TESSTIMONY BIOGRAPHY


In the beginning, Testimony (in that time with one „S” only!) was a melodic death metal band. We recorded our first demo in April 1996, titled "The Soulgrinder", then in January 1997 we recorded the next demo at Bikini Studio in Budapest, called "Three Conception". This second demo was re-recorded in August 1997 with two new tracks added because of the bad distribution . This new EP was called „Thorn”. Many people came to know us and more than 400 pcs of Thorn EP were sold, thanks to high number of gigs. In 1998 and 1999, we were voted by the audience as „The most hopeful band in Hungary” at the hungarian Metal Hammer. The scene followed us with attention: several interviews, frequent appearance in the Hungarian Metal Hammer, positive review at the German ABLAZE magazine. We played with a lot of well-known bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Vader, Krabathor etc. In August 1998, we recorded our new EP called "Flaming" and made a videoclip. Since then we got many good reviews from Hungary and abroad, as well. In 1999, we did a lot of gigs and began working on the forthcoming full-lenght album.

In the beginning of 2000, we signed a contract with Nephilim Records for 3 albums, then recorded our first LP called „Inhale The Sadness” in May. The album received a warmer welcome than we had expected. Then something unexpected happened: in August 2000, before the Sziget Festival, our rehearsal room was robbed. All of our amps, guitars, drums were stolen. Unfortunately this made Gábor Kerek and László Kótai quit the band, and give up their musical career. We tried to find new memebers, and we found Zoltán Csurka for drums, but we couldn’t find the right guitarist. Because of the difficulties and problems, our singer László Bazsó also quit the band, and left the two founding members, Rudolf Török and Tamás Forray.

The most crucial thing to do was to find a great singer frontman. So came Balázs Tóth to take this place. When the band reformed again, Rudolf Török left the band. We felt that a new era would come so we tried to find a new name for the band – meanwhile not leaving the past behind entirely.

Tesstimony (now with double „S”) bacame the new name of the band. We found a new drummer, Endre Vigh, who gave proof of his professional calling in many bands before. Then came two guitarist: Attila Petheö and Attila Török. With this line-up we recorded our new album, Gospel Of Judas, in Norway at Knut Magne Valle’s studio of Arcturus and in Hungary at Bakery Studio. Before release of the LP, one of the guitarists, Attila Petheö, left the band. His place was taken immediatelly by Gábor Drótos from the grindcore band Gutted. Gábor has masterful handling of the guitar and he is an old friend of the band, so everything is now given for Tesstimony to do many gigs and promote the new album everywhere, in the name of Death ’n’ Roll!