TESTAMENT Confirm Guitarist STEVE SMYTH's Departure

April 20, 2004

As exclusively predicted on BLABBERMOUTH.NET this morning, TESTAMENT have now officially confirmed the departure of guitarist Steve Smyth. The group's statement on the matter is as follows:

"Like a previous announcement, we would have preferred to break the news to the fans, first. You are getting the official statement right here!

"TESTAMENT and Steve Smyth have amicably parted ways and both sides remain good friends. TESTAMENT would like to wish Steve all the best in his future endeavors, and Steve would like to thank TESTAMENT for a memorable five years he will always cherish.

"The band has been continuing work on pre-production for the next album, as well as making preparations for the upcoming tour in June. We will have another official announcement soon, so keep checking back."

As previously reported, it is believed that former HALFORD/current PAINMUSEUM guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak is the leading candidate to fill the slot left vacant by Smyth's departure. It is presently unclear if Chlasciak would be joining TESTAMENT on a permanent basis or if he would only be assisting the group during their upcoming European tour, which is scheduled to kick off in early June.

Smyth, who has been playing with TESTAMENT since 1999, is believed to have left TESTAMENT in order to join NEVERMORE on a full-time basis. Steve has been performing with the Seattle-based group as a session/touring guitarist for the past two years and is said to be more compatible with the other members of the band (on a musical and personal level) than has been the case with any other session guitarist NEVERMORE have ever had.

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