Megadeth Announce Tour With Testament and Exodus

Thrash fans disappointed by the postponement of this year's touted American Carnage Tour -- which was to feature Slayer, Megadeth and Testament -- have received a pretty killer consolation prize. Starting March 1 in Spokane, Wash., Megadeth, Testament and Exodus will hit the road together through March 31 in Hollywood, Calif. And next week, Megadeth have announced that they will reveal "more information" on the rescheduling of the American Carnage tour, which will likely take place this summer.

The upcoming Megadeth shows will be more than a warm-up for the Carnage dates, they'll be a full-scale celebration of the golden era of thrash metal. Named the Rust in Peace 20th Anniversary Tour, the shows will feature Megadeth performing their classic 1990 album 'Rust in Peace' in its entirety, along with other fan favorites. And during their support set, Testament will play their 1987 full-length debut 'The Legacy' in full, as they planned to do during American Carnage.

"It's really fun practicing those old songs again," guitarist Eric Peterson told Noisecreep. "But it's actually really hard to play like that, and we were so young when we wrote 'The Legacy.' It's just a classic, and it has this youthful energy about it. Some of the stuff on there is so fast, it's like, 'Wow, I don't even play like that anymore.' We can still do it, of course, but I just don't write to where my right hand is constantly dancing around. I write more open chords. And maybe it's 'cause I've learned over the years, 'God damn it, I can't play that every night. That's insane.'"

Testament plan to continue working on the follow-up to their monster 2008 album 'The Formation of Damnation' in their bus while they're on the road. Previously, the band said they hoped to finish the album by April, when they would start co-production with Andy Sneap.

Exodus, who were right there at the beginning of the thrash metal movement in the '80s, are thrilled to be opening the shows. "I am so stoked to be a part of this tour with our long-time friends Megadeth and Testament," guitarist and main songwriter Gary Holt said. "This will prove to be a thrash metal wet dream, and I cannot wait to get the party started and hit the road on this beast of a tour. It's been about six years since we last toured with Megadeth. And after all these long years, this will be our first with Testament, so I, for one, am fired up."

Exodus are currently hard at work on 'The Atrocity Exhibition, Exhibit B: The Human Condition,' which is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2007 album 'The Atrocity Exhibition ... Exhibit A.'