(1) Could you tell our readers about your band (Total Annihilation)? – What kind of music do you perform, when was it established, etc.?
Hello and thanks for reaching out and giving us the opportunity to present our band.The band was formed back in 2006 to revive the underground culture in Basel City, Switzerland.Starting as a raw thrash metal outfit, we have now mastered our own style of thrashing death metal,working with a vast variety of different influences.(2)
Which bands or artists inspired you to play music?
Back in the days when the band was founded, I think it was bands like Sodom, Legion of the Damned,or Asphyx that fueled the founding members’ engines.For me personally, it’s maybe the usual – but also not so usual – story. When I was a kid, a friend fromschool gave me a tape with Iron Maiden – Live After Death (I think, can’t remember exactly), Helloween– Keeper Pt. 1 (yeah!!!), Metallica – Master of Puppets (still a benchmark), etc., which totally blew meaway.You have to know, I was already totally into music and guitars at an even younger age. My mother stillremembers very well that I was trying to write songs on my kid-sized guitar at around six years old.But the tape trading in school and my following exploration of the 80s metal scene really sucked me intoa universe I’m still exploring today. One of the first five records I bought myself was a tape of Slayer’salmighty Reign in Blood. Can you imagine what this record does to a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy?(3)
Who came up with the cover art for the album (Mountains of Madness)?
The cover is based on the song Mountains of Madness. When we wrote the new material and receivedthe first raw mixes, we reviewed it and decided that this song should be the title track, because it’s veryunique — and very catchy, we think. It also reflects a good mix of the band’s development and theconnection to our previous recordings.But honestly, it was a very hard decision, and in the end, it could have been almost any song from thenew record. Anyway, once you have a title track, you need a concept for the cover artwork — and thelyrics of the song gave us a great opportunity for that. So we contacted Bruno Gonzales, who alreadydid an absolutely amazing job on our Raging Death 7“, and he brought it to life once again.I personally think it’s amazing, because it has a very unique painting style and immediately catchesyour attention.(4)
Who wrote the lyrics for your new album (Mountains of Madness), how did they come to be?
Daniel, our singer, wrote about 80–90% of the lyrics. Usually, he shows up with a finished version.Sometimes it happens that I add a few lines or even some full lyrics on my own. But in any case, Danielis the one who makes sure everything fits the music.Our inspiration to write is, in my opinion, pretty simple — it’s topics that catch our interest (Mountains ofMadness), things that are worth thinking or hearing about again (Chokehold, The Art of Torture), orissues that urgently need to be addressed today (Choose the Day, Illusion, Age of Mental Suicide, HateRemains). In any case, we always try to deal with real topics — and of course, we’re a metal band, sowe tend to look at the darker side of existence.(5)
Who created the logo for the band, and who takes care of the graphics and the website?
The logo you see on Mountains of Madness is version three. Back in the early days, the original logowas drawn by hand and differed a lot from version two. A few years later, after a serious progression inthe band’s musical style, we thought an update was necessary — and the logo in its current form wascreated by a friend of mine who played drums in one of my former bands. I still like it a lot because itreally fits our music, even though it’s more than ten years old now.The latest update of the logo can be seen if you compare …On Chains of Doom with Mountains ofMadness — it has become very worn and filthy now, which fits perfectly with the people creating thismusic.The website is managed by Daniel, and usually he uses existing graphics and makes someadjustments here and there, I think.(6)
How many Shows have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether (Venues or
festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?
That’s a tough one — and sorry, I can’t give you any numbers. Let’s just say, after almost 20 years, it’sbeen quite a few!Our preference can’t really be set on the location, because everything we do is for — and based on —the people who spend their time in front of the stage. So it’s impossible for me to choose a favorite.We’ve played shows in front of just a few people that were absolutely mind-blowing, as well as bigfestival gigs that were just as intense. When the people give us energy, we give it back — doubled!(7)
What is your songwriting process?
Usually, I come up with an almost finished version of a song. Then we start working on it together —and during this phase, anything can happen. There are songs that came to life really easily, likeMountains of Madness, and others that changed a lot throughout the process, like Choose the Day onthe upcoming record or …On Chains of Doom from the previous one.What’s important for us as a band community is that we work on a song until we can truly feel theband’s “spirit” in it. If we don’t get that connection, the song simply won’t be released.(8)
Can you tell us about the single (The Art Of Torture)?
Very gladly. Musically, it’s a brutal beast — combining fast death metal, sixteenth-note melodies, and80s thrash-metal rhythm-based riffing, heading at lightspeed into a slightly dissonant, gradually moremelodic mid-tempo part in the middle of the song.If you’re looking for a reference point for the musical development of the band — this is the one tocheck out. It has all the old Total Annihilation DNA, which obviously has mutated into something evenmore brutal.Lyrically, it’s an old topic — torture. I think it’s something worth keeping in mind. It’s breathtaking howmuch energy mankind can put into harming each other. What do we call it today… civilized man?C’mon, go f# yourself!(9)
What are the main themes or messages in your lyrics?
Like I said before — things that catch our interest, things that need to be remembered, and things thatneed to be said. It’s war, torture, human mindset, religious violence, and sometimes simply inspiring artfrom other artists — like H. P. Lovecraft, for example.For me, this kind of music always was, and still is, a way to release anger and frustration.(10)
Do you have endorsements that you want to talk about or share?
This band is built on solid bonds and collaboration. So it’s quite obvious that we’re working togetherwith a lot of partners and companies. The network we’re part of is constantly growing and covers a widerange of professions — from IT services, drone pilots, and creative directors to booking agencies,management, and gear companies.What’s very important for us is that every collaboration we agree on has to be meaningful for all partiesinvolved. “Meaningful” means personal and professional growth. You give, you get back — it’s thatsimple.(11)
Would you like to share any shows or festivals coming up?
At the moment, we’re working on a few things that will be an absolute blast — but it’s still a little tooearly to mention any details.What I can tell you today is that our upcoming album release show will take place on February 28th atSudhaus Basel — and it’s going to be an insane killer! So don’t miss it under any circumstances!(12)
How and where can your fans contact you? What about you and social networks?
Come out to our shows and have a beer or a glass of wine with us — or just say “hi”! We really like tobe out with the people, so don’t be shy. If that’s not possible for you, just drop us a line through the well-known channels. We’ll answer everything as soon as possible.Regarding social networks — I’ll be very honest, and this is only my personal point of view: they’rethere, and if you want to stay in touch with metalheads out there, you have to use them. I personallyprefer a lifestyle that’s a bit quieter, more connected to nature and personal development.Please don’t get me wrong — social networks in general offer some very good and irreplaceableopportunities, because you can easily stay in contact with your friends all over the world. But if I havethe option to choose, I prefer to meet for a good glass of wine and talk about the old days or futureplans.
