985) to Return to the Apocalyptic City (1993) – features on two tracks only, and from First Strike Still Deadly (2001) onwards |
| Chuck Billy | 1986–present | lead vocals | all Testament releases from The Legacy (1987) onwards |
| Steve Di Giorgio | 1998–20052014–present | bassbacking vocals | The Gathering (1999)First Strike Still Deadly (2001)Brotherhood of the Snake (2016)Titans of Creation (2020) |
| Chris Dovas | 2022 (substitute)2023–present | drums | none |

### Former

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Greg Christian | 1983–19962005–2014 | bassbacking vocals | all Testament releases from the Legacy Demo (1985) to "Rapid Fire" (1997), and from Live in London (2005) to Dark Roots of Thrash (2013) |
| Louie Clemente | 1983–19851986–19922005–2006 | drums | all Testament releases from The Legacy (1987) to Return to the Apocalyptic City (1993) – two tracks onlyLive in London (2005) |
| Derrick Ramirez | 1983–19851996–1998 | lead guitar (1983–85)bass (1997–98) | Demonic (1997) |
| Steve "Zetro" Souza | 1983–1986 | lead vocals | Legacy Demo (1985)First Strike Still Deadly (2001) – guest appearances on two tracksThe Formation of Damnation (2008) |
| Mike Ronchette | 1985–1986 | drums | Legacy Demo (1985) |
| Glen Alvelais | 1992–19941997–1998 | lead and rhythm guitar | Return to the Apocalyptic City (1993)Demonic (1997) – one track only |
| Paul Bostaph | 1992–19932004–20052006 2007–2011 | drums | Return to the Apocalyptic City (1993)The Formation of Damnation (2008) |
| John Tempesta | 1993–19942003 (touring)2005–2006 | drums | Low (1994)First Strike Still Deadly (2001)Live in London (2005) |
| James Murphy | 1994–19961998–1999 | lead and rhythm guitar | Low (1994)Live at the Fillmore (1995)"Rapid Fire" (1997)The Gathering (1999) |
| Jon Dette | 1994–19951997–1998 | drums | Live at the Fillmore (1995) |
| Chris Kontos | 1995–1996 | drums | "Rapid Fire" (1997) |
| Gene Hoglan | 1996–19972011–2022 | drums | Demonic (1997)all Testament releases from Dark Roots of Earth (2012) to Titans of Creation (2020) |
| Dave Lombardo | 1998–19992022–2023 | drums | The Gathering (1999) |
| Steve Smyth | 1999–2004 | lead and rhythm guitar | none |
| Steve Jacobs | 1999–2000 | drums | none |
| Jon Allen | 2000–2004 | drums | none |
| Nick Barker | 2006–2007 | drums | none |

### Touring

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
| Asgeir Mickelson | 2003 | drums | Mickelson substituted for Allen for a European tour, due to his ongoing "personal family issues". |
| "Metal" Mike Chlasciak | 2004–2005 | lead guitar | Chlasciak substituted following the release of Steve Smyth of his duties, thus filled the remaining touring obligations of the following year. |
| Glen Drover | 20082010 | lead guitar | Drover substituted for Skolnick on a Mexican tour in 2008, and for a North American tour in 2010. |
| Mark Hernandez | 2012 | drums | Hernandez filled in for Hoglan on a European tour in November and December 2012. |
| Jack Gibson | 2013 | bass | Gibson filled in for Christian on a North American tour in November 2013. |
| Tilen Hudrap | 2015 | bass | Hudrap and Bent replaced DiGiorgio and Hoglan respectively in 2015. |
| Alex Bent | 2015 | drums | Hudrap and Bent replaced DiGiorgio and Hoglan respectively in 2015. |
| Phil Demmel | 2023 | lead guitar | Demmel replaced Skolnick for part of the bands 2023 European tour. |

## Lineups

| Period | Members | Releases |
| 1983 – 1985 (as Legacy) | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Derrick Ramirez – lead guitar Greg Christian – bass Louie Clemente – drums Steve Souza – lead vocals | none |
| 1985 (as Legacy) | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Greg Christian – bass Steve Souza – lead vocals Mike Ronchette – drums Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals | Legacy Demo (1985) |
| 1986 – October 1992 (as Legacy until 1987) | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Greg Christian – bass Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals Louie Clemente – drums Chuck Billy – lead vocals | The Legacy (1987) Live at Eindhoven (1987) The New Order (1988) Practice What You Preach (1989) Souls of Black (1990) The Ritual (1992) |
| November 1992 – April 1993 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Greg Christian – bass Chuck Billy – lead vocals Glen Alvelais – lead guitar Paul Bostaph – drums | Return to the Apocalyptic City (1993) |
| April 1993 – early 1994 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Greg Christian – bass Chuck Billy – lead vocals Glen Alvelais – lead guitar John Tempesta – drums | none |
| Early – September 1994 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Greg Christian – bass Chuck Billy – lead vocals John Tempesta – drums James Murphy – lead guitar | Low (1994) |
| September 1994 – 1995 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Greg Christian – bass Chuck Billy – lead vocals James Murphy – lead guitar Jon Dette – drums | Live at the Fillmore (1995) |
| 1995–1996 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Greg Christian – bass Chuck Billy – lead vocals James Murphy – lead guitar Chris Kontos – drums | Rapid Fire (1997) |
| Late 1996 – early 1997 | Eric Peterson – guitars, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Derrick Ramirez – bass Gene Hoglan – drums | Demonic (1997) |
| Spring 1997 – spring 1998 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Derrick Ramirez – bass Glen Alvelais – lead and rhythm guitar Jon Dette – drums | Demonic (1997) one track only |
| Spring 1998 – summer 1999 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals James Murphy – lead guitar Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals Dave Lombardo – drums | The Gathering (1999) |
| Summer 1999 – early 2000 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals Steve Smyth – lead guitar Steve Jacobs – drums | none |
| Early 2000 – February 2004 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals Steve Smyth – lead guitar Jon Allen – drums | First Strike Still Deadly (2001) (does not feature Smyth or Allen) |
| February – April 2004 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals Steve Smyth – lead guitar Paul Bostaph – drums | none |
| April 2004 – March 2005 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals Paul Bostaph – drums Mike Chlasciak – lead guitar | none |
| March 2005 – July 2006 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Greg Christian – bass Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals John Tempesta – drums Louie Clemente – drums | Live in London (2005) |
| July – late 2006 | Eric Peterson – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Greg Christian – bass Alex Skolnick – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Paul Bostaph – drums | none |
| Late 2006 – October 2007 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Greg Christian – bass Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals Nick Barker – drums | none |
| October 2007 – June 2011 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Greg Christian – bass Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals Paul Bostaph – drums | The Formation of Damnation (2008) |
| June 2011 – January 2014 | Eric Peterson – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Greg Christian – bass Alex Skolnick – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Gene Hoglan – drums | Dark Roots of Earth (2012) Dark Roots of Thrash (2013) |
| January 2014 – February 2022 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals Gene Hoglan – drums Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals | Brotherhood of the Snake (2016) Titans of Creation (2020) |
| March 2022 – June 2023 | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals Dave Lombardo – drums | none |
| July 2023 – Present | Eric Peterson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Chuck Billy – lead vocals Alex Skolnick – lead guitar, backing vocals Steve Di Giorgio – bass, backing vocals Chris Dovas – drums | none |