CHUCK BILLY Says TESTAMENT Hopes To Enter Studio In Summer 2027: We've Got 'Close To Nine Tracks' In The Works Right Now

In a new interview with the Appetite For Distortion podcast, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy spoke about a possible follow-up to the band's "Para Bellum" album, which came out last October via Nuclear Blast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Writing with [TESTAMENT guitarist] Eric [Peterson] and [TESTAMENT drummer] Chris [Dovas] now, just really delivering a lot of tunes right now, we're in a good place where we're probably gonna deliver records every couple of years instead of every four years at this pace right now, which is a good thing for us.

"For us, where we're at in our life and our careers, there's a lot of new bands, a lot of new music coming up… 'Cause we get inspired by what new bands and people are doing," Chuck explained. "We can't go out and be that, because we don't wanna mimic it, but we can definitely be inspired by it, and I think we've done that kind of in our last record. Some of those songs have a more modern flair, just of the influence, I guess.

Asked which newer bands are inspiring TESTAMENT at the moment, Chuck said: "Well, some of those songs, especially with Chris, [he'll] bring it to Eric, more bands like LORNA SHORE or more real death stuff. Chris really loves his death metal, and he likes playing fast. And Eric loves black metal and loves playing fast, so it's a good combination for the two of them because Eric loves that way and Chris loves to play that way. So it's a good marriage to what they're doing, and it doesn't take long for Eric and Chris to mold out a song. They're just really in a good writing groove right now. So I think they got maybe good close to nine tracks [for the next TESTAMENT album] that they brought over to me to start listening to. So we're way ahead of the game. Hopefully, I think next summer is our goal to get in to start recording the record. So we'll see what happens from now until then."

Chuck also talked about TESTAMENT's need to experiment musically without straying too far from the band's traditional sound. He said: "In our music, I think we're beyond trying to prove a point. When you're a younger band, you're playing hard and fast and give it your best shot right now. People are listening. We wrote a lot of records and a lot of songs where it's more about writing for what really inspires us or makes us feel good, or especially when we're trying new things that we haven't done before, especially on these last couple of records, so especially vocally I'm trying some new stuff, finding some new voices and tones that I haven't used, which I think's pretty cool after 40 years to still be able to be pushed to an uncomfortable spot, but still to be pushed to something where it's being creative for us and for me as a vocalist, trying different things, which is fun. It's kind of exciting to, like, 'Okay, well, what else can I do or push to?' And then take those newer bands that are influencing [us], just real heavy shit, going, 'Okay, well, how can I incorporate some of the stuff that is happening now?', [that] people are loving, which I used to do in the past, that I could still do, and maybe try to cross it together with what I did and what people are doing. Maybe it'd strike a nerve a little. I don't know."

This past spring, TESTAMENT completed the U.S. leg of its "Thrash Of The Titans" world tour. The trek, which launched in March, united the band with fellow thrash legends OVERKILL and DESTRUCTION.

"Para Bellum" was recorded with Juan Urteaga and mixed for the first time by Jens Bogren. The cover art was once again painted by Eliran Kantor.

When "Para Bellum" was first announced in August 2025, it was accompanied by the official music video for the LP's first single, "Infanticide A.I.", directed by Joey Durango.

A major evolution on "Para Bellum" was the addition of aforementioned powerhouse drummer Chris Dovas, whose precision, speed, and instinctive dynamics infuse the album with fresh energy. Working closely with Peterson throughout the writing process, Dovas helped shape song structures, accelerated the workflow, and injected a level of versatility that amplifies the album's modern edge without straying from the TESTAMENT sound.