Long ago, back in the olde times of the 1980s, the enigma of thrash metal was born. Some bands disappeared into obscurity, here one minute—gone the next—but many of those bands still smash it out to this very day. Hovering way above the rest, never straying from the path, Testament kept the aggression, the speed, and ferocity of the original ‘80s thrash metal sound.
And now, in 2025, Testament are exploding through that titanium ceiling, bringing us the fastest, most intense album of their career—thanks to a breath of fresh air behind the kit in Chris Dovas and the crazy fretless phenom Steve DiGeorgio, driving the endlessly artistically gifted guitarists Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson to new heights.
And Chuck mother fucking Billy, proving that he is, was, and always will be, in my humble opinion, the voice of thrash metal. The undisputed GOAT is the icing on the cake in this feast for the ears. Testament are back, ready to blow our collective mind. Beware AI!
Para Bellum has been unleashed.
Testament have always been my personal favourite of the big-named thrash bands. They’ve never wavered, never strayed from the path, and never delivered an album I didn’t like (mostly, that is). Sure, some are better than others, but with Para Bellum, Testament has dug deep and unleashed a passionate aggression—delivering us fans a blessing by extension.
A true thrash lesson in how to stay true to your roots but still evolve as a band at the same time, a rarity in thrash metal.
Chris Dovas – A Drummer Reborn
I’m going to start with Chris Dovas. The injection of a drummer that is ready, willing, and able to go to places Testament have never been to before. They’ve come very close, but Para Bellum goes the extra mile, and I think Chris Dovas should get a lot of credit for that.
He’s a great drummer who made one of the greatest thrash bands of all time better! Pat on the back for you, Chris—great work.
Steve DiGeorgio – The Bass Legend
Steve DiGeorgio, one of the coolest guys in metal full stop, runs riot on Para Bellum. His fretless, super juicy green signature Ibanez SDGB1 sounds smooth as butter.
Steve has such a captivating bass presence both on stage and in the recording booth. His bass chops are nothing short of legendary, and in Para Bellum his rhythmic bass solos—particularly in the song “For the Love of Pain”—and solid backbone will go down in thrash history as some of the best ever recorded.
Steve DiGeorgio is simply the best in the business and an amazing human being to go with it, driving Para Bellum with his dextrous licks into the exosphere. Legend!
Alex Skolnick – The OG Virtuoso
Alex Skolnick has always been one of my favourite guitar soloists. His fingers move at the speed of light, taking the listener from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, and Para Bellum lifts Alex to the next level.
I’ve closed my eyes and listened to dozens of Alex’s solos over the years. My favourites tend to be the ballad solos like Trail of Tears, The Legacy, Return to Serenity—and now with the new ballad, Meant to Be.
Fast on both rhythm and lead duties, Alex Skolnick is the OG, and Para Bellum brings out his best work for the almighty Testament.
Eric Peterson – The Architect of Heaviness
Eric Peterson is the driving force behind Testament. His rhythm guitar is typical Eric Peterson—pushing the metal curtain open to allow the new heaviness of the band to evolve from the everyday Testament sound to an almost death metal, at times black metal sound—making Para Bellum truly unique among the Testament catalogue.
From the speed of “For the Love of Pain” and “Infanticide AI” to the acoustic splendour of “Meant to Be,” Eric is the rigorous backbone of Testament and has been for many decades.
And now, with the expertise of his amazing bandmates, he has driven Para Bellum to the highest level of thrash metal. Just fucking awe-inspiring.
Chuck Billy – The Voice of Thrash
Finally, let’s talk about the man himself—Chuck Billy. Chuck mother fucking Billy!
This man has always set the benchmark for thrash vocalists in my opinion, and in Para Bellum, Chuck pushes himself to reach heights never reached before.
Let’s face it, Chuck can growl like the best of them, his clean ballad singing is divine, and his screams have shattered every glass in my house. I can hear the effort Chuck has put into his vocals on Para Bellum, pushing himself to places even he thought he’d never go to.
Chuck is the man—the frontman every band wished they had. His variety and range are nothing short of breathtaking and of the highest quality. Chuck Billy, brilliance be thy name.
Final Verdict – Testament’s Magnum Opus
Para Bellum is Testament’s magnum opus.
From the ferocity of “For the Love of Pain,” “Infanticide AI,” “High Noon,” and “Para Bellum,” to the superb ballad “Meant to Be,” and everything in between—for this long-time Testament fan, I truly believe this is Testament’s best and heaviest album by a country fucking mile.
Testament is the best thrash band to have ever walked this meagre Earth, and Para Bellum proves it song after piercing song.
With a line-up of Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, Steve DiGeorgio, and Chris Dovas, you absolutely cannot go wrong. I just hope the world survives long enough for Testament to return to Australian stages.
Testament’s message is clear:
💥 Para Bellum — If you want peace, prepare for war!
Stream or purchase Para Bellum here:
https://testament.bfan.link/para-bellum
