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ENFORCED: KILL GRID

 ENFORCED: KILL GRID 
    Nasty, gritty, crusty and ugly. And no, I am not describing the condition of the bottom of my oven. I am of course talking about the caustic and crushing second album from Enforced. Identifying their own style and sound as being "pure crossover death" is certainty not in any sense self aggrandisement, it is a fitting and fair label that is emphatically demonstrated by Kill Grid. 
   Taking the speed and viscosity of Thrash Metal staples like Slayer and Sodom then injecting the shredding riffs and possessed drumming with a dose of putrefying deathly heaviness inspired by the likes of Death, Massacre and Obituary, Enforced deliver a monolithic sledgehammer blow of furious audio savagery. 
   Kill Grid is the bands first complete album following on from their 2019 debut At The Walls, which was a reworked collection of their previous demo material. Whether it is their first or second album doesn't matter one little bit, because Kill Grid is the sound of a heavy and hungry band who know how to make a cacophony of incredible noise. Well produced yet not overly polished, Kill Grid has all the rawness and roughness in it's guts for listeners of the heavy stuff to enjoy. 
   Within seconds of opening strike "The Doctrine" all becomes very clear, as a tirade of crunchy riffs, pummelling drums and raspy vocal snarls ensnares the listener in a deathly Thrash attack. The crushing and sinister stalking tones of "UXO" are guaranteed to get fists pumping and hairs standing on end. 
   Undeniable Slayer worship is abound as Enforced whip up a mosh through the utterly ripping "Beneath Me" and blizzard of blistering solos and teeth-shattering riffs that is "Malignancy". Title track "Kill Grid" ominously builds through a menacing intro, before blowing out eardrums and windows alike with a devastatingly heavy and mesmerising display of crossover mastery and strong vocal work. 
   Expect no let up whatsoever as Enforced batter and rumble through the Death-Metal leaning "Curtain Fire",  notable for its formidable drumming barrage, thick bass tone and wonderful riffs. The aptly titled "Hemorrhage" is likely to have exactly that effect, with it's infectious grooves and bludgeoning old-school Death-Metal heaviness which demands a worthy headbang response. "Blood Ribbon" reeks of Hell Awaits and is every bit as enjoyable with its divinely crunchy riffs, ratcheting up the intensity suitably before closing track "Trespasser" turns up the musical intricacy and complexity a notch, resulting in a whirlwind of crossover variety seamlessly blending brutal heaviness with upbeat Thrash grooves.
   Overall, Kill Grid is a punishingly heavy album. It is a brilliant release loaded with shredding, headbang inducing Thrash riffs that are guaranteed to invoke the Thrasher within us all. The musicianship and vocal performances are masterful throughout. The songwriting is also of a high standard, shaping Kill Grid into a lean Death-Thrash crossover Metal machine. There is no doubt that Kill Grid will help to take Enforced far, already gaining great publicity in the short time since its release. Without a doubt, Kill Grid sets the crossover Metal benchmark very high indeed.  

You can watch the video review here; 


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