Testament | Para Bellum | Nuclear Blast Records

Release Date: October 10^th, 2025

Format: Vinyl/CD/Cassette/Digital

Genre: Thrash Metal

Country: United States

Testament formed in the Bay Area during the mid eighties and grew into one of the signature names of American thrash. Across decades of changing scenes they pushed forward with fierce vocals, intricate riff writing, and a rotating cast of highly skilled musicians. Their path has never been quiet, and “Para Bellum” arrives as another chapter from a band that has survived every shift around it and continues to attack with drive and imagination.

“Para Bellum” brings Testament into 2025 with a sound that has fire and tension, shaped by long running chemistry between Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson. The album circles around themes of human pressure, spiraling technology, and the strange disorder that ties them together. Tracks like “Infanticide A.I.” and “Shadow People” strike quickly, built on tight riff patterns and Chuck’s shifting vocals, moving from raw power to colder chants when the story calls for it. The lyrical direction locks into the broader picture of an increasingly unstable world, treating chaos less like fiction and more like a warning shot.

A large part of the album’s strength comes from the arrival of Chris Dovas behind the kit. His playing pushes Testament forward with sharp timing and energetic bursts that give Peterson and Alex Skolnick plenty of room for fast climbs and melodic turns. Songs rise and fall with constant motion, never flat, always circling back to the tension at the heart of the album. “For The Love Of Pain” and “High Noon” tap into darker territory, carrying a blackened edge that fits naturally with the band’s thrash backbone. Chuck’s delivery rides on top of it all, strong and varied, shaped to match the story of each track.

“Meant To Be” brings a softer shade into the album without breaking the flow. Testament rarely step into ballad territory these days, which makes this track stand out through contrast alone. It moves with steady build, swelling into a larger emotional push that makes sense within the album’s struggle between humanity and fracture. The added string work by Dave Eggar deepens the atmosphere, not as decoration, but as another voice pushing the theme forward.

Skolnick and Peterson remain the twin engines of the band. Their guitar lines stretch from sharp thrash runs to icy tremolo passages, giving “Para Bellum” a wide expressive sound. Steve DiGiorgio follows closely underneath, adding movement and shape than sticking to simple rhythm duties. With Jens Bogren handling the mix, everything hits hard with clarity, giving space to every idea without washing anything out. Testament sounds energized, focused, and fully engaged with the world they’re writing about. "WW3" in "Titans Of Creation", “Para Bellum” the title of this album that means "Prepare For War", are they prophets? What will eventually happen? If you want peace prepare for war.

Score: 8.0