Testament frontman Chuck Billy has revealed that the legendary thrash metal veterans are already deep into the creative process for their next studio album. During a recent interview on the Minneapolis radio station 93X show “The Pit,” hosted by Graham and Kato, the vocalist discussed songwriting chemistry between founding guitarist Eric Peterson and the band’s newest drummer, Chris Dovas.
Providing an update on the band’s rapid progress, Chuck Billy stated:
“Chris and Eric are actually working on the next record already. They’ve already got, like, six or eight tunes already almost ready to go for the next record. So we’re hoping maybe get out in ’27 to pop into the studio and make another record. We don’t know yet, but we’re not waiting four or five years. We’re ready to pop ’em out now.”
When the interviewers pointed out that a four-to-five-year gap between albums is a relatively quick turnaround for some bands, Chuck responded:
“Yeah, but when you’re 63 years old, five years, man, that’s a f**king long time. You know what I’m saying?””
Emphasizing his dedication to the band’s future and their current creative momentum, he added:
“I don’t have no plans on retiring ever in the future, but I think the time is now. Hey, we’ve got a good strong band. Everybody’s into writing. Man, we get along well. Things are going well. Let’s just keep going, man, keep writing. That’s the end of it. Even if we don’t tour anymore, because maybe physically we might not be able to, I think we’ll always be songwriters and make records, ’cause we enjoy that.”
The news of fresh material comes on the heels of Testament‘s latest studio album, Para Bellum, which was released in October 2025 via Nuclear Blast. The record was tracked with Juan Urteaga and featured mixing by Jens Bogren for the first time, alongside cover artwork painted by returning artist Eliran Kantor.
A major driving force behind the modern evolution of Para Bellum was Chris Dovas. His speed, precision, and dynamic style injected a fresh energy into the record. By collaborating closely with Eric Peterson throughout the writing sessions, Chris Dovas helped streamline the workflow and shape the song structures, amplifying the album’s intensity while staying true to the classic Testament sound.
Chris Dovas officially became a full-time member of Testament in 2023, stepping in to replace former drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer). Prior to securing his permanent role, he filled in for Dave Lombardo during the first six dates of the band’s summer and fall 2022 leg of “The Bay Strikes Back Tour” due to a scheduling conflict with the Misfits.
Looking ahead, Testament announced the U.S. leg of their “Thrash Of The Titans” world tour this past December. Set to launch later this month, the highly anticipated trek will see them sharing the stage with fellow thrash legends Overkill and Destruction.
2026 “Thrash Of The Titans” U.S. Tour Dates:
- March 14, 2026 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
- March 15, 2026 – Boise, ID – Treefort Music Hall
- March 16, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT – Rockwell at the Complex
- March 18, 2026 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
- March 20, 2026 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
- March 21, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
- March 22, 2026 – Chicago, IL – Ramova Theatre
- March 24, 2026 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall
- March 25, 2026 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Ballroom
- March 27, 2026 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
- March 28, 2026 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
- March 29, 2026 – Reading, PA – Club Reverb
- March 31, 2026 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater
- April 1, 2026 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
- April 3, 2026 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
- April 4, 2026 – Dallas, TX – The Bomb Factory
- April 5, 2026 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theatre
- April 8, 2026 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
- April 9, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco
- April 10, 2026 – Berkeley, CA – The UC Theatre (no Overkill)
