Richmond metal band Enforced have spent two years creating their album Kill Grid which will be their debut on their new label Century Media. Featuring a striking Joe Petagno (Motörhead, Vitriol) cover, this is an album that mashes various metal genres together but boils down to a heavy mosh pit inspiring collection of pure crossover death.
The Doctrine thunderous drums and single punchy chords introduce the album and the band. The track gets into it’s stride with insane speed and shouted vocals as drummer Alex Bishop goes wild. There’s some unhinged thrash elements and that thrash carries on with tracks like ‘UXO’ and ‘Beneath Me’. The insane speed is here to stay and is somewhat of a signature of this album. Knox Colby has a deeper vocal in these two tracks as supposed to his shouts in opener ‘The Doctrine’
Malignance has one of the best speed riffs on this album. The simpler pounding drums gives the track an addictive edge, but you also notice just how tight the guys are as a band. Military precision that speaks of a band well trained and well played. The crushing guitar tones manages to let each note shine but still sound so damn heavy. This album is a mosh pit lovers dream.
The album steps down a notch on the into for title track ‘Kill Grid’. Dissonant notes rise out of the doom and a killer opening solo herald this metal jam. Colby eventually enters with a deeper menacing vocal which is his best performance on the album.
Curtain Fire with its killer riff hits like the artillery barrage it’s named for. Short harsh vocal phrases adds to the aggressive tone which also infects the guitar solo that bombs straight into the head banging riff attack. The guys have really spoiled us on this album. It’s not just fast heavy riffs as ‘Hemorridge’ brings some off the wall guitar work Zach Monahan and Will Wagstaff should be commended for it. The guys have cemented a great metal partnership.
Theres a touch of groove metal in track ‘Blood Ribbon’. The riff flies like a freight train and hits just as hard on this Pantera inspired track. Monahan and Wagstaff really push the metal boat out on this track with a nose diving screamer of a solo and superb twin guitar interlude. Just one of the many highlights this album has.
Bishop ends the album on an absolute high with ‘Trespasser’ as he destroys the drum kits with some of the heaviest pounding in metal. Not to be out done the rest of the band go full out also and this track features some of the best performances on the whole album. Knox belts the lyrics out in full on wild man
The album shows exactly why Century Media picked the band up. They bring heaviness and insane speed, using clever arrangements to allow the impact of that heaviness to hit so much more. It’s the overall quality of playing that makes this an album truly shine. Theres moments on this album where you can’t help but smile as the whole band merge as one brutal riff crushing machine.
Check out the track Blood Ribbon, below
Find out more the band via their Facebook
Order the album here
