One of the leading bands in today’s crossover thrash scene is undoubtedly Enforced. Formed in 2017 by a mixed lineup coming from disbanded hardcore punk bands, Enforced made their debut with their first full-length album At the Walls in 2019, after releasing two demos. This album gave us the first hints of the respect they’d quickly earn in the scene. Musically, the band naturally combines the thrash and punk elements of crossover with a dose of death metal. While listening, you can easily hear both Slayer and Bolt Thrower influences, and it might even make you wonder if Power Trip is continuing under a different name. Speaking of which, it’s worth noting that on Metal Archives, Power Trip is listed as the band Enforced resembles the most. I completely agree with Metal Archives on this, as after the tragic death of Riley Gale and the disbandment of Power Trip, I believed Enforced would be one of the bands to carry the torch, and they haven’t disappointed. In fact, when sharing their 2023 album War Remains—which has truly captured my heart—I referred to it as death metal-infused Power Trip. Enforced has really raised the bar with War Remains, and now the question is how they’ll follow up. I hope this article will give you a chance to get to know Enforced better.

On October 25, Enforced released their new EP A Leap Into the Dark under Century Media Records, marking the band’s first EP in their 7-year history. Interestingly, the band also witnessed a lineup change this year, with founding guitarist Zach Monahan leaving the band for undisclosed reasons. His spot was filled by Josh “The Mosh” Welteroth, known for his work with Blood Ritual and Blazing Tomb. However, Welteroth doesn’t appear on the EP lineup. The EP features guitarists Zach Monahan and Will Wagstaff, vocalist Knox Colby, bassist Ethan Gensurowsky, and drummer Alex Bishop.

The EP kicks off with three new tracks, followed by a remastered old track and two covers. It starts with Betting on the End, which opens with an incredibly aggressive, bare guitar riff. Joined by the drums, it quickly becomes a mosh-inducing, lethal track, signaling right from the start that Enforced’s intention is still to tear everything apart. As expected, they don’t disappoint with the opening energy, and we also get a glimpse of some sound changes in this EP. While War Remains had a raw, chainsaw-like guitar tone, A Leap Into the Dark presents a more refined and polished guitar sound. Honestly, I prefer the War Remains sound more, but I don’t mind the guitar tone in this EP either. It’s a choice that allows the other instruments and vocals to be heard more clearly in the mix. Lyrically, Betting on the End starts with a political metaphor in the first two stanzas, but then shifts to a theme about a sick gambling mentality, as the song title suggests.

After warming up with Betting on the End, we move on to the title track A Leap Into the Dark. The song begins with an old-school death metal intro reminiscent of Obituary, with a mid-tempo pace. After some double kick drums, it builds up, then returns to the intro riff before launching into the verse. In this track’s first verse, a fast galloping guitar riff kicks in, reminding us that this is indeed an Enforced song, and it brings us back into another Enforced storm. The track’s fluctuating structure fits with its theme of an unstable human psyche, something Enforced has explored before. On their previous album War Remains, they paired this theme with the psychology of war to create something truly magnificent. As someone who pays attention to lyrics, I really enjoyed lines like “God above, men below, olive branches build the arrows” from War Remains. Unfortunately, I can’t say we have quite the same lyrical feast in A Leap Into the Dark. This time, Enforced has written more standard lyrics with themes of death, fear, and despair, which are commonly found in the genre. On the other hand, the song’s composition really highlights Knox Colby’s vocals, and as I mentioned earlier, Enforced’s vocal style, especially in this song, often reminds me of Power Trip. However, it’s also clear that Knox Colby is a huge fan of Max Cavalera, and his vocal style is heavily influenced by him.

After A Leap Into the Dark, we dive into Deafening Heartbeats, a full-on crossover hell. When it comes to crossover thrash, the first thing that comes to mind is guitar riffs with slides and repeated power chords, and that’s exactly how this track begins. With a riff that practically summarizes the genre, it’s followed by Knox Colby’s aggressive vocals and chilling lyrics. This song, along with Casket, has the strongest Slayer influence on the EP. The guitar work is very reminiscent of early Slayer, and the track’s short solo feels like a small tribute to Jeff Hanneman. The melodic guitar section after the solo and the mid-tempo bridge section bring a nice touch to the end of this crossover storm. I think this track is a must-listen.

After Deafening Heartbeats, we get a remastered version of an older song, Casket. This track was originally released as a single in 2023 after War Remains. While I liked the song, I didn’t find its production up to War Remains standards, so it didn’t fully meet my expectations, though I didn’t complain. However, Casket has been cleaned up a bit with the production from A Leap Into the Dark, and it’s definitely sounding tighter now. The song has a solid, unrelenting tempo with a heavy dose of Slayer influence, and it’s definitely worth revisiting.

After the original tracks, we move on to the EP’s last two songs, the covers. Enforced’s first cover choice is from Obituary, picking Deadly Intentions from their classic old-school death metal album Slowly We Rot. Enforced does a great job blending their aggressive style with Obituary’s rawness. Knox Colby doesn’t mimic John Tardy too much but adds his own personality to the vocals. The guitars are tuned a half-step lower than Obituary’s, giving the song a darker tone. The overall sound is much heavier and more intense than the original, making for a really powerful cover.

The EP wraps up with a cover of The Chase Is On by English Dogs, a British hardcore punk band from the ’80s. I hadn’t heard the original version of this track before, but after hearing Enforced’s take, I went straight to the original, and it made me think, “Wow, they really made some great music back then.” Since my punk knowledge isn’t extensive, I hadn’t come across English Dogs before, but I love when a cover introduces me to a new band. The Chase Is On is a prime example of that. The song’s composition and guitar work are really impressive for a punk track (don’t worry, punk fans, I mean that in a good way). Though the original’s recording quality reflects the ’80s technology and punk ethos, Enforced’s version brings the song to life with a sound that matches its quality. The Chase Is On was the biggest surprise on the EP, and it left a unique but very pleasant taste in my mouth.

As I wrap up this review, I can sense some of you might be thinking whether there really needed to be this much talk about a few-track EP, but I believe Enforced is a band worth discussing in the crossover thrash scene, which is often underappreciated compared to other metal subgenres. A Leap Into the Dark might not be their highest-caliber work to date, but it does a great job of conveying Enforced’s style and intentions, while also giving us some good clues about what to expect from them in the future. I hope reading this has sparked some curiosity about Enforced and maybe pulled you into their relentless music.