Testament Part Ways with Drummer Gene Hoglan in Advance of “Bay Strikes Back” Tour

Testament have announced that they’ve parted ways with drummer Gene Hoglan as they prepare to headline the “Bay Strikes Back” tour this spring. The veteran thrash band cited scheduling conflicts involving Hoglan’s other projects as the primary reason for the split.

Hoglan, one of heavy metal’s most skilled and respected drummers, has earned the nickname “The Atomic Clock” for his precision playing. He briefly played in Testament from 1996 to 1997, appearing on 1997’s Demonic. He then rejoined the band in 2011 and had been Testament’s drummer for the past 10-plus years, performing on their last three albums, including 2020’s Titans of Creation.

A statement from Testament reads as follows:

“First off, we are beyond grateful to have had Gene Hoglan behind our drum throne for ten years, several albums and countless tour dates. Unfortunately, our brother Gene’s additional tours and solo endeavors in 2022 conflict insurmountably with Testament’s rescheduled dates after two years of lost time due to the pandemic. Rather than Testament having to reschedule upcoming dates (yet again) or Gene having to cancel his own plans, we have decided to amicably part ways. We understand that this announcement will cause some disappointment but rest assured: There is no drama, only the best of vibes between us. As Gene embarks upon a new chapter, we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for bringing the most powerful drum beats to Testament and heavy metal. We have no doubt he will continue to bring it as only he can. Gene will always be family and we ask all of you to join us in wishing him only the best of luck going forward! Also rest assure that we will continue to deliver yet another top notch addition to Testament and will reveal soon! We will see you all on tour very soon!”

One of the projects that may have led Hoglan away from Testament is Dethklok, the band featured in the Adult Swim animated series Metalocalypse. Back in May of last year, Adult Swim announced that it was bringing Metalocalypse back for a feature-length movie. Hoglan has been a studio and live member of Dehtklok from its 2007 inception (although Wikipedia lists Adam Felder as the current drummer as of 2021). In addition to Dethklok, Hoglan also plays in the bands Dark Angel, DTA, Pitch Black Forecast, and Tenet, not to mention he’s an in-demand session drummer.

Hoglan issued his own statement, writing the following:

“It’s been a great ten years folks, and now it’s time for me to move on from the mighty Testament. It merely comes down to the fact that schedules can be challenging to align for in-demand dudes like yours truly. I wish Chuck, Eric, Alex and Stevie D the absolute best of luck as they will continue to crush as always. I’m moving into an exciting new chapter of my career and free agency, with all that it will entail. I’ll freely admit, I’m psyched. And I’m greatly looking forward to all the new opportunities the coming months and years are looking to bring, and again I wish my friends and family in Testament and their crew a fantastic future and all the best in ‘22 and beyond. Thank you gentlemen, for a great ride together. — Gene.”

Stay tuned as Testament announce their new drummer. The band’s “Bay Strikes Back” tour with fellow Bay Area thrash legends Exodus and Death Angel kicks off in early April, after being postponed from the fall of 2021. Tickets for the outing are available via Ticketmaster.

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