Testament Singer Sold on ‘Para Bellum’ Ballad With One Word

Testament are back with their new album Para Bellum and there’s one song in particular that’s been drawing interest since its inception — the ballad “Mean to Be.” In fact, singer Chuck Billy says it took a one word description from guitarist Eric Peterson to pique his interest.

Billy shared with Full Metal Jackie on her weekend radio show that the idea first came together with Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson trying to work out a new piece of music together. But when the guitarist reported in on the unfinished offering, he told Billy that the track would be “epic.”

“I said, ‘Well that’s a pretty bold word, Eric.’ He goes, ‘It is. We’re working on it. Give us more time, we’ll work it out,” recalled Billy. When he was finally presented with the music, he could see that the description was correct.

“It totally took me back to ‘Return to Serenity’ and all these classic Testament style power ballads,” said the singer. “And it was like an eight-minute song, so right away I’m thinking, ‘Oh, man. That’s gonna be a lot of lyrics.’ … I just tried to find the emotional part for the vocals to sit on and let the lead guitarists work it out.”

“It’s one of them songs that I’m proud of and I’m ready to own it and I can’t wait to play it live,” says the singer.

Elsewhere within the chat, Chuck Billy discusses how the working relationship between Eric Peterson and drummer Chris Dovas drove the new album. They also talk about the impact of artificial intelligence and some of the themes of the Para Bellum album.

The singer also discusses the band’s fall tourmates, his thoughts on the current Bay Area metal scene and pulls back the curtain on his love of the holidays.

Check out more of the chat below.

It’s Full Metal Jackie and as always, I love to be able to welcome Mr. Chuck Billy of Testament back to the show with us. We’ve got this new album titled Para Bellum and I believe we can safely call this one a banger. Part of what has fueled this new album is the growing writing and working relationship of Eric Peterson and your new drummer, Chris Dovas. Can you share some insight on what it’s been like to see these two guys vibe and where it’s taken your music?

I think Eric, he always works hand-in-hand with the drummers. But I think that Chris has put in the most time with Eric as a writing partner and it shows in the riffs.

When they started working and started showing me some ideas and having a drummer like Chris, because he’s 27, so he’s much younger than us and was raised in a different generation of metal. But I think he brings a little of that to the table.

Eric’s a pretty picky person when it comes to drumming as far as the punches and playing to his rhythms. He’s really on top of that. So to have a guy like Chris with the capabilities that he could do it, it just opened up a whole new formula for Eric..

To me, he delivered something that’s like, “Wow. Okay, this feels fresh and current. Let’s see where this goes” and in the end, we’re like, “Wow, this came out great.”

Testament, “Infanticide AI”

Chuck, it seems like everywhere we look these days, artificial intelligence is invading our lives and obviously that new song, “Infanticide AI,” serves as a cautionary tale of what could happen. But there are also very practical uses in which AI can assist or inform everyday activity. Where do you come down on artificial intelligence and do you see ways that it can help and be useful within music?

I wouldn’t say with music, but I’d say just in general. I don’t know about in LA, but up here in San Francisco, we’ve got driverless cars. I got one of those, rode one for the first time, and I was like, “Wow.” You know how I felt about it. Even in a restaurant, [there are] robots that were clearing tables, you know? So, it is affecting our lives.

When we wrote that song, it was kind of about the future. what if these artificial intelligence gather information, when is it gonna come a point when they gather enough information where they can make decisions? And that was the scary part.

So, when I was writing “Infanticide AI,” it was basically the robots and artificial intelligence trying to suppress mankind and replace them. That’s what it was all about. I don’t know if you’ve seen the video, but I think they captured exactly what we were trying to talk about in those lyrics.

While we’re on this, the album itself delves into a certain unease over technology in general. Do you find yourself being a technophobe or are you someone always anxious to get your hands on the latest gadget?

No, I’m kind of a technophobe. Again, I think that’s why it inspired me to do that is just you never know. But I’m not the guy to run out and get the current iPhone every time it comes out. Yeah, I’m not that guy.

Chuck, Para Bellum comes from a bigger Latin phrase, “If you want peace, prepare for war.” How much did that mantra factor into the music you were making on this record, and was there a definite overlying theme, or does it more just tie a song or two together?

I think there’s an overall theme, but originally, we were gonna entitle the record Infanticide AI. But we didn’t wanna open that door for people to judge us on maybe that album cover’s AI, maybe these lyrics are AI and we just didn’t wanna open that door.

So when I wrote the song “Para Bellum” with Alex, it was one of the later songs that we wrote and Eric works hand-in-hand making the album covers and we knew kind of what that was gonna look like and it didn’t match AI.

So when “Para Bellum” was written, it’s like, “Prepare for war.” It’s like, “Oh, well, that’s almost perfect for what the album art’s gonna look like and it’s really kind of what’s current and going on in our world, affecting everybody’s lives.” So, it made more sense to go that route.

READ MORE: The ‘Big 4’ Band Alex Skolnick Was Once on Standby For

One song that seems to be a talking point for this record is “Meant to Be.” The last time you were here, I think you referred to its working title as “The Ballad.” It’s not something that Testament has dabbled in too often. What was it like to take on a ballad as the vocalist and what was your experience after hearing it with strings added into the mix?

Eric actually went to New York to work with Alex and when he came back I said, “Well, how’d it go?” And he goes, “Oh, it went great.” I go, “So let me hear something.” He’s like, “Well, we’re still working on it, but we did come up with this piece that’s gonna…” He said the word “epic.” And I’m like, “Epic”?

I said, “Well that’s a pretty bold word, Eric.” He goes, “It is. We’re working on it. Give us more time, we’ll work it out.” So when I finally heard the music, I was like, “Wow.” It totally took me back to “Return to Serenity” and all these classic Testament style power ballads.

And it was like an eight-minute song, so right away I’m thinking, “Oh, man. That’s gonna be a lot of lyrics.” I didn’t know where the leads were or where, but I just took it and I just tried to find the emotional part for the vocals to sit on and let the lead guitar work it out.

And once we laid down the vocals and were listening to the track, I said, “Wow, you know, this, it’s feeling really nice,” and, it was actually the first time that we all got together as a band before we started tracking the music and went through the tracks. That was the one song that Alex had written it one way and Eric wrote it another, but when we got together, somehow they made it and mushed it together and made it work for both their parts and so it worked out. This is so beautiful.

What if we tried… first, we said orchestra and then maybe a string quartet and then we came down and Alex suggested he had a friend that would come in and maybe do some strings, some cello and stuff and we let him have at it. So actually, we never really heard it until we mixed the record.

Once we heard the final product and what he did, I was like, “Wow.” He did a amazing job with bending them notes and what he was doing over the music. It just all came together. And again, it’s one of them songs that I’m proud of and I’m ready to own it and I can’t wait to play it live.

Testament, “Meant to Be”

It’s Full Metal Jackie. Chuck Billy with us. Chuck, in the initial press release, it seems the band is high on the potential for this record and producing songs for the concert stage. I know this may change from day to day, but is there a song off this record you’re most excited about getting to share with audiences in the live setting?

That’s a tough tough one. I think all of them I’d love to play, but you know, it, it really comes down to .. ‘Cause the way we make records, we don’t go to the studio and rehearse them before we go in to track them. We never do that. We all go in and record with our first instinct and our first gut feeling and that always seems to be the best choice. I got a little off-topic there, sorry.

This fall, we’ll see you pair up with Obituary on the Thrash of the Titans track. Destruction and Nervosa are along as well for what should be a powerful bill. What’s your take on the bands you’re touring with this fall and do you make time on these tours to try to get to know each of the bands? Is there a personal history with all of them?

I think so. Obituary, we’ve known ’em for a long time and Steve’s very great friends with them. And Destruction we have history back in the ’80s playing shows together.

Nervosa, we just know the gals and when there was an opportunity when Goatwhore dropped off the bill, the first band that was kind of brought up was them, and we were like, “You know what? Good choice. Let’s go for it.”

It’s tough on tour, especially in the winter, ’cause you don’t wanna get sick. Especially with COVID and everything, I’ve kinda tried to hide myself a little bit. Summer’s different, you know? You’re out there, it’s hot, you’re hanging out.

But you do try to spend more time with each other and get to know them, especially like the Destruction guys. I haven’t seen ’em in a long time, so it’ll be good to hang out and see Shamir and the new guys in the band, so we’ll see.

Testament are just one of the great metal and thrash bands to emerge from the Bay Area, and I’m sure it’s been great to see your home base so well-represented in the metal community over the years. Granted, as a touring band I’m sure you’re away from home quite often, but how in tune do you stay with the Bay Area scene? Do you feel it’s in a good place, and how have you seen it change over the years?

Well they’ll never be the ’80s for sure. There’s definitely less places to play, but there’s a lot of metal still going on and a lot of thrash bands putting out thrash music, especially ’cause the Bay Area has some history, so of course those newer bands kinda hold the flag for our history of thrash in the Bay Area.

I see it keep growing and I think you still see a lot of the same people supporting a lot of the bands, a lot of the people still going to the same shows, just like it was in the ’80s. Even the old school guys, they’re still supporting the newer bands, which is still awesome.

Are you a big holidays guy? Like do you get into it with your family or even with your bandmates if you’re out on tour during these times of year?

Oh, yeah! If we’re out on tour, I definitely get in spirit. In my neighborhood, I’m the guy that does like the haunted house and has the full blown set up for the kids. I go overboard. And I’ve been absent for the last three years and I’m waiting for them to egg my house because they always ask the year before, “Are you gonna set it up this year? Are you gonna set it up?”

I feel bad that I’m going on tour in October again so I get home on the 26th, so I know I’m getting pressure from Tiffany like, “You are gonna set it up for the kids this year, right, when you get home?” I’m like, “I think so.” We’ll see how tired I am after getting home from the tour.”

And then Christmas the same thing. We go overboard and it’s nice to spend times like that [at home]. Then after that we have the holidays awfully off and we’re usually not working so that’s nice.

Chuck Billy of Testament with us. The new record is called Para Bellum and I’m so excited to have this new music. Always love catching up with you and looking forward to seeing Testament live again.

Thanks to Testament’s Chuck Billy for the interview. The Para Bellum album is out now. Stay up to date with the band through their website, Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube accounts. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.