In order to smash up the local music scene, four enthusiastic metalheads joined forces in September 2006 to become Basel’s rawest metal band. After a short orientation phase, in which the four-piece band developed an aggressive and catchy style with high recognition value, first regional shows generated some very positive feedback.
At the beginning of 2008 the band produced their first professional Demo CD „TA 08“, which was later released on the Swiss label Quam Libet Records and gained a lot of attention in the national and international scene.
While the scene was recovering from the devastating assault of our Basel based formation, the band prepared for the next strike and finalised their first full length record “84” in late 2009. Once again produced by V.O. Pulver the record seamlessly tied in with the success of the previous releases and was then re–released by Firefield Records in 2010.
Fuelled by the positive response, Total Annihilation unflinchingly worked on their second full length album and did not lose track when a line-up change in the bass guitar section hit the band. In fact, the line-up increased as a second guitar was integrated into the band’s raw and angry music. This decision proved to be a good choice, since the reaction to the second album “Extinction” by print and online media was abundantly positive. New possibilities opened up and the way for the band’s future was paved.
In the following years the band played a large amount of live gigs including several festival shows (Metaldays Slovenia, Bavarian Metalheadz Open Air, Swiss Metal Masters Z7, BScene Club festival Basel, etc.). Sadly, there were also some major line-up changes on bass guitar, guitar and drums. Nevertheless, the band never quit working on new material and released two split records with Erupdead, Torment Tool and Traitor. Due to the band’s 10-year anniversary, a limited edition live tape of their 90-min special show at Hirscheneck Basel was released as a special gift to the scene.
Stabilised and musically as well as energetically matured, Total Annihilation regained full speed and entered the Iguana Studios to record their most brutal and technically most sophisticated record “…On Chains Of Doom” with mastermind and long-time friend Christoph Brandes.
An additional partner was found in the label Czar of Crickets, which is as scene-based as the bandmembers themselves. Czar of Crickets is going to concentrate the band’s forces with the release of “…On Chains Of Doom” at the end of 2019 to prove that scene integrity, musical development and powerful thrash metal can surely fit together without ever forgetting your roots.
Thrash hard, thrash harder, TA
