Bay Area thrash metal legends TESTAMENT have released their ferocious new single "Catacombs of the Soul" via Nuclear Blast Records, available on all streaming platforms as of today, March 7. The track, which runs at just over seven minutes, represents the band at arguably their most intense and technically accomplished — featuring blistering fretwork from guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, a devastating rhythmic backbone courtesy of drummer Dave Lombardo, and Chuck Billy's iconic growl at its most commanding and authoritative.
The song was produced by Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios in Pacheco, California — the same studio and producer behind TESTAMENT's acclaimed 2020 album "Titans of Creation." According to the band, "Catacombs of the Soul" is a standalone single rather than a preview of an upcoming album, though Peterson hinted in accompanying press materials that "significant new material is being developed" for a full-length expected in late 2026 or early 2027. The lyrical themes, explored by Chuck Billy and co-written with longtime collaborator Mark Tremonti, deal with institutional corruption and the spiritual cost of civilization's obsession with power.
A companion music video, directed by Vicente Cordero of Industrialism Films, was also released alongside the single. The video features the band performing in an underground stone cathedral intercut with abstract imagery representing the theological concepts in the lyrics. TESTAMENT will support the single with appearances at Download Festival UK in June and at Wacken Open Air in August, where they are scheduled for a headline slot on the second stage. The band's North American touring schedule for summer 2026 is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.