Californian thrash band Take Offense have released their new single "Assassination", the second preview of what's to come on their forthcoming album T.O.tality, which will be released on May 10 on the MNRK Heavy label.
Watch the video here:
The album begins with a complex riff that would fit perfectly on a Marty Friedman-era Megadeth record before settling into a hardcore groove with unexpected twists. It's the perfect sample of Take Offense's new approach to crossover, as the band pushes towards new frontiers on T.O.tality.
Lead singer Anthony Herrera comments: "'Assassination? embodies our mission to be true and give everything you've got. Its video, directed by Nicholas Hipa, is a metaphor, the assassin represents any person or thing that tries to stop us - it's not going to happen."
After almost two decades of hard work, Take Offense have mastered their art, reaching the pinnacle of their crossover style. T.O.tality, their fourth album overall and debut on the MNRK Heavy label, is marked by a sense of modernity, incorporating the fast-paced essence of thrash, the finesse of speed metal and the tenacity of hardcore, while making reference to their native Southern California.
Take Offense seek out the tone and attitude of their Californian counterparts - bands like EXCEL and Suicidal Tendencies, who also leaned heavily towards the skate aesthetic, but worshipped the guitar gods of the Sunset Strip, like Warren Di Martini and Eddie Van Halen. T.O.tality is a love letter to that scene and those times, delivered in the form of an armada of fourteen explosive tracks that break the barriers of genre convention and bring fresh ideas. It's a tribute to local heroes with familiar approaches that are undoubtedly Take Offense.
Today they've shared the opening track and first single from T.O.tality, "Greetings From Below", which "addresses certain Mexica beliefs of our underworlds", reveals vocalist Anthony Herrera. "It is believed that these are the places where we go when we die, but also when we sleep, in our dreams and nightmares. Our underworlds also correlate with our waking state and we usually experience them in the form of problems or obstacles we face in our daily lives."
As with the previous recordings, T.O.tality was produced by Nick Jett (Terror) and the band themselves. However, scheduling conflicts between Herrera, guitarist Greg Cerwonka, bassist Randy Noyes, drummer Mitch Reitman and base guitarist Ricky Garcia meant that the recording of the long-awaited successor to Cause & Effect was prolonged - writing began in the summer of 2021 and recording was completed in June 2023, with mixing by Matt Hyde (Slayer, No Doubt, Deftones) and mastering by Nick Townsend. "We're incredibly proud of the album and feel it really represents who we are and where we've come from. But it was really difficult to make and at times it felt like we wouldn't be able to finish it," admits Greg. There were scheduling problems and complications surrounding the pandemic, and on top of that, Greg played in Turnstile's live line-up for a while, which added another layer. Regardless of all that, T.O.tality is here and it's a big step forward.
And while it only takes a cursory listen to know that T.O.tality is a huge evolutionary step for the band, a detailed listen reveals the attention paid to lyrics and storytelling by vocalist Anthony Herrera. Familiar lyrical themes from previous releases still ring true, but Herrera has also drawn on his own upbringing to add themes relating to existentialism, politics, moving on and leaving regret behind. "I feel like I didn't hold back on the things I wanted to say. It's even in the title of the album - totality," admits Herrera. "Certain tracks on the album make reference to the mexicas, which are beliefs that go back to ancient Mexico - something I grew up with. When I was younger, I don't think it was so easy for me to put certain things into words. I think things are easier now and I feel like I've put everything out there. So I'm very proud to be at this point - I feel we're stronger than ever, and with the new album we're the best version of who we are."
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Artists: Take Offense
