Testament @ Mejeriet, Lund (SE)

TESTAMENT / METAL CHURCH / ARMORED SAINT

Date: 02nd August, 2026
Venue: Mejeriet
Ticket Price: €52/$61 (580SEK)
Promoter: FPK Scorpio

Three fantastic bands on the same bill are perhaps not that uncommon for a tour package, but when all three sit at the top of my list of favourite bands, it becomes a unique event. The place where it all happened, Mejeriet in Lund, Sweden, was close to sold out. It is quite a special venue, with all the different levels and balconies. The downside is that the floor space in front of the stage becomes rather small. But it is a cool venue and, despite its history, this was my first visit to the place.

First band out, ARMORED SAINT, have always done a great job entertaining every time I’ve seen them play. Both vocalist John Bush and bassist Joey Vera perform with such energy that it is impossible not to get a boost from that alone. Standing in the front row actually came with some risk, as both of them were out running on the speakers. John even made it out onto the security fence towards the end of the show.

It also sounded fantastic. They are a well-oiled live machine, and even with the small space they had on stage, it didn’t stop them from showing off their skills. The benefit of a cramped area is that even drummer Gonzo Sandoval can be seen behind his massive drum kit. I really like it when the visual aspect of a performance stands out. Here, the red sparkling drums, in true ’80s arena style, looked damn cool.

ARMORED SAINT have not visited Sweden frequently over the years, yet the response from the crowd was good, and most seemed to know the songs. The setlist offered a great overview of the band’s career, showing off both old-school and newer material. And it was a fantastic start to the night.

ARMORED SAINT setlist:

01. “Close To The Bone”
02. “March Of The Saint”
03. “End Of The Attention Span”
04. “Creepy Feelings”
05. “Win Hands Down”
06. “Can U Deliver”
07. “Reign Of Fire”
08. “Mad House”

ARMORED SAINT

When the promotion campaign for the “Dead To Rights” album started, all of a sudden METAL CHURCH appeared everywhere. And they sure haven’t been lazy since. It is really good to have them back on the scene, and they are on fire. The show here was full force from the start, opening with “Ton Of Bricks”, which was followed by “Start the Fire” and “Fake Healer”. The latter was dedicated to the late Mike Howe, which drew a nice cheer from the crowd.

The band now has yet another new line-up. It does feel solid, though, with Ken Mary on drums and Dave Ellefson on bass. I was happy when it was announced that Brian Allen had been assigned vocal duties, as he did a great job with VICIOUS RUMORS. His voice fits the METAL CHURCH tracks very well, and he really does justice to all the eras represented in the set. He’s also an entertainer and fun to watch, which gives the performance that little bit extra.

It was full-on from start to finish here as well, with song after song being served up and the crowd fully into it. Especially “Gods Of Wrath” and “Beyond The Black” got some really good responses and sing-alongs. The wrap-up with the band’s trademark track “Metal Church” was simply fantastic, and if there was any doubt before the show that the band was in top shape, the set surely wiped that doubt away.

METAL CHURCH setlist:

01.“Ton Of Bricks”
02. “Start The Fire”
03. “Fake Healer”
04. “Gods Of Wrath”
05. “F.A.F.O.”
06. “Badlands”
07. “Watch The Children Pray”
08. “Dead To Rights”
09. “Beyond The Black”
10. “Metal Church”

METAL CHURCH

The stage was cleared off for TESTAMENT, giving them some more space and also showing off the massive backdrops, which gave the stage a completely different feel. Mejeriet is still quite a small venue, and the space was just enough to fit all the stage props.

The response was massive as the lights went out and the intro started. I was just waiting for Chuck Billy to enter the stage and roar, “Are you ready?” It always gives me goosebumps, and so it did this time as well, despite the venue being extremely hot at this point. Opening track “Into The Pit” literally sent people into the pit, meaning a lot of crowd surfing and other mischief started to happen.

I don’t think the crew at Mejeriet was prepared for what was to come, as the whole thing became a bit of a mess and people were actually making it up onto the stage. Perhaps this was just a challenge among friends, but with all the crap going on in the world, it is scary when boundaries are broken. Also, the fact that it took four times before the guy was kicked out felt a bit too lenient.

TESTAMENT always do a good job on stage and deliver. The difference from the last time I saw them, though, was Alex Skolnick. He was on fire this night, playing the socks off the crowd and improvising wildly during the solos. I’m really impressed that Eric Peterson still managed to keep the rhythm guitars going behind Alex’s freaky stuff.

The setlist featured a lot of good stuff, with “Sins Of Omission” being a personal favourite. It is always good to get treats like this. “The Ballad” also sounded amazing. Chuck shared that he had been very skeptical about doing a ballad back in the day but had come around and enjoyed it these days. “D.N.R.”, with its frenzied riffs, is another one that always hits hard. All in all, it was a great set, and TESTAMENT delivered it to an almost packed-out venue, making it a fantastic evening.

TESTAMENT setlist:

01. “Into The Pit”
02. “Henchmen Ride”
03. “Practice What You Preach”
04. “For The Love Of Pain”
05. “Infanticide A.I.”
06. “Shadow People”
07. “More Than Meets The Eye”
08. “Sins Of Omission”
09. “The Ballad”
10. “Electric Crown”
11. “So Many Lies”
12. “D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)”
13. “Low”
14. “Nature Of The Beast”
15. Drum Solo
16. “First Strike Is Deadly”
17. “Over the Wall”

TESTAMENT