During a recent interview with Rocking with Jam Man, Testament frontman Chuck Billy was asked if he became upset because he didn’t get the role of Sepultura’s frontman. Billy explained why he was not disappointed about this issue.
Founded in 1984 by Max and Igor Cavalera, Sepultura made a considerable impact, especially on 90s music with the genres of groove metal, thrash metal, and death metal. Although Max Cavalera was the founder of Sepultura, he left the band in 1996.
Max heard about his stepson Dana’s death during their tour and left the concert. When he returned to the tour, the group members said to him that they decided to fire Gloria Bujnowski, the mother of Dana and wife of Max. Cavalera felt betrayed by the band members and departed from Sepultura.
At the same period, thrash metal band Testament was founded in 1983 with the name of Legacy. Chuck Billy’s musical career began with becoming the vocalist of the local metal band Guilt. Then he became the lead vocalist of Testament in 1986. Chuck Billy contributed to Testament with his vocalist skills from their first debut studio album to the other seven.
In the recent interview, Chuck Billy was asked if he was disappointed because he was not accepted as the lead vocalist of Sepultura, replacing Max Cavalera. Chuck Billy explained that Derrick was already chosen as the vocalist when he went for the audition. However, he noted he was not disappointed as Testament would not have its outstanding records and be in its current state if he became a member of Sepultura.
Chuck Billy added because Testament was trying to create a different genre, death metal, at that period that, he saw Sepultura as a safe zone. However, he mentioned again that he was content to be in Testament.
When asked if he was disappointed about his audition with Sepultura, Chuck Billy said:
“No, because Testament wouldn’t be Testament. We wouldn’t be able to write the records that we did, ‘The Gathering,’ and all the great records of music. And the reunion of our original band wouldn’t have happened.
When I did the audition, I was too late; they already selected Derrick as the singer. So that was a good thing. Because if I would have got that gig, things would have been different for Testament.”
He continued:
“I like how it turned out, but at the time, I wanted it to happen because the music was up in the air; Testament was broken up; everything was changing; the music climate was changing.
So I thought back when I auditioned that I wanted something secure. I wanted security. And to me, finding a band that had something established is what I thought I wanted. Luckily, I didn’t get it. Things would have been much different for me if I would have still been in Sepultura.”
You can watch the whole interview below.
