(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 from
school 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 me
away.
You have to know, I was already totally into music and guitars at an even younger age. My mother still
remembers 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 into
a universe I’m still exploring today. One of the first five records I bought myself was a tape of Slayer’s
almighty 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 received
the first raw mixes, we reviewed it and decided that this song should be the title track, because it’s very
unique — and very catchy, we think. It also reflects a good mix of the band’s development and the
connection to our previous recordings.
But honestly, it was a very hard decision, and in the end, it could have been almost any song from the
new record. Anyway, once you have a title track, you need a concept for the cover artwork — and the
lyrics of the song gave us a great opportunity for that. So we contacted Bruno Gonzales, who already
did 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 catches
your 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, Daniel
is 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 of
Madness), things that are worth thinking or hearing about again (Chokehold, The Art of Torture), or
issues that urgently need to be addressed today (Choose the Day, Illusion, Age of Mental Suicide, Hate
Remains). In any case, we always try to deal with real topics — and of course, we’re a metal band, so
we 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 logo
was drawn by hand and differed a lot from version two. A few years later, after a serious progression in
the band’s musical style, we thought an update was necessary — and the logo in its current form was
created by a friend of mine who played drums in one of my former bands. I still like it a lot because it
really 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 of
Madness — it has become very worn and filthy now, which fits perfectly with the people creating this
music.
The website is managed by Daniel, and usually he uses existing graphics and makes some
adjustments 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’s
been 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 big
festival 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, like
Mountains of Madness, and others that changed a lot throughout the process, like Choose the Day on
the 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 the
band’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, and
80s thrash-metal rhythm-based riffing, heading at lightspeed into a slightly dissonant, gradually more
melodic 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 to
check out. It has all the old Total Annihilation DNA, which obviously has mutated into something even
more brutal.
Lyrically, it’s an old topic — torture. I think it’s something worth keeping in mind. It’s breathtaking how
much 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 that
need to be said. It’s war, torture, human mindset, religious violence, and sometimes simply inspiring art
from 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 together
with a lot of partners and companies. The network we’re part of is constantly growing and covers a wide
range 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 parties
involved. “Meaningful” means personal and professional growth. You give, you get back — it’s that
simple.
(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 too
early to mention any details.
What I can tell you today is that our upcoming album release show will take place on February 28th at
Sudhaus 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 to
be 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’re
there, and if you want to stay in touch with metalheads out there, you have to use them. I personally
prefer 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 irreplaceable
opportunities, because you can easily stay in contact with your friends all over the world. But if I have
the option to choose, I prefer to meet for a good glass of wine and talk about the old days or future
plans.
