Testament frontman Chuck Billy has lived a very interesting life, and tells his story in the book Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments Of Chuck Billy. He collaborated with veteran writer Dave Erickson, with the forward provided by the Metal God Rob Halford, and the afterword written by Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe, who knows about writing memoirs.
The first testament covers Billy’s childhood, growing up in a big family during a simpler time where kids had much more independence and got away with a lot of things. He relates a lot of interesting stories of his formative years, which shaped him as an adult. Fun and family are things that have always been vital to Billy. There’s also the story of the formation of what became Testament.
Billy takes us to ground zero of the beginning of Bay Area thrash, the rise of thrash, and and ups and downs of Testament. Even though they ended up as one of the more successful bands in the genre, as other styles of music pushed metal to the background, Billy got a day job. He worked that gig for many years, and in addition to paying the bills, it also provided health insurance, something that was vital in Billy’s second testament.
That is his battle with cancer. In the book he gets into details not previously discussed publicly, recounting the experience of fighting and eventually beating the disease. The ripple effects of that battle are fascinating. That’s because of the 2001 Thrash Of The Titans concert to benefit Billy. It led to the resumption of Testament and the reunion of other bands that may not have moved forward if it wasn’t for that show.
As with most autobiographies, there’s a lot of focus and details on the formative years, with more recent events not getting as much attention. Chuck Billy is a very likeable guy, and that comes across throughout the book. He’s easy to root for, has overcome a lot of obstacles, and has lived to tell the tale. Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments Of Chuck Billy is entertaining and enlightening, and a must-read for Testament fans.
(book published November 10, 2026 by Permuted Press)
