Updated: GENE HOGLAN To Play With TESTAMENT On European Tour After All

**UPDATE**: Due to the cancelation of DETHKLOK's North American tour with LAMB OF GOD, drummer Gene Hoglan has once again become available and will end up sitting behind the kit for TESTAMENT on the European run.

In a series of tweets, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick explained, "As some of you know, there's been a sub-drummer lined up for this tour, Mark Hernandez (ex-FORBIDDEN),subbing for Gene Hoglan, who was booked.

"So we find out Gene is available now (due to last-minute LAMB OF GOD/DETHKLOK tour cancellation). Calls were made and it's worked out: Gene is coming [out with us].

"Mark Hernandez took it very well; [he was a] total pro! Agreed it's best to have Gene if he's now available. But [the other] guys [in TESTAMENT] didn't tell me!!

"So I show up [to rehearsal] and they tell me [Mark] doesn't know and ask me to break the news to him. I take him outside and tell him. He acts devastated! Eric [Peterson, guitar] films it from afar. I told him please not to take it hard, it's just like being an understudy on Broadway! He tells me he's crushed, he's been working so hard, etc. And then, I said a line that everyone's now quoting and probably will for years. That's when they all came out and everyone started laughing.

"The quote of the year... Here's what I said, while looking this dude straight in the eye: 'It sucks to be the understudy.'"

The original article follows below.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT have recruited drummer Mark Hernandez (pictured below; FORBIDDEN, HEATHEN, DEFIANCE, VIO-LENCE) for their upcoming two-week European tour, which kicks off on July 31 at the Total Metal Festival in Toritto, Italy. Hernandez is filling in for Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DEATH, DETHKLOK, FEAR FACTORY, DARK ANGEL),who is unable to make this run due to scheduling conflicts.

For a list of upcoming TESTAMENT shows, go to this location.

TESTAMENT's new album, "Dark Roots Of Earth", will be released in North America on July 31 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced, mixed and mastered by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE, ACCEPT, EXODUS). Special bonus tracks were recorded, mixed and mastered by Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS, TED NUGENT, NIGHT RANGER) at his Trident Studios. The cover artwork for the effort (see below) was painted by Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with ATHEIST, SIGH, ANACRUSIS and GWAR, among others.