Album Review: Testament – Para Bellum

Para Bellum brings earth-shattering noise.

Metal band Testament has been creating musical havoc for decades and their last album, released in ’20, was Titan of Creation. Now, this month Testament has released their album, Para Bellum. As a whole, each track is fabulous, and the band shows listeners they can still create mind-bending and heart-jolting metal music. Also, the instrumentation and vocal performance display the musical growth the band has been experiencing.

Kicking things off is “For The Love of Pain,” and right away, listeners are welcomed with in-your-face guitar and drum playing that incorporates elements of fast-paced thrash metal within a dark and chaotic world where the vocalist’s demanding shrieks and yelling fill the atmosphere with endless rage.

Now, “Meant to Be” is a bit of a different ditty thanks to the band’s performance on a deeper and more intimate level. While listening, the acoustic guitar playing serenades the background with delicate riffs, while the rest of the instrumentation carries beautiful melodies as the vocalist sings his heart out.

Then, Testament shakes things up with the pure jammer “Nature of the Beast.” And what is fantastic about this composition is how the whole production brings a solid vibe of classic metal. The styles of Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Metallica can be felt through the jarring guitar playing and sizzling vocal performance. Also, the wicked guitar solo at the end gives “Nature of the Beast” an extra kick of musical zest.

The title track closes the album on a high note due to the killer metal style the band is playing. Right at the start, the guitar solo fills the atmosphere with jolting riffs, while the vein-shaking drum playing smacks the background with hard-hitting beats that contribute to the lingering madness of this piece.

Testament is known for their exceptional skills in metal music. On Para Bellum, the band proudly and successfully shows listeners why most metalheads enjoy their music. Surely, the band will be dazzling people’s minds with their live performances.