Review and pictures: JD Garrahy
11 years. 11 long fucking years since the brilliance that is Testament graced our shores. But tonight, they’re back—and ready to tear the roof off The Tivoli once and for all.
The breeze on Constance Street is a bitey one tonight, but it’s exactly the weather required to don your battle vest and thrash the night away with a packed venue of fellow fans. Colourful hair, a sea of black, and enough ink to fill the well for Shakespeare himself. Tonight is all about metal at its finest, and thrash pioneers Testament intend to put on a show for the ages.
Kicking things into overdrive is Gold Coast metal quintet, Snake Mountain. If you didn’t catch these guys at Good Things or their epic set supporting Nekrogoblikon and Alestorm, then tonight is the perfect night to indulge in some nerd-driven power metal. With a set that touches on ‘80s cartoon classics like Thundercats and the epicness of the one and only Batman, these five lads deal a fist to the face—similar to one dished out by the Caped Crusader.
Frontman Nev paces the stage like a man possessed, ensuring that everyone in this iconic venue knows exactly what sort of energy they’re going to need to convulse and surge to the hectic sounds of Testament. I cannot let this review go without mentioning the trio of fellas that conquer the fretboards. The intricacies that these lads display—while maintaining some of the heaviest riffs imaginable—is incredible to witness. Couple all this with the insanity behind the kit that is Kristian Rousell, and you have the perfect combination for some of the best Aussie metal we have to offer.
As I stated before, 11 years have passed since the glorious days of Soundwave, where we got to see Chuck Billy and co. absolutely dominate the side stage in the dust pit at RNA Showgrounds. They were brilliant times, where we were treated to only the finest of musicians and an opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the music that raised us. Tonight, it’s time to relive that feeling.
As the lights dim and the feedback through the PA wails, the metal icons hit the stage to thunderous applause from the gathering. I think they know they’ve been missed. Launching without hesitation into “Practice What You Preach” and bleeding it seamlessly into “Sins of Omission,” THIS is already proving to be a setlist for the history books. Grinding through hit after brutal hit, the Bay Area thrash icons waste no time in hitting every mark imaginable that fans were hoping for after such a lengthy period between visits.
Now, I’m sure I’m not the only one that was blown away by the fact that “Return to Serenity” was in the set. For those who have listened to this band for so long, you know just how iconic this song is—and hearing it live just made it all the more incredible, I think you’ll agree. Following it up without hesitation with “First Strike Is Deadly” and “Electric Crown,” the crowd is in absolute heaven with every single song these thrash legends produce.
As the set winds down (what a shit term for this show—there was no wind down, only continuous thrashing throughout), we are treated to “More Than Meets the Eye,” “Over the Wall,” and “Into the Pit,” a trio that would make any fan of this band salivate. While we all want more, there’s no way an encore could round out the stellar show we just witnessed—nor is it required. We are all more than satisfied, and hope that we’re treated to another visit real soon.
With merch in hand, memories forged, and what I’m sure are going to be some brilliant bangovers in the morning, we depart The Tivoli into the same cold night air we began the night with—except now, we are warmed thoroughly by the sweet embrace of that which is heavy metal.
TESTAMENT June 2025 Australian Tour Dates
Friday 20th June – SYDNEY, The Metro – SOLD OUT
Saturday 21st June – MELBOURNE, Northcote Theatre – SOLD OUT
Sunday 22nd June – ADELAIDE – The Gov
Tuesday 24th June – PERTH, Metropolis Fremantle
Get Your Tickets From: https://
– GALLERY –
