Album Review: Testament - Para Bellum (2025, Nuclear Blast Records)

Written: 4th October 2025

When thinking about the most long-lasting and impactful bands in thrash metal, it would be impossible to exclude Bay Area’s Testament from such a list, arguably the most consistent band within the genre. It has been five years since the band’s last album Titans of Creation during which time the world has traversed considerable change and upheaval. Speaking of change, since the last Testament album, the band have changed drummers twice and following the departure of Dave Lombardo, Chris Dovas was installed behind the kit in 2023. Taken from the Latin phrase Si vis pacem, para bellum / If you want peace, prepare for war, the band’s fourteenth studio album (if you include First Strike Still Deadly) finds Testament tackling and reflecting on, as many artists recently have, the acceleration of technology and the disconnection this causes.

With first track For The Love of Pain, Testament aim for the jugular with their first salvo. Dovas announces his arrival with a short drum introduction before the crackling riffs of Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick descend. Dovas’s double kick drumming brings an immediate and thrusting atmosphere that means the song ranks as the band’s most brutal opener on recent albums. In addition, Chuck Billy’s vocals are viciously caustic leading For The Love of Pain towards fleeting moments of a death / thrash hybrid. The lyrics (interestingly co-written by Chris Dovas and Eric Peterson) are a haunting reflection of modern decay capturing humanity’s addiction to the illusion of control, the search for meaning in chaos but also the paradox of finding ecstasy in agony. The fear of constellation / Contorted by the lies / Enslaved by this curse / That breathes inside my soul. Complete with a delightfully twisted and agonised spoken word section, For The Love of Pain is a compelling opener and it sets us up perfectly for the journey that is to come.

Infanticide A.I. -  already released as a single – embraces the high octane thrash that we might expect from Testament but it maintains some of the brutality of For The Love of Pain. Following a slower, melodic twin guitar introduction, the track accelerates and once again Dovas proves why he has been such a great addition to the line-up. Blast beats hit with sledgehammer ferocity as Billy spits his lyrics with acidic passion. Black metal textures course beneath the surface, an influence Peterson explores more fully across the album. A shorter song, it is well positioned after For The Love of Pain, warning of AI’s rise as our destroyer with technology replacing soul, originality and identity.

Testament have never been afraid of variety and Para Bellum certainly captures the different avenues the band are willing to travel. “This album captures many different sides of the band through the years, along with some fresh new sounds,” Alex Skolnick notes. “There’s a little something for everyone. You will not be disappointed.” The band back up this statement with the next two songs. Shadow People and Meant To Be stand in stark contrast. Shadow People is a groove-laden offering that will have listeners banging their heads as soon as the main riff kicks in. Ripples of black metal are to be found here too but it is also reminiscent of albums such as The Gathering.

At almost eight minutes, Meant To Be is the longest track on Para Bellum. An epic ballad, Testament take their time in setting up the song with a quite beautiful minute-long acoustic guitar based opening. No strangers to ballads – although this is their first for some time - Testament build the track with the masterful precision that we have come to expect from them over so many years, Chuck Billy giving a dynamic and moving vocal performance. It fuses despair with defiance, portraying a doomed relationship as both tragic and inevitable. Adding a further unique element, the pathos is dialled up and the sound elevated as the track features true orchestral strings, performed with exquisite finesse by the internationally acclaimed Dave Eggar. “I love how the song takes off at the end and just doesn’t look back,” explains Peterson. “It's different, but it fits. It’s like a breath of fresh air.” It is the kind of song that splits metal fans; however, I have always found that tracks of this nature are, more often than not, in safe hands with Testament. Four songs in and each track has already established its own identity.

High Noon begins with Billy growling High Noon, Death soon and the sound of a gun being loaded. With themes of fatalism and mortality, it depicts the violent life of a gunslinger trapped in a cycle of duels. It also demonstrates the range in vocal style of which Billy is capable, especially when following a song such as Meant To Be. Stomping and relentless, the track adds depth to the album, highlighting the already razor-sharp synergy between Chris Dovas and seasoned bassist Steve DiGiorgi. Technically, the band are as tight and proficient as they have ever been.

The second half of the album features a run of four back-to-back four and a half minute tracks that really help maintain the overall momentum. Witch Hunt initially has rapid-fire machine gun riffs and Chuck Billy's thunderous growling vocals but still finds space for sections of variety including a central melodic break and a dextrous guitar solo. The production of the album is excellent and allows the band’s attention to detail in their songwriting to shine through, as evidenced by moments such as DiGiorgio’s bass line a few seconds before the three minute mark. Nature of the Beast and Room 117 are the closest Para Bellum comes to straightforward thrash rockers but they are no less interesting for that, both showcasing Testament’s disciplined creativity, with each section flowing seamlessly while keeping the listener invested. Closing this sequence is Havana Syndrome which ignites from a taut, ominous pulse before detonating into bone-rattling riffs that stomp and surge with mechanical precision. A scorching dual-guitar skirmish slices through the track, cementing Testament’s prowess in forging compositions that strike with both ferocity and intricate menace.

Photo credit: Fred Kowalo

The album ends with the six and half minute title track, bringing us full circle and restoring some of the brutality of the first two songs. Nevertheless, there are still moments of melodic aggression and a fiery guitar solo that feels like it would happily sit on any of the band’s early material. Lyrically, it is a rallying cry, confronting political deceit and authoritarian control while urging resistance. Serpent imagery and vivid depictions of chaos underscore its call to vigilance and defiance. Anguish and pain / Broadcasting hatred unclear / Cloak of deception / Whispering voices of fear. Para Bellum feels like the inevitable culmination of the album’s threads of deception, loss of control and rising aggression, turning them outward into an explicit call to resistance. Closing the album with calculated ferocity, the title track channels relentless riffing, layered instrumentation and piercing lyrics into a definitive Testament statement.

Over four decades, Testament have proven themselves a colossal force in thrash metal, and Para Bellum confirms their enduring authority. With Chris Dovas behind the kit, the band have unearthed a gem, his explosive energy driving every riff and rhythmic surge. “He’s so inspired and quick to throw ideas back,” comments Eric Peterson. The album’s first half dazzles with variety, from crushing thrash assaults to expansive, emotive moments like Meant To Be, showcasing dynamic interplay and sharp lyrical insight. The latter half narrows its sonic palette - which some may see as a minor limitation - yet sustains a propulsion that grips the listener. Para Bellum underscores why Testament remain vital, balancing malevolent menace, corrosive sophistication and sheer musical force. Legendary, savage and relevant.

Para Bellum is released on 10th October 2025.