Review: “A Leap Into The Dark” by Enforced

““A Leap Into The Dark” is fixated around a very vivid dream I had that I couldn’t forget or erase. Lyrically, it’s about taking a massive leap of faith into a chaotic unknown. It could lead to blessings or towards your downfall. It doesn’t matter; you’re at the moment where you need to make a decision. A Leap Into The Dark is the choice I’ve made. I am not afraid of the unknown.”” ~ Knox Colby, vocals

Marching out of 2023’s “War Remains” territory with their heads held high and their weapons at the ready, Richmond Virginia natives Enforced returned to the tried, tested and true for new EP “A Leap Into The Dark“. Produced and mixed by the legendary Arthur Rizk (Blood Incantation, Power Trip, Kreator),  the record allows the band to remain on their relentless touring schedule and bed in new guitarist  Josh “The Mosh” Welteroth (Blazing Tomb, BloodRitual, Outsider) by coupling together three band new tracks with three explosive previously released but maybe harder to get hold of tunes. A final release from the line up of Knox Colby on vocals alongside guitarist duo Will Wagstaff and Zach Monahan with a rhythm section of Ethan Gensurowsky on bass and Alex Bishop on drums, it ends chapter that has seen them land three well received albums in five years.

A cut that borders on Death Thrash with a face-melting two part solo “Betting on the End” reanimates the corpse of the 1980’s so that it can bite your neck and begin the Zombie apocalypse. A headbangers delight with a steady groove, it hits hard with harsh barked vocals from Colby to get the party started in the best possible way. While the lyrical narrative of the opening cut it a little on the bleaker side, title track “A Leap Into The Dark” stands in defiance, unafraid of the unknown. Adrenaline pumping Thrash riffs give the tune a pulsating rhythm as the band smash through the walls of the mind with an iron fist and the whammy bar drop solo in the final third will send a chill down the spine. After a prize pair lethally effective and efficient cuts, “Deafening Heartbeats” changes gear as the band put the pedal to the metal and dive headlong into Hardcore Punk inspirations. A drop off in tempo for an old school Death Thrash section of fist pumping quality in the final third is not only majestic but perfectly executed.

A sub two minute blitzkrieg of a track “Casket” hits like something out of the early Sepultura discography. A little raw around the edges, the full on assault on the senses sounds like it was designed to get a circle pit going and will do exactly what it says on the tin when it gets played live. Abrasive riffs, harsh vocals and pounding kit work will make sure that if you’re not at the height of your moshing powers you’re going to get your teeth knocked out. Changing his vocal style slightly to get a more deranged sounding quality out of it, Colby works magic with the bands cover of “Deadly Intensions” by Obituary. A rampaging rendition with groove laden swagger to it, this one has to be considered the perfect choice for Enforced to put their spin on. Amping up the Hardcore Punk of “The Chase Is On” by English Dogs has also been done very well, tastefully close to the original but distinctively heavier with a nice almost tribal drum pattern from Bishop appearing fleetingly in the first half. Far from a stop gap record, this one offers six tunes of superior quality that will keep you coming back time and again [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Betting on the End
2. A Leap Into The Dark
3. Deafening Heartbeats
4. Casket
5. Deadly Intensions (Obituary Cover)
6. The Chase Is On (English Dogs Cover)

“A Leap Into The Dark” by Enforced is out 25th October 2024 via Century Media and is available over at bandcamp.