Para Bellum
Para Bellum opens with a reminder that Testament can still make a fairly unpleasant noise when they want to. For the Love of Pain pushes towards death metal, with Chuck Billy using the lower end of his voice and the band giving the rhythm section plenty to do. It's a forceful way to introduce the record.
New drummer Chris Dovas is an important part of that energy. His playing gives the faster songs real movement, while Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick keep the guitars sharp and detailed. Steve Di Giorgio's bass adds weight underneath. The individual performances are a strong reason to spend time with this album.
Havana Syndrome and Room 117 are particularly convincing. They have the riffs, speed and vocal character that make a good Testament song easy to recognise. Skolnick's leads give the arrangements another level of interest, with enough melody to keep them from becoming purely aggressive exercises.
The album also makes room for a ballad in Meant to Be. That will be a dividing point for some listeners, but the change of pace gives Billy another way to carry the song. Testament have always had room for melody, and this track uses that history without apologising for being the quieter moment.
The more extreme material is less consistent. The opening attack is effective, but the title track's additional aggression doesn't automatically make it the strongest piece of writing. A few songs are more memorable for the performance than for the shape of the song itself.
Still, the variety keeps Para Bellum from feeling like a routine addition to the catalogue. There are references to different periods of the band's sound, and the new energy behind the drums helps connect them.
Testament haven't made an album where every track lands equally well. What they have made is a lively, strongly played record with several songs that deserve a place alongside their more recent highlights. The band still have enough curiosity to make the next turn worth following.
