Lying somewhere between ripping thrash, primitive death, and tough-guy hardcore lies Enforced: Titans of crossover in a post-Power Trip world. The Richmond, Virginia based quintet absolutely kicked my ass with their sophomore outing, Kill Grid, which made their already brilliant debut, At the Walls (2019), sound like a practice round. In the 2 years since since Kill Grid, Enforced have continued to buildup their following by touring non-stop. Yes, not only do these maniacs evoke the aggression of Slayer circa ’86; they boast the work ethic of the era as well, both on the road and in the studio.
On their latest album, War Remains, Enforced attempts to kick Kill Grid to the curb the way Kill Grid did At the Walls. Now this is no easy task. Kill Grid is an absolute beast of an album that made it all the way up to #19 on our 2021 year end list. While I won’t go as far to say War Remains does so, the attempt is made and I must commend that. Much like its predecessor, the Slayer influence is strong as ever. From the riffs and drumming, to the arrangements and attitude, War Remains draws heavily from the Reign in Blood playbook. And also like its predecessor, this album is more than JUST Slayer worship.
It’s safe to say that with War Remains, Enforced have found a formula and stuck with it. Nearly every cut on here opens with a slow to midtempo build-up with nods to prime NYHC, early crossover, South of Heaven era Slayer, etc. From there, the band takes us on a ripping descent into death-thrashing hell. The riffs slaughter, the drums pulverize, and the militant, Max Cavalera circa Arise vocal delivery of Knox Colby rounds it all out into one, untouchable package of metallic violence. Cuts like “Hanged by My Hand”, “Mercy Killing Fields”, and the title cut thrash hard and slam even harder, while “Aggressive Menace” and “Ultra-Violence” unleash pure high-speed death.
Now some may take offense by my labelling of Enforced as a “crossover” band. Granted, their production and riffage is far more dismal than what most envision when they hear the tag. However, there’s an underlying grit reminiscent of Cro-Mags, Madball, and of course, Power Trip, all throughout this album, especially during the breakdowns. How can one not hear tinges of crossover on cuts like the knuckle-dragging “The Quickening”, hard-headed “Starve”, and the most blatant display of metalpunk on the entire outing, the two-step rife “Nation of Fear”?
Third time is indeed the charm for Enforced. I’m almost scared what unhinged extremity they’re capable of come album #4. The key word is “almost”. In reality, I’ll be ready with open arms, open ears, and high-top sneakers triple laced for maximum thrashing efficiency. Who will take the place of the Testaments and Exoduses of the world come the 2030s or even 2040s? Something tells me the answer lies right here. If Enforced is the future of thrash metal (and they’ve proven to be thus far), then the genre is in good hands.
8 out of 10
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Crossover Thrash
For fans of: Slayer, Power Trip, Demolition Hammer