Interviews: Total Recall

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the  Hardcore/Metalcore/Beatdown/Deathcore band, Total Recall from Italy. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE. 

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

Total Recall was born in 2019. The founding members Luca (Pigo) (K-Aagain, Samaritan, Embrace Destruction), Stef (K-Again, Traces of You, Die Trying) and Danny (Embrace Destruction) were already veterans in the Hardcore/Metalcore scene and decided to start to write music together after their common friend and brother Massy passed away after a long fight with his disease. After the completion of the lineup with Andy and Bleed (Rise Above Dead) the band was struggling to find a name that was somehow related to Massy’s memory. One night during the songwriting of a song in the studio we took a break and we had a drink with Massy’s sister. We were just going through some memories and she said that the first ever movie she saw was Total Recall and she saw it with her brother who loved it. We found this story fascinating and the sound of the name was really appealing, on top of that we all love 80’s movies and “The Governator” movies in particular.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

We could say that our style is a blend of Low Tuned Metallic Hardcore with Post Hardcore influences and some old Numetal vibes. You will find also a touch of Death and Black metal in it like 2 olives in a Martini. We play what we like. We don’t focus on creating something that can be liked, we just like it ourselves first. We are true to ourselves and we give 100% every time we are in the studio or on a stage. There is no money in this music so we don’t waste our time trying to become a product, we invest our time in our skills and in writing the best songs we can.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Yes. Pigo and Stef went way back (24 years to be precise) as they were in K-again together, Danny was in the last line up of Embrace Destruction and Andy and Bleed were in Rise Above Dead and they knew Stef and Pigo since more than 15 years. This was crucial for several reasons. First of all the meaning of the band is to pay tribute to a missing friend and all the members needed to be related to him, but the fact that all the members knew each other for so long was decisive for the success of the band itself.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

There are way too many bands we should mention, we really cannot come down to only one each. Music is a crucial part of our life since we were kids so we had several bands who really influenced us throughout the years and most of all the ages. Even now that we are in our late 40s we still have bands that we consider as influential. This is also a watershed to distinguish what we consider true from the millions of good albums that are only another product on the digital shelf. Also, we do not live in the past, we are always on the lookout for new music and new bands even though we are loyal to the great bands of the past For sure Metal, Hardcore, Stoner, and their subgenres are our most crucial reference.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

We do not have any particular inspiration, it’s a creative process triggered by the bond we have and the meaning of the band in general. We could actually say that we are each other inspiration. When we are writing in the studio each other influences, mood,s and temper act as real influences.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was in our hometown Milan, IT supporting Jesus Piece. Just before that, we were lucky enough to play in France with the Perseverance Alliance Tour. 

7. Where would you like to perform?

We know that it sounds cliché...but really everywhere. We come from the mid 90’s scene so we are convinced that a band needs to gain fans one at a time showing up at every concert lineup they can in the most places they can. Even though we live in a globalized world where it seems that you can gain notoriety using only social media and not moving from your couch, we are still convinced that in the end, the difference between the bands who want to emerge and be heard is truthfulness. And this can be shown only on stage, creating a direct link with the audience and showing them what you are capable of, what feelings you can transmit with your music, and how valuable is your music for yourself first. Throughout our musical careers before TR we played in big stages, medium stages, small stages, and no stages at all....pretty much everywhere, but we can say without a doubt that regardless of the place you are going to perform if you don’t have that feeling, that adrenaline, that passion is not worth it for you to continue playing in a band.

8. Whom would you like to perform with? 

Once again....there would be soooo many bands we would love to perform with. If we do not mention the big ones (we all come from Metal and Hardcore plus subgenres so you can imagine which bands we are talking about) there would be lots of smaller or underrated bands we would love to perform with, but we are not going to mention names as it could be somehow misunderstood as a preference for a particular band or genre.

9. Whom not?

Bands that utilize music to spread extremist political or social ideologies

10. Have Any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

After so many years of touring, we do not have this feeling anymore. On some occasions, we are particularly pumped up (which can be similar to being nervous), in this case, we try to gather together before the show to go through the set and we remind ourselves that we are doing it for our missing friend Massy. After that, we are ready for any type of show. If you are a beginner our advice is to embrace your stage fright as it means that you love what you do and you need to enjoy it. You worked hours and hours in the studio to have this feeling and it will never disappear. It will probably move from stage fright to adrenaline rush but as long as you have this feeling in you keep making music and playing shows.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

That’s really too difficult to answer. We listen to so much music for so many years that is impossible to pick a shortlist of inspirational bands. There are so many bands that we think were absolute milestones in heavy music history and we hope there will be even more in the future.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Being on the map for 3 years only, 2 of which were heavily influenced by the pandemic we did not have a lot of room for fans asking us anything really. We do have a couple of stories as single members but here we are talking about TR collectively as a band so we will stick to it. We are planning the live effort in 2023 to support our new release so we are confident we will have more to say about this if you give us another shot in a couple of months. Deal? ;)

13. What do you think of your fans?

We do not really want to use the term fans, but more people who like and support what we do. We think that regardless of the level of notoriety you will reach with your band you always have to remember that you write music to have someone be able to listen to it. When your form of art is appreciated and you receive support and feedback from complete strangers who were somehow touched by a song or a lyric you wrote it’s the biggest accomplishment that you can aspire to. Sometimes this is taken for granted...well....it should not. Ever.

14. What do you think of our site?

It’s nice you made it accessible to all the bands, it reminds us of the spirit of supporting the underground that in the pre-Myspace era a site like IUMA was providing at the end of the ’90s and the very beginning of the ’00s. The formats you use are as well right on the spot if you are interested in bands and what happens around and within them. Keep it up, it’s the right path to distinguish just another website from the site.

15. Something to add?

We are completing the live effort to support the release of our first Full Length Always Together (https://open.spotify.com/artist/4CEQfQQ6l9oOaEJpuaa3co ) out pretty much everywhere via the Australian 1054 Records. After a series of club shows in Italy and a package Tour in France, we will do a short tour in the UK this early November (3-4-5) with No Second Chance and we will embark on a small European Run in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and Belgium in early December (2-3-7-8-9-10). In the meanwhile, for a couple of months, we are recording some preproductions. The new songs are surely more dark and heavy than the previous ones but at the same time, they keep the same attitude. It’s a natural evolution of the 5 of us now working together for 3 years. These new songs are reflecting our common influences in a more natural way. According to what our feelings will be about the pre-prods we will decide if we will hit the studio for a Full Length or for an EP, but for sure in early 2023 we will release new music.

If you want just to hang out and quickly see where to browse feel free to go to our Linktree page ( https://linktr.ee/totalrecallhc ). You can always use our official web page as a hub as well ( https://www.totalrecallhc.com ). You can find us on Facebook here ( https://www.facebook.com/TotalRecallHardcore/ ) as well as on Instagram over here ( https://www.instagram.com/total_recallhc/ ). If you want to check out our merch feel free to visit our Bandcamp page here ( https://totalrecallhc1.bandcamp.com/ ) and don’t forget to go check out our video content on TOTAL RECALL TV here ( www.youtube.com/channel/UCgVL02wd44dzTDKQdAzDGzA?view_as=subscriber ).

If you want to listen to all our releases feel free to visit us on Spotify here ( https://open.spotify.com/artist/4CEQfQQ6l9oOaEJpuaa3co/ ) Thank you so much for the opportunity it was a pleasure to chat with you and remember: When the seagulls follow the fishing boat, it is because they think the sardines will be thrown overboard.