Testament’s Chuck Billy announces ‘Holding My Breath’ memoir release appearances

Testament frontman Chuck Billy will release his memoir, Holding My Breath: The Two Testaments of Chuck Billy, on November 10, 2026 via Permuted Press.

Co-written with Dave Erickson, the book looks back on Billy’s life and career, from the rise of Testament and the Bay Area thrash metal scene to his battle with cancer, his Native American and Mexican-American heritage and the role his family and the metal community have played throughout his life.

“This book is about two versions of me that are really just one story,” Billy said. “The guy who thought he was invincible, and the guy who learned how fragile life really is.”

Holding My Breath is structured around what the book describes as two interlocking “testaments.” The first covers Billy’s early years, the formation and rise of Testament and the Bay Area thrash scene, while the second focuses on his cancer diagnosis at age 38, recovery and the spiritual and personal experiences surrounding that period of his life.

The memoir also revisits the 2001 Thrash of the Titans benefit concert, which brought together members of the Bay Area metal community in support of Billy during his battle with cancer.

Holding My Breath features a foreword by Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford and an afterword by Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe.

Billy will make several appearances surrounding the book’s release, beginning with an October 29 event at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix. He will then appear at a November 10 event in Seal Beach, California with SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin and comedian Brian Posehn, followed by a November 14 event at The Back Lounge in Dublin, California with Phil and Marta Demmel and Posehn.

Upcoming appearances:
October 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Changing Hands Bookstore/Bar
November 10 – Seal Beach, CA – Event with Jose Mangin and Brian Posehn
November 14 – Dublin, CA – The Back Lounge with Phil and Marta Demmel and Brian Posehn