The greats of the original American thrash scene have fallen on hard times of late. Metallica dropped a predictably disappointing platter that critics still hailed as genius, Megadeth is Megadeth, Anthrax is MIA, and Slayer is in assisted living. These days, it seems like only Overkill still stands strong and defiant, defending the old guard. But let us not forget about Testament. I’ll always have a soft spot in my jaded metal heart for them. I fondly remember seeing them open for Slayer back in 87 when no one knew who they were and their debut was weeks from dropping. Despite a stereotypically unfriendly Slayer crowd, they won us over fast with macho thrash and Chuck Billy’s larger-than-life presence. Those early albums were stone-cold classics, and they’ve weathered the storms of time and trend without too many disasters. Still, thrash is a fickle mistress, and diminishing return stalks us all. That brings us to album 13, Para Bellum. Can these olden dawgs deliver something fresh and vital? They certainly bring some surprises to the party this time at the very least.

Things kick off intensely with “For the Love of Pain,” which is fast and furious thrash with a heaping helping of black metal influence. Some sections feel like epic second-wave blasting, and though Testament dabbled in this sound before, this is closer to Eric Petterson’s Dragonlord project than the band have drifted before. I don’t dislike it, and the blackened elements give their sound a kick in the arse for sure. They even cram in some djenty bits to further shake the stew. “Infanticide A.I.” keeps the blackened elements for a raging thrasher that borders on grind at times. Riffs fly every which way, Chuck sounds genuinely insane, and the drums blast you a new asshole for free. It’s not what I consider a Testament classic, but it shows these guys can still bring it hard when they want. From there, things wander around a bunch. You get a big, epic dose of emotional power balladry in “Meant to Be,” where Testament flexes their emo sadboi muscles and throw major pathos and beautiful playing your way. Then they digress into hard rock/metal light on “Nature of the Beast.” This sounds like Testament covering a Saxon song, and that idea sounds better on paper than on wax.

Oddly, most of my favorite tracks arrive late in the game. Starting with “Room 117,” Testament lock into a late-album groove with slick, memorable writing that sticks like a greased-up prison shank. It’s a slick blend of vintage Testament and classic metal, and they pull it off perfectly with scads of great vocal hooks and memorable guitar moments. The chorus is a winner, and it reminds me of the stuff off Practice What You Preach. “Havana Syndrome” is even better, finding that sweet spot between the classic Testament sound and 80s metal, with a distinct NWoBHM influence in the leads. The closing title track is overstuffed with ideas, but most of them are good, and the blend of thrash, classic metal, and blackened bits works well. Are there downers? Well, I don’t love the aforementioned “Nature of the Beast,” and “High Noon” with its Wild West gunslinger theme is cheesy as fook. That leaves Para Bellum a mixed bag of nuts and bolts, and the band’s genre-hopping makes the album feel incohesive at times, but there are more wins than losses on the scoreboard.

Given the musical talent that adorns a Testament album, you know you’ll get a cosmic fuckton of highly polished playing, and Para Bellum is full of impressive performances. Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick are as good a guitar tandem as there is, and no matter what genre they dip into, they do it rich, creamy justice. The level of ferocity they lock into on tracks like “Infanticide A.I.” is shocking for greybeards like them, and the sheer emotional payout on “Meant to Be” is something else. Steve DiGiorgio is a bass legend, and he’s fairly audible on most tracks, his bubbling, rumbling basslines adding depth and weight to the material. New drummer Chris Dovas (ex-Seven Spires) is a top-level kitman, providing a large collection of beats, fills, rolls, and raw thunder. Do I wish Gene Hoglan were back there still? Of course. Can Dovas get the job done? Absolutely. And then there’s Big Chuck. He sounds youthful, large, and in charge, showing a lot more versatility than you might expect as he moves from thrash barks to blackened screams and clean singing. Talent is everywhere, and only a few songwriting kerfuffles dent the soup can.

So Testament lands on the right side of the thrash grave for another release. Para Bellum won’t replace the debut or The New Order in your hearts, but it’s a worthy addition to their oeuvre and shows them embracing diverse elements rather than just rehashing old ideas. Kudos to them for that! Keep on aging gracefully, gents.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast
Websites: testamentlegions.com/site | facebook.com/testamentlegions | instagram.com/testamentofficial
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

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