Testament’s Para Bellum stands as a powerful homage to the band’s thrash metal roots while exploring new musical dimensions. It has been named Loudwire’s top metal album of 2025.
Why Was This Album Chosen?
Many metal bands tend to mellow with age, losing their creative edge or technical prowess. Testament defies this trend. With Para Bellum, the Bay Area legends reaffirm their position as one of thrash metal’s most skilled and innovative groups. After four decades and 14 albums, their intensity remains undiminished.
The album’s ferocity is evident from the opening track, “For the Love of Pain,” which combines their classic thrash style with elements of death and black metal. The lead single, “Infanticide A.I.,” offers a scathing critique of artificial intelligence, delivered with authentic metal vigor.
The rest of Para Bellum maintains this intensity, blending rapid thrash with powerful grooves and even venturing into atmospheric balladry, as seen in the epic “Meant to Be.”
Watch the Video for Testament’s “Infanticide A.I.”
Fan Reactions to Para Bellum
Critics and fans alike have been impressed by the album’s relentless energy and musical prowess.
One Reddit user commented on its creativity, comparing it favorably to recent works by Metallica and Megadeth.
New drummer Chris Dovas, who joined Testament in 2023, has been particularly praised. Para Bellum marks his recording debut with the band, and his contribution has significantly impacted their sound.
testament para bellum cover
The Significance of Para Bellum for Testament
Before creating Para Bellum, Testament revisited their past during the 2024 Klash of the Titans tour with Kreator, featuring songs from their early albums The Legacy and The New Order. Guitarist Eric Peterson notes that these performances influenced the new album’s creation.
Peterson explains that playing older thrash material inspired him while writing new riffs, incorporating influences from death and black metal, which he has long appreciated.
Peterson, who also leads the symphonic black metal project Dragonlord, felt encouraged to integrate more extreme metal elements after collaborating with Dovas, who shares similar musical tastes.
Influences from New Metal Bands
Peterson keeps an eye on contemporary metal, citing bands like Lorna Shore, Mental Cruelty, and Crown Magnetar as current favorites. Despite the growing popularity of extreme metal, Peterson was initially unsure about leading Para Bellum with its heaviest track.
However, his colleagues convinced him to release “For the Love of Pain” as a lead, emphasizing its appeal to heavy metal fans.
Listen to Testament’s “For the Love of Pain”
Future Plans for Testament
Dovas follows in the footsteps of legendary drummers like Gene Hoglan and Dave Lombardo. He embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and looks forward to future projects.
“It’s an honor to succeed such iconic drummers,” Dovas says. “The chemistry with Eric during the album’s creation was incredible, and we’re already planning the next record.”
Testament has scheduled European festival appearances for summer 2026, with more dates expected as Para Bellum continues to gain acclaim.
Congratulations to Testament for earning Loudwire’s Metal Album of the Year!
Watch + Listen to Loudwire Nights’ Interview With Testament’s Eric Peterson
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Contributions by Chuck Armstrong (CA), Jordan Blum (JB), Rob Carroll (RC), Chad Childers (CC), Joe DiVita (JD), John Hill (JH), and Lauryn Schaffner (LS).
Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff
