THE BEAST

Throwback Thursday: Revisiting Our 2020 Pandemic Interview with Testament's Chuck Billy

As Testament Unleashes the Furious New Single "Infanticide A.I.," We Look Back at a Conversation About Aliens, Nostradamus, and the "Titans of Creation" Album.

The metal world is buzzing with the arrival of "Infanticide A.I.," the crushing first single from Testament's highly anticipated new album, Para Bellum . The timing felt perfect for a deep dive into the archives, back to a unique moment in time for both the band and the world.

In April 2020, the world was locked down, and the future was a giant question mark. It was in this surreal atmosphere that Testament released their monstrously heavy album, Titans of Creation . I had the incredible honor of sitting down (virtually, of course) with the legendary Chuck Billy on The Zach Moonshine Show with Metal Devastation Radio.

We talked about the uncertainty of the touring industry, the album's profound lyrical themes, and went deep down rabbit holes about ancient aliens and Nostradamus prophecies coming true. Revisiting this conversation now, as Testament prepares for a new chapter, is a powerful reminder of their resilience and creative force. The themes of technology and creation we touched on then feel eerily connected to the new single's title today.

A Band in Lockdown: Promoting a "Masterpiece" Without a Stage

The interview immediately captures the bizarre reality of the pandemic. Chuck spoke candidly about the challenge of launching a record they were immensely proud of into a world that had suddenly stopped.

"Not a whole hell of a lot right now," Chuck said with a laugh when asked what was going on. "We got a brand new record that came out... and we had a lot of touring planned this year that's been kind of put on the back burner right now. So just trying to spread the word... it's a record we're very proud of. This one's a different Testament record, but it's one of our better records."

When I called the album a "fucking masterpiece," Chuck’s gratitude was genuine. The focus was clear: use this unexpected downtime to connect with fans directly and push the art they had worked so hard to create.

The conversation naturally turned to life in quarantine. Chuck revealed that he, his wife, and several band and crew members had been sick for "a good three, four weeks" before starting to recover just as the lockdowns began. The discussion then touched on the early, confusing days of mask mandates and public caution, a relatable snapshot of that era's anxiety.

The Lyrics of "Titans of Creation": From Aliens to Ancient Gates

The heart of our discussion was the lyrical depth of Titans of Creation . Chuck broke down how the album's themes evolved organically from the music itself.

It started with a classic Testament sci-fi concept:

"Children of the Next Level was the first song we wrote... that song could have been really right off Brotherhood of the Snake ... futuristic lyrics, aliens creating mankind kind of stuff."

He explained the song's inspiration came from the Heaven's Gate cult, who believed they would "commit suicide and board their meteor and venture to the next level of human existence." This theme of creation by a higher (or other) power feels like a direct philosophical precursor to the themes of artificial intelligence and creation gone wrong in "Infanticide A.I."

However, as guitarist Eric Peterson began sending more riffs, the album's direction expanded. Songs like "Gates of Ishtar" and "The Healers" carried a different, more ancient weight. Chuck described adapting his writing to fit the vibe of Eric's riffs, leading to a rich tapestry of themes:

"Code of Hammurabi" drew from ancient Babylonian law.

"Symptoms" and "WWIII" felt eerily prescient, tapping into the global tension and illness that would soon define the year.

Nostradamus, Ancient Aliens, and the Cycles of History

This is where our conversation got deep. I noted how current the album felt, and Chuck revealed a fascinating thread that runs through Testament's entire career: the uncanny accuracy of their lyrical predictions.

He pointed all the way back to 1988's The New Order :

"I trip on that a lot... we wrote songs back in 1988... we used to read off Nostradamus predictions and write about them. And here we are living 30 years down the road, seeing the reality of those lyrics we wrote about our Earth, the environment... it's just kind of odd when you write something and it's actually a reality."

This sparked a lengthy discussion about the U.S. Navy's then-recent declassification of UFO videos. We marveled at how the public, overwhelmed by pandemic news, barely reacted. Chuck shared his profound fascination with the possibility of extraterrestrial life and ancient civilizations.

"I look at the reality... things of thousands of years ago on this planet... cultures seeing the same beings, same shaped beings and things flying through the sky... same writings on their walls. How there's got to be some connection."

He questioned our place in the universe with brilliant logic:

"We can't be that naive to think that we're the only thing in existence is us here on Earth... This planet has probably went through a process that's been repeating itself a long time... a cycle... Look at our cycle right now. Within a hundred years, a lot has happened. A lot has been created... Are we that naive that we're that smart to think that we're it?"

He pointed to the pyramids and other ancient marvels as evidence that "opens my mind to the possibilities that there's something else." His final thought on the matter was a perfect mic drop: "So why not be created by them?" This line resonates powerfully with a song titled "Infanticide A.I." —a modern tale of creation and destruction by the very intelligence we've built.

Looking Forward: The Unbreakable Metal Scene

Even in the depths of 2020's uncertainty, Chuck was confident about the future of metal and his band. When asked about the metal scene's resilience, he didn't hesitate:

"The metal scene's probably the strongest scene amongst everything... they're so loyal. I'm sure they'll be the first one to go, 'I don't care, I'm going to the show and get in the pit!'"

He predicted correctly that things would be different, with a new "learning curve" for venues and fans, but that the community would endure. That endurance has led us directly to this moment: a new era for Testament.

From the Past to "Para Bellum"

Hearing Chuck talk about loyalty, resilience, and the drive to create new music in the face of adversity feels even more powerful today. The band weathered that storm and channeled that energy into a new chapter.

The conversation we had in 2020 was a testament to Testament's enduring creativity and connection to the world's bigger picture—from ancient prophecies to futuristic fears. Now, with "Infanticide A.I." heralding the coming war of Para Bellum , that creative fire is burning brighter and more relevant than ever.

The cycle continues. The prophecy of new Testament music has been fulfilled.

Listen to the brand new single "Infanticide A.I." right here:

Zach Moonshine is the host of The Zach Moonshine Show on Metal Devastation Radio. You can listen to the full, uncensored audio of this 2020 interview with Chuck Billy here:

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