TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy has lined up three appearances to support his memoir Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments Of Chuck Billy, which Permuted Press publishes on November 10. One of them is on home turf in the Bay Area.
Co-written with Dave Erickson, the book carries a foreword by Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST and an afterword by Randy Blythe of LAMB OF GOD. As the subtitle suggests, it comes in two parts. The "Old Testament" covers the birth of Bay Area thrash, the formation of TESTAMENT and the rivalries and brotherhood of those years. The "New Testament" deals with the cancer diagnosis Billy received at 38, his Native American and Mexican-American heritage, the healers he turned to and the metal community that rallied around him. He has now been cancer-free for more than two decades.
Book appearances:
- October 29 — Phoenix, Arizona: in-store appearance at Changing Hands (300 West Camelback Road)
- November 10 — Seal Beach, California: release party with SiriusXM's Jose Mangin and comedian Brian Posehn, 4–8 p.m.
- November 14 — Dublin, California: party at The Back Lounge (7138 Village Parkway), hosted by Phil and Marta Demmel with Brian Posehn, 2–6 p.m.
More details on each event are to be announced.
In a June interview with Dr. Music, Billy said the experience made him "more spiritual instead of religious" — he was raised Catholic, but today his house holds statues of gods from every faith.
The memoir lands while TESTAMENT already look ahead: the band have nine songs written for the follow-up to Para Bellum and plan to record in summer 2027.