Year : 2025 (Japan Deluxe Edition)
Style : Thrash Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 329 mb
Bio:
Testament was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980's. Originally formed as 'Legacy' in 1983 by founding members Eric Peterson (rhythm guitar), Derrick Ramirez (guitar) and Louie Clemente (drums), the line-up included vocalist Steve Souza and Greg Christian (bass). Ramirez was later replaced by wunderkind Alex Skolnick (lead guitar). Souza soon departed to join Exodus and suggested that the towering Chuck Billy take over as frontman. The band became known as 'Testament' 3 years later, while recording their debut album in Ithaca, New York."The Legacy" was a brutal intro in 1987, putting Testament at the forefront of the flourishing thrash metal scene. Following "Live At Eindhoven", an EP recorded at Holland's Dynamo Festival, "The New Order" in 1988 was well received producing one of the band's most memorable classics "Disciples Of The Watch". Next came the highly successful "Practice What You Preach" in 1989, then the release of "Souls Of Black" in 1990, coinciding with the European 'Clash Of The Titans' tour with Slayer, Megadeth and Suicidal Tendencies.After "The Ritual" in 1992, Skolnick, whose musical tastes weren't limited to metal, departed the band and went on to become a respected jazz guitarist. Clemente also departed. "Return To Apocalyptic City" in 1993 brought Glen Alvelais (guitar, ex- Forbidden) into the fold, and filling in temporarily for Clemente, Paul Bostaph (ex- Forbidden, Slayer). James Murphy (ex- Death, Obituary, Disincarnate, Cancer) soon stepped in for Alvelais on lead duties for "Low" in 1994, as John Tempesta (ex- Exodus) took over on the drums. Tempesta later left to join White Zombie, and was replaced by John Dette (ex- Evil Dead ). "Live At The Fillmore" was released in 1995, then Dette left in 1996 to join Slayer. "The Best Of Testament" was released in 1996."Demonic", which was recorded in Testament's Driftwood Studios, was released in 1997. James Murphy and Greg Christian having left the band were replaced by alumni Glen Alvelais and Derrick Ramirez (bass). Gene Hoglan (drums, ex- Death, Dark Angel) lent his percussion talents. "Signs Of Chaos", a 'best of' disc of the band, was released in 1997.Dave Lombardo (ex- Slayer, Grip, Inc.) was officially introduced into the band. James Murphy was brought back once again, and on bass, the legendary Steve DiGiorgio (ex- Death, Control Denied, Sadus). "The Gathering" was born in 1999. James Murphy abruptly departed, which was determined later for reasons due to a serious illness. Steve Smyth (ex-Vicious Rumors) jumped aboard as 'touring guitarist', later to be invited to stay on as a permanent member. Lombardo soon also left, not being able to commit, having other projects on his plate. In 2000, Jon Allen (drums, ex- Sadus) joined the band.After the successful "Riding The Snake" world tour to promote "The Gathering", vocalist Billy was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called 'germ cell seminoma' in March 2001. Despite his illness and grueling cancer treatments, Billy offered his ground shaking vocals to the re-recording of Testament classics on "First Strike Still Deadly" with a reunion of sorts, bringing back Alex Skolnick and John Tempesta to record on the disc.Billy has since fully recovered. A busy touring schedule of the U.S. and Europe commenced in late 2002, through the summer of 2003. In 2004, guitarist Steve Smyth left the band to join Nevermore, and "Metal Mike" Chlasciak stepped in.
Album:
Japan deluxe edition with 3CD.Para Bellum is the upcoming fourteenth studio album by the American thrash metal band Testament, due for release on October 10, 2025, through Nuclear Blast.It will be the band's first studio album with drummer Chris Dovas.Background and production As early as mid-2020, the members of Testament began discussing the possibility of making a fourteenth studio album. About a month after the release of Titans of Creation, frontman Chuck Billy spoke to former Exodus and Legacy frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza on his "Toxic Vault" video channel about the possibility of the band writing a potential follow-up album during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "We're not writing a record yet. I won't release what we're doing, but we are gonna write some stuff. Just to do something, not a record but maybe something just to have some singles." In a July 2020 interview with Australia's Riff Crew, Billy commented on his take on the possibility of writing another Testament album during the pandemic, saying, "Well, if it is truly, as someone says, a two-year period, of course, we're gonna go write another record, and when it all settles, we'll have two records… And if it had to be that long, then, yeah, we would probably consider just writing another record."Peterson reiterated Billy's comments the following month that the band could work on new material before beginning to tour in support of Titans of Creation.In a March 2021 interview on