The Para Bellum by Testament is a thunderous celebration of the band’s thrash legacy and a bold venture into uncharted territory, earning the title of Loudwire’s best metal album of 2025.

Key Reasons for Our Selection

Many metal acts tend to soften as they age, losing their songwriting edge or the fiery energy of their youth.

However, Testament defies this trend. With Para Bellum, the Bay Area veterans reaffirm their status as one of thrash metal’s most intelligent and virtuosic bands. After forty years and 14 albums, they sound hungrier and angrier than ever.

This intensity is evident from the opening notes of Para Bellum‘s first track, “For the Love of Pain,” which combines the band’s signature thrash sound with death and black metal-inspired blast beats, blistering screams, and tremolo-picked riffs. The lead single “Infanticide A.I.” delivers a fierce critique of artificial intelligence, performed by genuine metal giants.

The rest of Para Bellum continues in a similar vein, alternating between rapid-fire thrash and powerful grooves, with a brief excursion into muscular, atmospheric balladry in the seven-and-a-half-minute epic “Meant to Be.”

Watch the Video for Testament’s “Infanticide A.I.”

What Are Fans Saying About Para Bellum?

Critics and fans alike have been blown away by the relentless brutality and playful virtuosity throughout Para Bellum.

“Overall it is definitely more creative than other recent works like [Metallica’s] 72 Seasons and [Megadeth’s] The Sick, the Dying … and the Dead!” remarked one Reddit user.

Many have also praised the contributions of new drummer Chris Dovas, who replaced Dave Lombardo in 2023 (Lombardo had stepped in after Gene Hoglan’s three-album stint). Para Bellum marks Dovas’ recording debut with Testament, and at 27 years old, he has already made a significant impact on the band’s sound.

READ MORE: Best Thrash Metal Album of Each Year Since 1983

What Does Para Bellum Represent for Testament?

Before embarking on Para Bellum, Testament reflected on their past during their tour.

The band revisited their catalog during the 2024 Klash of the Titans tour with Kreator, pulling setlists from 1987’s The Legacy and 1988’s The New Order. Guitarist and primary songwriter Eric Peterson states that these old-school shows prepared them for creating Para Bellum.

“Performing The New Order and The Legacy in full, along with tracks like Practice What You Preach, especially the older material — it was intense,” Peterson tells Loudwire. “When I get home to write riffs, I’m already thinking about that energy. It’s a full circle moment; we’re back to our roots but infused with newer influences, particularly death and black metal vibes — which I always loved as a kid.”

Petersen — who also leads a symphonic black metal side project called Dragonlord — felt encouraged to incorporate more extreme metal elements into Para Bellum, especially after collaborating with Dovas, whom he found to be a kindred spirit.

“We’ve always had these newer elements since [1994’s] Low, like ‘Dog Faced Gods,'” Peterson explains. “The idea has always been there; it just took young drummer Chris Dovas coming in to share similar influences for my riffs to create this dynamic match!”

Which New Metal Bands Inspire Testament?

Petersen stays attuned to modern metal trends, mentioning deathcore bands like Lorna Shore, Mental Cruelty, and Crown Magnetar as current favorites. Despite his own tastes and extreme metal’s rising popularity, he wasn’t initially convinced that Para Bellum‘s lead track should be its heaviest.

“I had an idea of how I thought the record would flow,” he admits. However, his bandmates had different opinions.

“Everyone at the studio insisted that we should start with ‘For the Love of Pain.’ I questioned if it was too heavy, but they argued that it was what people wanted. They were right; many enjoy that song. After listening to Lorna Shore and Slaughter to Prevail… they’re really making waves right now,” he adds with a laugh: “Then I listen to ours and think ours is like a pop version.”

Listen to Testament’s “For the Love of Pain”

What Lies Ahead for Testament?

Dovas follows in the footsteps of some of metal’s most renowned drummers like Gene Hoglan, Paul Bostaph, and Lombardo. Filling those shoes is no small feat, but Dovas has risen to the challenge with great flair — stating that this is just the beginning.

“It’s an honor because those are drummers I admire,” Dovas tells Loudwire. “The best part about how this album turned out was how much fun Eric and I had working together. We spent significant time together, and our chemistry in creating music is something I’m very thankful for. We already plan to start working on the next record!”

Testament has a summer filled with European festival dates scheduled for 2026, with more announcements expected as Para Bellum continues to gain recognition worldwide.

Congratulations to Testament for being awarded Loudwire’s Metal Album of the Year!

Watch + Listen to Loudwire Nights’ Interview With Testament’s Eric Peterson