In a new interview with The Aquarian Weekly, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy was asked how his band has been able to adapt to the access-over-ownership business model of streaming music.
"I have also asked the same question going in to work on the last few albums: why do we even make records anymore when all people seem to want are singles?" Chuck said. "Thanks to the Internet, many people will only download one or two of their favorite tracks [from a record]. People don't download entire records anymore.
"It's tough. You've got to get out there and hit the pavement. It's like you’re starting over [when you release a new record]. You have to tour and push the record. Some people may want to buy the CD, but don't know where to get it. They no longer have the option of going out to a record store chain to buy it. They don't get to walk into a store, see an album and say, 'I can get that record right here. Cool, it's even cheaper here than anywhere else.' We used to sell a lot of CDs that way."
TESTAMENT's new album, "Titans Of Creation", will be released on April 3 via Nuclear Blast. The long-awaited follow-up to 2016 album "Brotherhood Of The Snake" was produced by Billy and guitarist Eric Peterson while Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios handled co-producing, recording and engineering. Andy Sneap was responsible for the mixing and mastering of the album. Eliran Kantor stepped up once again to create a new masterpiece of artwork for the cover of this release.
Last weekend, Billy revealed that he has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The 57-year-old singer said that he had "been feeling unwell" since returning home to the San Francisco Bay Area earlier in the month following the completion of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" European tour with EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL.
