Total Annihilation are a Swiss thrash metal band who had released three albums and an EP before their new record, “Mountains of Madness”. The band turn twenty in 2026, but only vocalist Daniel Altwegg remains from the early days. Two members are in fact so new they’re not yet listed on Metal Archives. Even so, the newcomers sound up to the task—there’s little to fault in the band’s instrumental chops. Lyrically, “Mountains of Madness” does what it says on the tin, drawing on H. P. Lovecraft’s universe—naturally including the 1936 novella “At the Mountains of Madness”. There’s a wealth of inspiration in Lovecraft’s work, and it tends to fit metal like a glove—just ask Metallica.
There’s plenty of strong thrash here: riffs that are muscular and aggressive, and a good sense of dynamics, shifting between calmer passages and full-bore assaults. On the downside, “Mountains of Madness” doesn’t stand out much from the crowd of thrash albums being released today—and there are many. Even so, it’s a solid record that’s well worth a spin or two.
Released January 16th, 2026 on Testimony Records.
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