The night before a tour on a new record is usually a time to wax nostalgic. “We used to do these DIY shows at this loading dock forever ago. We would run everything on a generator– some real guerilla-style stuff,” recalls Anthony Herrera. “Those shows were always so wild and the touring bands would always trip out. I’ve met so many friends at shows like that over the years.” 

But Chula Vista, CA’s Take Offense, who formed in 2005, isn’t one to dwell on the past– they’re more apt to forge ahead toward new frontiers. And yet it’s all of those years of grinding and the accompanying blood/sweat that got them to T.O.tality, the new LP (their fourth overall) for new label MNRK due on May 10th. In an age where everyone is strapping on white high tops and studying the ways of DRI, Celtic Frost, and Judas Priest, Take Offense have found a new approach crafted with a sense of modernity– incorporating the hard-driving ethos of thrash, the finesse of speed metal, the sneering tenacity of hardcore all while nodding to their home of Southern California. With T.O.tality, Take Offense have reached the pinnacle of the crossover style.

Unlike the legions who attempt to reinvent crossover for modern times, Take Offense to looks toward the tone and attitude of their California counterparts– bands like Cryptic Slaughter, EXCEL, and Suicidal Tendencies, who also leaned heavily into skate aesthetics but worshipped Sunset Strip-and-adjacent guitar deities like George Lynch, 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 nitro-equipped armored vehicles, exploding through barricades of genre convention and emptying the clip with fresh ideas. It’s a tribute to local heroes with familiar approaches that are wholly and undoubtedly Take Offense. “There are sounds and tones that have influenced me heavily, and part of that came out of 1980s California,” says Greg Cerwonka emphatically. “The guitar sound, especially for bands coming out of Venice Beach where some of that great crossover came from, has roots in hair metal– they were surrounded by it. So while crossover is definitely a different style and sound, what some of those hair metal guitarists did is undeniable– we try and incorporate that in a way that makes sense for us.”

Much like previous recordings, tracking for T.O.tality took place with Nick Jett (Terror) and the band serving as producers. But conflicting schedules between guitarist Greg Cerwonka, vocalist Anthony Herrera, bassist Randy Noyes, drummer Mitch Reitman and rhythm guitarist Ricky Garcia caused the recording of the much-anticipated follow-up to Cause & Effect to be drawn out– writing commenced in Summer 2021 and tracking was completed in June 2023, with Matt Hyde (Slayer, No Doubt, Deftones) handling the mixing and Nick Townsend on mastering duty. “We’re incredibly proud of the record, and feel like it really represents who we are and where we’re from. But it was really a strenuous one to make and at points it felt like we might not get it done,” admits Greg about the making of T.O.tality. “There were some scheduling issues and complications around the pandemic, and on top of that Greg played in the live lineup of Turnstile for a while, so that added another layer. Once we got in the studio and recorded some songs, we went back and made some major changes as well. Regardless of all that, T.O.tality is a big step forward for us. And we've been working with Nick Jett for years now to where we're very comfortable– we feel like brothers. So it came together very organically in that way.”

And while only a cursory listen is needed to know that T.O.tality is a massive evolutionary step forward for the band, a detailed listen reveals the attention given with respect to lyricism and storytelling by frontman Anthony Herrera. Familiar lyrical themes from previous releases still ring true, but Herrera also called upon his own upbringing to add in themes surrounding existentialism, politics, soldiering forward and leaving regret behind. “I feel like I didn't hold back on things I wanted to say. It’s even in the title of the record– totality,” admits Herrera. “Certain tracks on the record have references to Mexica, which are beliefs that go back to early Mexico– something that I grew up with. When I was younger, I don’t think it was as easy for me to express certain things into words. I think things come easier now and I feel like I put it all out there. So I'm very proud to be at this point– I feel like we are stronger than ever, and with the new record we are the best version of who we are.” 

The first single from T.O.tality is not only the opening track from the album, it serves as a glimpse of the Take Offense worldview. “Greetings from Below” goes directly into a bent chord drenched in chorus and distortion, a calling card for the remainder of the album, before jumping into a fist-clenching riff backed by thundering double bass that hits like a stampede of elephants. From there Herrera howls with determination about conquering the road ahead and the smoldering ruins left in their path. “Funny enough, ‘Greetings from Below’ is the last song I wrote for the record,” explains Cerwonka. “I was sort of riffing and playing around with an old school, harder Dokken style– something fast driving. Mitch [Reitman, drummer] was there and it came together pretty quickly.”

By their own admission, the second single “Deep Inside” is “definitely the heaviest track Take Offense has ever written.” Chugging along at a mid-pace, “Deep Inside” is made for the pit– featuring a crushing main riff that recalls both the Alice in Chains classic “Man in the Box” and Iron Age’s immortal “Evil Ways.” It’s the sort of track that will give audiences whiplash from headbangs and maybe even a few wrinkles,  according to guitarist Greg Cerwonka. “It's just this ugly riff– one of those riffs where you can’t help but make a ‘stinkface’ when you hear it.”

“Split Wide Open,” the subject of the new video from T.O.tality (out now!), wastes no time in getting into a Slayer-like fury, chugging ahead at near-impossible speeds while taking time out to throw in impressive fretboard gymnastics and a few dive bombs. The track isn’t just senseless savagery though, as vocalist Anthony Herrera explains that the underlying inspiration stems from emotional vulnerability. “‘Split Wide Open’ is about being a writer and putting yourself out there. These things can be very personal, but they also mean a lot to others too– I've seen my lyrics tattooed on people. So it’s sort of a reflection of me realizing I need to keep doing what I'm doing.”

“Assassination” is the third single from T.O.tality, a song that starts with a complex riff that would sit perfectly on a Marty Friedman-era Megadeth record before settling into a swinging hardcore groove with some unexpected twists. Both classic in approach and modern in execution, “Assasination” is the perfect example of Take Offense’s fresh take on crossover, while also serving as a battle cry. “Take Offense and the music that we produce, we're like assassins in that we are eliminating the inauthentic,” explains Herrera proudly. “That's one of our missions– to be truthful and give everything that you have.”
   
Take Offense are ready to invade your city with their most compelling record to date. But no matter how far T.O.tality takes them, in their hearts they’ll always still be that band plugging into the generator at the loading dock.