✴ Metal Punk HardCore ✴

In the hallowed pantheon of Bay Area thrash metal, Testament stands as an undisputed titan, a band whose legacy spans four decades of relentless sonic warfare. Since their 1987 debut The Legacy , Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson have weathered lineup changes, genre trends, and the inevitable march of time itself, emerging each cycle more ferocious than before. Their 2020 offering Titans of Creation reminded us why Testament remains essential listening, but as October 10, 2025 rolled around, the question loomed large: Could these veterans, now deep into their fifth decade as a band, still deliver the goods? Para Bellum , Latin for "prepare for war," drawn from the ancient maxim "Si vis pacem, para bellum" (if you want peace, prepare for war), arrives via Nuclear Blast as Testament's fourteenth studio album, and spoiler alert: this is no victory lap. This is a declaration of dominance, a scorched-earth assault that proves Testament isn't merely surviving in 202...