TAKE OFFENSE
do with human awareness, everyday struggles, cause and effect, and modern belief systems,â€? he says. “The main problem in the some heavyweight legends is just an awe- grit of the music, vocalist Anthony Herrera some and humbling experience,â€?Cerwonka bellows in his classic delivery, bandying be- world today is people just plainly accepting says. “This tour was also our first foray into tween vocal tones but continually summon- ‘the truth’ as it is told to them, instead of the, dare I say, more ‘metal’ crowd, which ing the tough bark that he has established. on their own true instinct. Since our early life, we’ve been domesticated, taught to act has been a long time coming for this band. The theme of Take Offense being older and and be a certain way. That said, the main Every gig had a couple rows of people up grown now is repeatedly stated. Herrera subject of the record is to make sure you’re front ready to rage on the first note. Solid, reflects this maturity in his lyrics. good with that, and if not, then act on it, positive reactions every night, from people that have never seen us before. We’re “The subjects we tackle on this one have to in any way that you’re able.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł used to the horseshoe crowd, so it was a dope change of pace.â€? PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ANTHONY HERRERA AND GUITARIST GREG CERWONKA BY HUTCH
T
ake Offense are back after a six-year gap, on a new label with a broader sound. Still infusing a mighty dose of Suicidal Tendencies with Excel and NYHC crossover bands, the Chula Vista, California titans drop ten tracks in 32 minutes on Keep an Eye Out. Produced by Nick Jett (Terror) and mixed and mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust), the album fires up seething riffs and thunderous rhythms.
“It’s a clichĂŠÂ statement, but we put out the record we wanted to put out, and they “Above No Oneâ€? crashes at hyper-speed stood behind us every step of the way,â€? lead while utilizing gang vocals, proving the blur guitarist Greg Cerwonka says about pairing of thrash and hardcore can mesh seamlesswith Pure Noise Records, after years on ly into oblivion. Other tracks, say “Hidden Reaper. “You can’t really ask for more in in Plain Sightâ€?, churn a dark, mid-tempo that situation. It was also a good fit because stomp. The gamut runs a wide breadth, but our rep from the label booked our first show all flows smoothly on Keep an Eye Out. in Sacramento back in 2011 and has been a fan of the band for a while now. A lot of “It’s one hundred percent a Take Offense reour friends and brother bands - Terror, cord,â€? Cerwonka says. “Our last full-length Rotting Out, etc. - being on the roster was came out six years ago, so obviously there’s also a plus.â€? been a lot of ‘musical’ growth in that time period. We all listen to different types of muTo get their feet wet again, Take Offense sic, which I think gives us the confidence completed a big tour with Napalm Death, to try different things. It was a very natural Sick Of It All, and Municipal Waste, proving progression. I definitely studied guitar way that the lines between fan bases in extreme more and learned new techniques to incorgenres are negligible. porate into my riff writing.â€?
RED DEATH “Getting to rip it up every night with
To match the rebellious vigor and punching
INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHAD TRONCALE BY HUTCH
the anticipation for the new LP, out on Nov. 29, 2019.
PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN
“Mike Gitter, the [Century Media] VP, came to a show in 2016 and loved what he saw. So, he gave us his card and we kept in contact and now here we are! Everyone seems to be on the same page in terms of what needs to be done. It’s great to have a big gun looking out for you, it’s all about longevity with Red Death.� Longevity is not just a personal goal, but a comment on the scene’s propensity to churn out bands-of-the-moment, who put out a couple of releases, get hyped, and then disband. Perpetual growth has been the goal for Troncale and Red Death. That means sticking to a formula that works. Troncale reports that the songwriting process for the band has remained the same.
R
ed Death emerged out of the NWODCHC scene, so vibrant a few years ago. While some bands tapped youth crew or punk, old-school hardcore, or dirty, short/ fast/loud styles, Red Death harnessed the bombastic crossover hardcore style.
60 NEW NOISE
“Just me, Connor [Donegan, drums] and Ace [Mendoza, guitar] getting together and bouncing riffs and ideas around. Me and Ace generally get together and show each what we’ve got before we start the The band was revered early, unleashing creation process, it feels like a very organtreacherous sounds on labels such as Grave Mistake, Lockin Out, and Triple B. ic process. I can count on Ace and Connor to help me flesh out what I have, and vice Now, Red Death continue the slaughter with Sickness Divine, released through Cen- versa. It’s not a bad groove to be locked into, I must say!� tury Media. Vocalist Chad Troncale shares
Traoncale extends that excitement to the D.C. scene. “Seems like new bands are starting to pop up, so maybe there will be a NWODCHC boom 2.0 soon?â€? he says. “The metal side of things is pretty healthy also. I want to try and unite the scenes as much as possible. Unity is a big factor for me. I think D.C. is opened minded enough to give it a whirl, which is awesome.â€? Being a D.C. band, Troncale notes that politics inevitably impacts the band a lot. “A lot of my lyrics reflect what I’m seeing in the streets. Taking a stroll down Georgia Ave. and seeing what I see - poverty, racism, oppression. All these evil components that shouldn’t exist. These types of experiences have inspired my lyrics big time. You don’t get a song like ‘Parasites Paradise’ from walking down the block in the suburbs, you know? That comes from being in the streets, absolutely. I wrote the lyrics for ‘Formidable Darkness’ because I was paying attention to the 2016 primaries and realizing what I believe needs to be done unity and revolution. Has it happened yet?â€? Sickness Divine is produced by Arthur Rizk, a frequent collaborator with Red Death. The album’s deafening atmosphere embodies the rage and frustration that Troncale relays, with its pummeling riffs and a grandiose stomp as if thrash and hardcore were moshing in the Large Hadron Collider. If Red Death is the soundtrack, unity and revolution could indeed be incited. đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł
