Artist: Enforced
Country: USA
Label: Century Media
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2023
Although the blending of Thrash Metal and Hardcore is not exactly something new, and in the 80’s, through bands like D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies, it was a breath of fresh air for both genres. Yet, in recent years it has mostly been a poor thing. Whereas in the early years it was brimming with energy and aggression, actually combining the best of both worlds, these days it is hard to find interesting bands that know how to capture that precious vibe.
But, if you expect little and have been slowly lulled to sleep by the dullness of today’s offerings, you can easily be caught off guard. That was the case with me with Enforced, a Century Media hosted American band that manages to capture the very spirit of Crossover well. On the predecessor of this new album, the band had already taken a good step forward from its somewhat rougher debut, on which the band had an even clearer Hardcore edge than on this latest offering. In its place, they have opted to bet extra on an even heavier sound that rubs up against Death Metal.
Despite being miles away from the earliest bands in the genre and Enforced sounding many times heavier than most, the band still very skillfully captures that aforementioned spirit in a sound that sounds reasonably refreshing, without reinventing the wheel in the process. So do not expect Municipal Waste, no Cro-Mags, no Cryptic Slaughter, no S.O.D. and no Corrosion Of Conformity. What you can expect? Try to imagine what it would sound like if you threw all those bands together and drenched the whole thing in a certain dose of (Swedish) Death Metal while maintaining the fast pace of mid-era Slayer. Incidentally, it’s also not infrequent that it occasionally reminds me of a better-produced Driller Killer. So while it may not all be very original and borrow from just about every genre, it certainly comes across as a feast of recognition and is delivered with verve and conviction. In other words, this tasty mishmash will no doubt go down well with many.
