Enforced – War Remains (Century Media)
Monday, 24th April 2023
Crossover thrash is the real deal in the current underground/ independent-level musical landscape. Thanks to the success of acts like Power Trip and Municipal Waste, newer artists take aim at making a mark on a sea of followers clamoring to feel the adrenaline-laced momentum of this style. Arriving at the third studio platter for War Remains, Enforced have been building a healthy buzz through previous acclaim (Kill Grid a favorite from this scribe in 2021), beyond slaying audiences coast to coast. Armed with all the necessary knowledge and experience, it’s now a question of dialing in the best riffs, tempos, and vocals to keep the ship upright to garner more of a footprint on an ascension to headline status.
The ability to synthesize the aggression/energy triad of classic thrash, early death, plus crossover hardcore puts Enforced in rarified air. Often within the same song you’ll hear elements of Sepultura, Demolition Hammer, Kreator, the Cro-Mags, or Power Trip as “Avarice” channels everything from that tenacious mid-tempo stomp to speedy tremolo-oriented riffing before the Will Wagstaff/ Zach Monahan rhythm to lead axe blitzkrieg steamrolls over the aural landscape. When the group choose to decelerate in specific spots, it’s still done with reverence and respect a la South of Heaven-era Slayer for the opening minute of “Mercy Killing Fields” before the razor-sharp riffing/up-tempo Alex Bishop drum convergence throttles bodies into convulse, jagged spasms. The quintet cut all the excess away, leaving the meat and bones to these arrangements – “Nation of Fear” a prime example where the crunchy crossover atmosphere should exhort massive shout-a-long action while stage diving / pit madness ensues in under three minutes. Add the gritty nature to the venomous attack coming from the voice of Knox Colby through the gallop-fueled “Aggressive Menace” or fierce “Ultra-Violence” and its clear that this band’s penchant to grab the jugular and not let go for the quick hitting ten song platter has been achieved.
Sticking with the team of Ricky Olson/Arthur Rizk on the production, mixing, and mastering sides, it’s evident that the buzz about Enforced is well-deserved. War Remains could be one of those records that younger musicians reference years from now as a gateway game-changer, bridging multiple genres in a very palatable way. It’s exciting to watch the progression of this act, let’s hope the creative fuel and fire pays dividends for a long, fruitful career.
