Testament, Overkill, and Destruction at Saint Andrews in Detroit

Thrash of the Titans: Bearing witness to the glorious brutality of Testament, Overkill, and Destruction at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit.

Thrash of the Titans

The legacy of Testament is that of a group of extremely talented musicians who, after 42 years, continue to deliver monumental metal music. Their latest album, Para Bellum, finds the band continuing to craft evocative songs that retain their trademark Testament sound while still stretching the songwriting boundaries into black and symphonic metal realms. In their enduring quest to bring their fans the best shows possible, they have teamed up with the legendary bands Overkill and Destruction for the Thrash of the Titans tour.

Metal fans spanning the generations poured into Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit to feast on monstrous riffs and drink from the blood-soaked chalice of metal music. This was a night to celebrate with the metal community under the banner of thrash.

Destruction

How can it be that this is my first time seeing Destruction? I have listened to their music, going back to Eternal Devastation (1986), and finally witnessed the savage thrash of this band in person. They are simply incredible.

The stage was black as the lighting crew struggled, yet it didn’t matter to Destruction as they blasted into “Curse the Gods” to open their set. Lighting resolved, we could all witness the fierce fury with our eyes and ears. Vocalist and bassist, Marcel “Schmier” Schirmer, is a force, snarling with venom on “Nailed to the Cross”.

Schmier’s bass combined with the brilliant drumming of Randy Black laid the foundation for the twin guitar attack of Damir Eskic and Martin Furia. Razor sharp and fast as a shark, you could see by the way they each engaged with the crowd that they were having a blast thrashing it up with the full house at Saint Andrews Hall.

As great as it was to hear the older tunes, where Destruction excels in both power and speed is with their new material. In particular, the songs “Scumbag Human Race” and “Destruction” off their latest album, Birth Of Malice (2025), were perfect examples of gloriously devastating thrash. You could not ask for a better way to start a show than with Destruction.

Overkill

One band that I’m always down to hear live is Overkill. In fact, one of my major mosh pit injuries occurred at an Overkill show at Harpo’s, where some stooge dislocated my left knee. Every time I hear that knee clicking and popping, I think of Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth screaming, “Elimination!” Thankfully, this time around, I stayed out of the mosh pit and could take in the maelstrom of metal that is Overkill.

The band took the stage to a roar from the crowd before launching into the title track “Scorched” from their most recent album (2023). Part of what makes Overkill’s sound brutally heavy is the rhythm section. I was stoked to see my buddy Jeramie Kling (The Absence) behind the kit. He unleashed a relentless onslaught of toms, snare, and double bass on songs both old (“Rotten to the Core”) and new.

The missing link at tonight’s gig was founding bassist D.D. Verni. Plagued with a shoulder issue after recovering from rotator cuff surgery, Verni had to sit out the Thrash of the Titans tour in the States. Covering for D.D., Overkill enlisted Christian Olde Wolbers (Fear Factory). His punchy bass hammered home on songs such as “Deny The Cross” and “The Surgeon”.

The one-man wrecking crew of maximum riffage, Dave Linsk, offered up shredding solos and plenty of chug to “Bring Me the Night” and “Ironbound”. Throughout the performance, Bobby engaged and joked with the crowd. He made this Overkill performance feel like a metallic family reunion.

Testament

The stage darkened as “Ace Of Spades” by Motorhead cranked from the Saint Andrews Hall sound system. The room was jammed with fans spanning the decades, from old metalheads like me who remember when Testament had been called “Legacy”, to a few spritely kids no more than 10 years old peering over the stage barricade. A chorus of cheers rose high as “Eerie Inhabitants” started to play with the members of Testament waiting in the wings. Drummer Chris Dovas stood behind his drum kit, waving at the crowd before all hell breaks loose.

Roaring out with the thrash classic “Into The Pit”, you can see on the faces of the band that they are happy to tear it up with the fans. Eric Peterson flashes the devil horns before delivering rapid-fire riffs that define the unique sound of Testament. Chuck Billy smiles and then roars into the mic as the band plows forward into “The Evil Has Landed” and “The Henchmen Ride”. Steve Di Giorgio’s bass slammed through the mix like a heavyweight boxer working the body. Lead guitarist Alex Skolnick was razor sharp, delivering exquisitely crafted solos. His melodic supremacy, matched with Peterson’s superb songwriting, is a big part of what makes Testament great.

While Testament could have easily rested on their patented blend of speed, melody, and might, they have continued to explore the metal genre. This is exemplified by their most recent release, Para Bellum. Around mid-set, they unveiled the first three tracks, including “For The Love of Pain”, “Infanticide A.I.”, and “Shadow People”. Adding black metal screams along with dangerous solos to the mix is Eric Peterson. Clearly, the riff lord has woven some of his black metal ideas from the side project Dragonlord into the Testament fabric. It adds a new dimension of sinister malevolence and sounds fantastic live with Dovas absolutely crushing the drums.

Alongside the new music and classics, Testament digs deep playing “John Doe”, “So Many Lies”, and “The Ballad.” They wrap up their set from where it all began on The Legacy album with “The Haunting” and finally the mosh-tastic “Over The Wall”. Many thanks to Testament, Overkill, Destruction, their crew, and the great folks at Saint Andrews Hall for a fantastic evening of neck-wrecking mayhem.

Be sure to hit up the galleries on Life In Michigan for more photos from the Thrash of the Titans tour featuring Testament, Overkill, and Destruction.