The new album of the American thrashers Testament is out now. “Para Bellum” is an epic, shaking journey into the depths of thrash metal. Released on October 10, 2025, via Nuclear Blast, “Para Bellum” is the fourteenth album of the legendary band Testament. It is the first album of the band with their new drummer Chris Dovas after their longtime colleague Gene Hoglan decided to quit in 2022. He was replaced with Dave Lombardo, a former Slayer drummer. The band started working on it several years before its release. The result is a fantastic roaring album with melodic and very hard riffs. The name “Para Bellum” comes from the Latin adage “Si vis pacem, para bellum”, which means “If you want peace, prepare for war”. So, this is a war of sounds that are spreading and twisting the air. The cover art is by Eliran Kantor.

From the first song, “For the Love of Pain” there are black metal elements that are crossing the album. The song starts with energetic, angry drums in thrash metal style and transforms into melodic guitars and black metal screams. The lyrics of “Infanticide A.I.” are a precursor of a dark electronic future where everything is generated and substituted by the artificial intelligence, and even the children will be created by its patterns. This will be the annihilation and genocide of humankind. “Shadow People” is a typical Testament thrash song. The only ballad in the album, “Meant To Be”, is a melodic, dark, romantic story of lost love. The wonderful clean vocals of Chuck Billy immerse the listener in a fantastic carousel of sounds. His voice is incredibly rich in possibilities, both in terms of roaring and clean vocals. “High Noon” is a fast thrash metal song with roaring vocals and lyrics of a western movie. “Witch Hunt” starts as a thrash metal song, continues a transformation in black metal with a chorus, and finishes with a brilliant guitar solo. “Nature of the Beast” is a thrash metal song. “Room 117” is about a horror story. “Havana Syndrome” and the title song “Para Bellum” are filled with speedy guitar riffs and roaring. The album finale is a gentle guitar solo that immerses the listener in thought.

Testament once again proved that they are a band that not only composes good thrash albums and is one of the best in the genre, but also follows new trends in music and knows how to mix various styles with ease.