Alive & Streaming, an internet podcast hosted by Death Angel guitarist Ted Aguilar, Billy confirmed that Peterson had begun writing new material for what could result in the next Testament album.On January 21, 2022, the band and longtime drummer Gene Hoglan announced on their respective social media accounts that he had once again left Testament to pursue "an exciting new chapter of [his] career and free agency, with all that it will entail."On March 1, it was announced that drummer Dave Lombardo had rejoined the band in time for the North American leg of The Bay Strikes Back tour, which became Testament's first major outing with Lombardo, who had left the band before the 1999–2000 tour for The Gathering.The band later discussed the possibility of recording a new album with Lombardo, and Billy stated in September 2022 that the band would likely begin work on it after the conclusion of The Bay Strikes Back tour.He later stated that he hoped they would begin recording their new album towards the end of 2023 for a 2024 release.When asked in a June 2023 during their appearance at Hellfest when the album would be recorded, Peterson said, "Hopefully maybe October, November. If not, probably January, February. But we're shooting for this year — at the end of the year. I think I'll be done writing in September. So we just have to wait for vocals. Which can take a while. But we'll see what happens." It was announced the same month that Testament had renewed their deal with Nuclear Blast for three more albums, and the label had acquired the rights to the band's first six studio albums for future reissues.Work on the new album resumed in July 2023, with Peterson describing its direction as a combination of thrash, NWOBHM, "thrash black [and] heavy hard rock blues", and it was announced nearly two weeks later that the songwriting process of the album had begun.By December 2023, Testament had begun tracking their new album with mastering engineer Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound in Nashville, but progress was slow, with Di Giorgio confirming in March 2024 that pre-production on the album had begun, and Billy revealing in June that "most of the drums" were recorded.The band members later announced that their new album would not be released until 2025.In April 2023, Lombardo announced that he would not be joining Testament throughout their 2023 tour dates, giving scheduling conflicts as the reason and expressing uncertainty that he would return to the band afterwards.He was officially replaced by former Seven Spires drummer Chris Dovas, who had filled in for Lombardo for a few U.S. dates the previous fall.On August 19, 2025, Testament released the first single titled "Infanticide A.I." from their then-untitled fourteenth album, being streamed exclusively on SiriusXM Liquid Metal with Jose Mangin.Two days later, they revealed Para Bellum as the title of their new album, which will be released on October 10, 2025.
Line-Up:
Chuck Billy - Vocals (1987-present) - See also: Beloved Ghouls, Metal Allegiance (live), Dublin Death Patrol, ex-Legacy, ex-Exodus (live), ex-Torture Squad (live), ex-Guilt, ex-Rampage
Eric Peterson - Guitars (1987-present) - See also: Spin the Wheel, ex-Dragonlord, ex-Legacy, ex-Anthrax (live)
Alex Skolnick - Guitars (1987-1992, 2001, 2005-present) - See also: Metal Allegiance, ex-Legacy, Alex Skolnick Trio, Hu$h Money, PAKT, ex-Savatage, ex-Trans-Siberian Orchestra, ex-Anthrax (live), ex-Ozzy Osbourne (live), ex-Attention Deficit, ex-Exhibit-A, ex-Stu Hamm (live)
Steve DiGiorgio - Bass (1998-2004, 2014-present) - See also: Act of Denial, Charred Walls of the Damned, Geoda, Gone in April, Johnny Newman, Mythodea, Quadvium, Spirits of Fire, Terra Odium, ex-Control Denied, ex-Funeral, ex-Futures End, ex-Synesis Absorption, Bassists Alliance Project, Death to All, Devil's Highway, ex-Anatomy of I, ex-Beltfed Weapon, ex-Itself, ex-Memorain, ex-Sadus, ex-Sebastian Bach, ex-Obituary (live), ex-Obscura (live), ex-Artension, ex-Death, ex-Ephel Duath, ex-Painmuseum, ex-Dragonlord, ex-Faust, ex-Dark Hall, ex-Soen, ex-Suicide Shift
Chris Dovas - Drums (2023-present) - See also: Dovas, Evulsion, FireWing, Vital Remains (live), ex-FirstBourne, ex-Seven Spires, ex-Unflesh, ex-Aversed (live), ex-Rithiya Henry Khiev (live), ex-Sonic Pulse (live)
Tracklist:
CD1:
01. For The Love Of Pain(5:35)
02. Infanticide A.I.(3:28)
03. Shadow People(5:45)
04. Meant To Be(7:33)
05. High Noon(3:53)
06. Witch Hunt(4:16)
07. Nature Of The Beast(4:28)
08. Room 177(4:18)
09. Havana Syndrome(4:40)
10. Para Bellum(6:31)
CD2:
01. Eerie Inhabitants(4:19)
02. The New Order(4:53)
03. Trial By Fire(4:44)
04. Into The Pit(3:09)
05. Disciples Of The Watch(4:43)
06. The Preacher(4:56)
07. A Day Of Reckoning(4:18)
08. Musical Death (A Dirge)(3:16)
CD3:
01. Over The Wall(4:50)
02. The Haunting(4:48)
03. Burnt Offerings(5:47)
04. Raging Waters(5:12)
05. C.O.T.L.O.D.(2:53)
06. First Trike Is Deadly(4:23)
07. Do Or Die(5:33)
08. Apocalyptic City(6:22)
09. Alone In The Dark(9:24)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
