TAKE OFFENSE

TAKE OFFENSE

INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST ANTHONY HERRERA AND GUITARIST GREG CERWONKABY HUTCH do with human awareness, everyday struggles, cause and effect, and modern belief T ake Offense are back after a six-year some heavyweight legends is just an awegrit of the music, vocalist Anthony Herrera systems,” he says. “The main problem in the gap, on a new label with a broader some and humbling experience,”Cerwonka bellows in his classic delivery, bandying beworld today is people just plainly accepting sound. Still infusing a mighty dose of 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 Suicidal Tendencies with Excel and NYHC the, dare I say, more ‘metal’ crowd, which ing the tough bark that he has established. on their own true instinct. Since our early crossover bands, the Chula Vista, California has been a long time coming for this band. The theme of Take Offense being older and life, we’ve been domesticated, taught to act titans drop ten tracks in 32 minutes on Keep Every gig had a couple rows of people up grown now is repeatedly stated. Herrera and be a certain way. That said, the main an Eye Out. Produced by Nick Jett (Terror) front ready to rage on the first note. Solid, reflects this maturity in his lyrics. subject of the record is to make sure you’re and mixed and mastered by Joel Grind positive reactions every night, from people good with that, and if not, then act on it, (Toxic Holocaust), the album fires up seeththat have never seen us before. We’re “The subjects we tackle on this one have to in any way that you’re able.” �� �� �� ing riffs and thunderous rhythms. used to the horseshoe crowd, so it was a “It’s a cliché statement, but we put out the dope change of pace.” PHOTO BY ALAN SNODGRASS record we wanted to put out, and they “Above No One” crashes at hyper-speed stood behind us every step of the way,” 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 Sight”, 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,” 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.” been a lot of ‘musical’ growth in that time period. We all listen to different types ofmuTo 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.” “Getting to rip it up every night with To match the rebellious vigor and punching RED DEATH 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?” he says. “The metal side of things is pretty healthy also. I want to try INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST CHAD TRONCALE BY HUTCH the anticipation for the new LP, out on Nov. and unite the scenes as much as possible. 29, 2019. Unity is a big factor for me. I think D.C. is PHOTO BY MICHAEL THORN opened minded enough to give it a whirl, “Mike Gitter, the [Century Media] VP, which is awesome.” came to a show in 2016 and loved what he saw. So, he gave us his card and we Being a D.C. band, Troncale notes that kept in contact and now here we are! Evpolitics inevitably impacts the band a lot. eryone seems to be on the same page in terms of what needs to be done. It’s great “A lot of my lyrics reflect what I’m seeing in to have a big gun looking out for you, it’s the streets. Taking a stroll down Georgia all about longevity with Red Death.” Ave. and seeing what I see - poverty, racism, oppression. All these evil components Longevity is not just a personal goal, but that shouldn’t exist. These types of experia comment on the scene’s propensity to ences have inspired my lyrics big time. You churn out bands-of-the-moment, who put don’t get a song like ‘Parasites Paradise’ out a couple of releases, get hyped, and from walking down the block in the subthen disband. Perpetual growth has been urbs, you know? That comes from being the goal for Troncale and Red Death. That in the streets, absolutely. I wrote the lyrics means sticking to a formula that works. for ‘Formidable Darkness’ because I was Troncale reports that the songwriting propaying attention to the 2016 primaries and cess for the band has remained the same. realizing what I believe needs to be done - unity and revolution. Has it happened yet?” “Just me, Connor [Donegan, drums] and Sickness Divine is produced by Arthur Rizk, Ace [Mendoza, guitar] getting together a frequent collaborator with Red Death. and bouncing riffs and ideas around. Me The album’s deafening atmosphere emand Ace generally get together and show bodies the rage and frustration that TronR ed Death emerged out of the NWODThe band was revered early, unleashing each what we’ve got before we start the cale relays, with its pummeling riffs and a

CHC scene, so vibrant a few years ago. treacherous sounds on labels such as creation process, it feels like a very organgrandiose stomp as if thrash and hardcore While some bands tapped youth crew or Grave Mistake, Lockin Out, and Triple B. ic process. I can count on Ace and Connor were moshing in the Large Hadron Collidpunk, old-school hardcore, or dirty, short/ Now, Red Death continue the slaughter to help me flesh out what I have, and vice er. If Red Death is the soundtrack, unity fast/loud styles, Red Death harnessed with Sickness Divine, released through Cenversa. It’s not a bad groove to be locked and revolution could indeed be incited. the bombastic crossover hardcore style. tury Media. Vocalist Chad Troncale shares into, I must say!” �� �� ��