Lead guitarist Alex Skolnick and bassist Steve Di Giorgio round out the line-up here - meaning that there are three classic-era members and one long-time member present here alongside new face Dovas. One of the heaviest songs here actually kicks things off, with the black metal-inspired For the Love of Pain being a ferocious way to kickstart a thrash record. Peterson's opening riff is as chunky as ever, presenting a slightly faster than mid-paced groove early on - although Dovas' drumming beneath this riff gives a faster overall impression. Testament have often been at the chunkier and groovier end of thrash, and there are riffs here that certainly give that impression - but there are also more traditional thrash patterns and blast beats here to up the pace. Billy's vocals here feel really heavy. His growls are generally death metal-esque in tone, whilst still containing plenty of his usual grit, whilst Peterson adds a lot of black metal-esque screams in the background. There are occasional moments where he takes the lead, too, with fast-paced black metal moments adding some discordant leads and riffs to the track, but generally he sings in the background to spookily harmonise with Billy. The song feels a little unsettling at times as a result, then, but the transitions between the typical thrashier sections and the black metal moments work well. There is a lack of big lead guitar or solo moments during the song, but clean guitar melodies often add depth between the scraping black metal riffing - whilst it is the vocal diversity that gives the song its melody and variety, despite a handful of more melodic guitar moments mixed into the background. In some ways, the song might be the most 'different' here, so opening with it seems a little strange - but its pace and power works well to kick things off. Lead single Infanticide A.I. is perhaps more typical of the core Testament sound. Peterson lays down an early solo over some percussive drumming from Dovas - but once the verse kicks in that long-standing Testament sound is very much front and centre. There are some extreme metal-adjacent riffs, too, such as a tremolo pattern which later forms part of the chorus, but the verse is very much thrash 101 - albeit with the chunkiness which Testament are known for. Billy sings in his more typical, more melodic manner here - and his voice has lost none of its power over the years. He powers over the riffing, although in the chorus he does add some of his death growls occasionally to accent the otherwise more melodic vocals used elsewhere. The chorus is a hooky one, and it sticks in the brain from the off. I can see the song working well live as a result - and Skolnick later throws in his first solo on the album, which is busy and varied given his love of jazz. Reining in the pace of the opening couple of numbers, Shadow People is another classic-sounding Testament song. Whilst Infanticide A.I. was perhaps at the fastest end of the band's core sound, Shadow People sits in that sweet spot between thrash and groove that Testament have always done so well. Metallica's influence on Testament can always be heard through songs like this, and the chunky riffing of Peterson whips up plenty of powerful headbanging grooves here - whilst Dovas' drumming is a bit more straight forward this time, despite some busier pre-chorus moments and some extended double bass trickery during a later bridge section that feels haunting thanks to clean guitar melodies and Billy's semi-whispered vocals. Skolnick's soloing is once again busy, and the backing to his shredded leads is maybe the most chaotic musically the song gets. It certainly feels more hectic than anything else here - with chunky riffing which characterises the rest of the song soon kicking back in.
Meant to Be slows things down further as it is the album's sole ballad. Whilst the album was being put together, the band announced that Nightwish's Floor Jansen was going to contribute to a ballad on it - but then later said that she dropped out when the news was made public before she had agreed to do it. The whole situation seemed quite strange, as that does not seem like something to get all that upset about - but then again Jansen did do an interview being quite critical of Nightwish's last album just before it came out, so she does seem to be in quite a caustic mood of late. Regardless, Meant to Be works well as it is without her - and as far as thrash ballads goes it ticks a lot of classic boxes. Again, the Metallica influence can be heard throughout. In fact, the verses here really do feel like a mash-up of Fade to Black and Nothing Else Matters, almost to the point of parody, but Billy's melodic vocals still manage to sell the song - whilst the repeated use of dual lead guitar melodies throughout does help to shake things up. Acoustic guitar and strings add depth at times, especially during the verses, and the song's length is increased with some acoustic-led bridge sections and an epic guitar solo from Skolnick which moves away from his usual shredded style to lay down something suitably emotional and bluesy. High Noon gets back to a more typical sound for the band. Opening with Billy's voice alone, the track then gets underway as chunky thrash track - with Billy largely utilising the growlier end of his voice. Peterson adds some of his black metal shrieks to this song too, but they are generally mixed into the background to act as harmonies. There are fewer black metal traits here this time, though, aside from the vocals - but there are some heavier moments that feel death metal-influenced, thanks to some really intense drumming, discordant guitar riffs and leads, and the mix of extreme vocal styles. The guitar solo section, which sees Peterson and Skolnick trading licks, is backed by some juddering death metal riffing and drumming - whilst a Peterson-led screamed section repeats a couple of times to feel like an additional chorus. Despite this, though, the song feels quite anthemic overall - and there are certain bits which Billy really sells that would go down well live. Witch Hunt ups the pace again, moving away from the chunky thrash of the previous song to a much heavier thrash sound which sounds much more death metal-influenced. Billy's vocal melodies are too fast-paced to be truly growled, but he sounds menacing throughout - whilst Peterson again adds some harmony screams during a few more intense moments. Whilst the song is still very much a thrash track, it just feels heavier overall. The drumming is much more extreme metal inspired overall, with Dovas never sitting still at all, whilst blast beat-led sections later on once again inject some black metal vibes which are backed by subtle strings. It is strange, then, that the guitar solo section feels more laid back - with both Skolnick and Peterson taking a more cinematic approach. Nature of the Beast has a bit more of an old-school feel. The main riff feels like something from the NWOBHM era, so there is a bit more of a classic rock strut throughout - which is aided by Billy moving away from his more extreme metal vocal style and instead going for something much more melodic. Dovas' drumming at times feels busier than the rest of the song, but the mix of vibes works well, but generally the song just feels like a bit more of a melodic antidote to some of the more intense songs found elsewhere. Billy can do melodic vocals well when he wants too, and a groovy chorus is later on easy on the ear thanks to some smoother vocal melodies - whilst occasional harmony guitar melodies also add to this vibe. The song does stick out a bit as a result on this heavy album, but the change is a welcome one overall.
Room 117 was a song which, when first listening to the album, stood out quite a lot to me. Since then it has been overtaken by other songs which I think are better - but as far as a simple, hookier thrash piece goes Room 117 is a strong addition to the album. There are shades of the previous song here, too, given Billy's more melodic vocal approach, but the riffing is much more typical mid-paced Testament in style so the song feels heavier overall. There are plenty of grooves here thanks to the more mid-paced approach and the more reined in drumming utilised this time - whilst a hooky chorus which does see Billy growling a little at times is one which easily gets stuck in the brain. Skolnick's guitar solo is another great one, too, as its starts slower before exploding into something more shredded and thrashy and Dovas lays into his double bass drums. Sometimes the simpler songs stand out for a reason - and despite all the more intense songs here there is still room for something groovy and catchy. Havana Syndrome returns to a somewhat more complex sound following two more straight ahead pieces. The song is very much a classic thrash piece at its core, but Dovas' drumming throughout adds a slightly progressive flair. Whilst Hoglan might have been more intense in his straight ahead thrash grooves during his time with Testament, I like the flair that Dovas adds to this album. His prog background is apparent in some of his drum patterns - and this song in particular feels busier and more interesting as a result of his playing. The riffing and overall vibe is very much classic Testament and classic chunky thrash, but the drumming elevates it further - and the song has been a grower since I first heard the album. A hooky chorus helps, too, though, thanks to some harmony guitar leads that sit beneath Billy's Metallica-esque vocal melodies - whilst Skolnick's guitar solo is packed full of memorable hooks. The album then comes to a close with the title track - which is a bit more lengthy than most of the other songs here, aside from Meant to Be, at six and a half minutes. It opens with quite a lengthy instrumental section which is built around some Skolnick leads and soloing - and, in fact, the song in general is packed full of soloing. No sooner is the first verse over and Peterson is already adding some more screaming leads - and each lead-based section feels nicely stretched out to allow for the soloing to really take hold. The overall feel of the song is quite epic, then, and this is expanded upon later with some shout-along chorus sections which see Billy using his gruff vocals to create an anthemic feel which differs from the more cinematic approach taken elsewhere as a result of the lengthy soloing. Despite the song feeling a bit more stretched out to allow for this extra soloing, it does not overstay its welcome. The solo sections help to break up the overall flow of the song nicely, and the returning chorus is welcome to inject some anthemic vibes back in. Overall, though, the song is very much classic Testament - just allowed to flow a bit more than usual. It ends the album on a high as a result, with both Peterson and Skolnick impressing form a guitar perspective - before a quiet, clean-guitar led outro sees the album fade out proper. Classical-inspired melodies are utilised here and they work well - with the lengthy title track coming together nicely. Overall, then, Para Bellum is another very strong album from Testament. There are plenty of big hooks throughout and the focus on some heavier sounds at times works well. Testament excel when injecting some more extreme metal vibes in my opinion and this album works as well as it does as a result. Testament are a band that just do not seem to know how to slow down - and they continue to go from strength to strength in a genre that still feels vital.
The album was released on 10th October 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Infanticide A.I.
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