ENFORCED
ENFORCED “A Leap Into the Dark” EP
By Dr. Abner Mality
When it comes to pure thrash metal, nobody touches ENFORCED. I mean, nobody! Here we’ve got an EP that is likely meant to mark time until the next full-length, but there’s nothing throwaway about it if you’re into intense, speed-forward metal. Like every other ENFORCED offering, it slams from the first to the last.
We get three new classic right off the bat. “Betting On The End” is another demonstration of how this band has mastered both the flat-out speed and more chugging tempos of thrash equally well. You will be reminded of SLAYER’s “Chemical Warfare” with the beginning to this flesh-ripper and that’s about as high a praise as you can get in thrash. When the tune moves from “medium” speed to “total” speed, it will just about rip your fucking head off. The title track is similar but even more measured with its punishing chug sprinkled with squealing lead guitar. And again, when the velocity kicks in, IT KILLS!
The new tracks conclude with “Deafening Heartbeats”, which doesn’t bother with nuances...it’s blazing DEMOLITION HAMMER style rage that douses you in aural acid!
Then we have a re-recorded ENFORCED classic and two cover tunes. The new version of the short and nasty “Casket” sounds thicker than before and shows the punk/hardcore roots of the band very clearly. ENFORCED has always had a touch of OBITUARY to them, especially in the noisy guitar leads, so they do a logical cover of “Deadly Intentions” from the first OBIT LP.. This is very faithful to the original and while Knox Colby’s raw vocals aren’t as “death metal” as John Tardy’s, you can spot some clear connections. The EP wraps up with “The Chase Is On”, from England’s overlooked crossover masters THE ENGLISH DOGS. This is more a straight up thrash track with touches of punk around the edges. A little bit like D.R.I.’s “Thrash Zone” period. A bit easier to get into, but ENFORCED put their own stamp on it.
This band is incapable of doing anything wrong. I hope to God they never “mature” and start doing semi-commercial stuff like METALLICA and MEGADETH.