Review by Saxy S for Enforced - War Remains (2023)

The new Enforced album is a thrash metal assault that does not beat around the bush. It gives you everything it has in a brisk runtime and credit where it is due, a lot of these tracks are pretty strong performances all around.

Granted this is thrash metal so the compositions do not have to be incredibly dense or conceptual. What makes this record stand out among the rest however is how well it blends the lines between old-school and new-school thrash.

The riffing on this record certainly has a few points, such as "Hanged by My Hand", " Nation of Fear" and "Empire" having riffs that sound borrowed right out of the Slayer playbook. But the lyrical performances are closer to that of Havok or Power Trip, instead of the "word vomit" style that Tom Araya popularized during the 1980s. And, like with Power Trip and Critical Defiance, War Remains is as direct with its listener as any; since tunes do not run overtime and go for a more progressive style of songwriting, the simplicity does not have time to become boring.

There are still problems however; the lack of a prominent bass line and instead opting for doubling guitars is a letdown, and the lack of sonic variety between the tracks can lead to some (not a lot though) of fatigue. War Remains is still a great modern thrash metal album and worthy of some sporadic neck pain.

Best Songs: The Quickening, Hanged by My Hand, War Remains, Mercy Killing Fields, Ultra-Violence, Starve