Testament: Chuck Billy Book/Memoir Announced – ‘Holding My Breath’

He screamed his way into metal history. Then cancer tried to silence him for good. Now, for the first time, Chuck Billy—the iconic frontman of Bay Area thrash legends Testament—tells the whole truth in his unflinching memoir, Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments of Chuck Billy, publishing November 10, 2026, from Permuted Press.

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This is not your typical rock memoir. Structured as two interlocking testaments, the book traces the full arc of a life lived at maximum volume—and then something louder than any riff: the fight to stay alive. The Old Testament plunges readers into the explosive birth of Bay Area thrash metal, the formation of Testament, the rivalries, the brotherhood, and the reckless, glorious chaos of becoming one of the genre’s most powerful voices. The New Testament is something rarer and more raw—a frontman at 38, blindsided by a devastating cancer diagnosis, drawing on his Native American and Mexican-American heritage, spiritual healers, visions, and the fierce love of a metal community.

Co-written with Dave Erickson, Holding My Breath delivers the unfiltered insider story of thrash metal’s rise alongside a deeply human account of mortality, miraculous recovery, cultural identity, and chosen family. It is equally a gift to lifelong Testament fans and to anyone who has ever faced the unthinkable—and refused to let go.

The book features a foreword by Rob Halford (Judas Priest) and an afterword by Randy Blythe (Lamb of God).
Pre-order a signed copy before they’re gone for good!