Formed in Richmond in 2017 out of shreds of disbanded hardcore punk bands, Enforced quickly found their calling between the undying support of regional punk/hardcore scenes and their respective record collections. Whether it’s Sacred Reich and Integrity or Bolt Thrower and Amebix, “Pure Crossover Death,” as Enforced call their devastating din, devastatingly speared its way through two demo releases and their no-holds-barred debut, At the Walls.
Their upcoming album, Kill Grid, came together over a two-year period while Enforced were marauding halls and dive bars across the East Coast and Canada. Indeed, inspiration came from different directions, but playing live with bands like Sacred Reich, Red Death, Iron Reagan, All Out War, and Integrity shaped what was to come out of the Richmonders. While it was the previous output that attracted the attention of Century Media, it’s Kill Grid, featuring a striking Joe Petagno (Motörhead, Vitriol) cover, that’s going to put Enforced on top-lists of circle pit lunatics around the globe.
Whether it’s Kill Grid’s erudite lyrical bent—frontman Knox Colby cues off guys like Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy) and Mike Score (All Out War)—or their savagely smart crossovers, Enforced are primed to take over everything from squats to big European festivals. Indeed, if songs like “The Doctrine,” “UXO,” “Curtain Fire,” and “Trespasser” are an indication of headbanging, stage-diving greatness, then it’s “Pure Crossover Death” for life.
