Virginia’s finest continue to utterly slay everything in their path with what could be considered a backward (or sideways) step. War Remains doesn’t obliterate with the sheer force of Kill Grid, but it doesn’t fly by in a whirlwind like At The Walls. It rides the middle ground, but by Enforced standards that’s already better than any other thrash/crossover act in a million mile radius. These guys have a winning formula that I can never foresee failing. Their M.O. is to hit you right in your stupid face with barbaric ferocity, at frequently varying tempos, for a solid half hour. War Remains might have a thinner guitar tone than Kill Grid, but the creativity in the riff-set is more than convincing. If not that, then Knox Colby’s totally pissed-off vocal approach will have you cowering in fear. Enforced can do no wrong, and War Remains is testament to that. (Larry Best)
While it’s totally gutting that the mighty Moses are calling it a day, they’ve left a huge legacy and in the titanic bludgeoning that is Invisible Queen, they haven’t so much dropped their swansong as left backwards in a fireball, driving a tank. Sabina’s vocals are as brutally creative as ever with her even dipping into some spoken word and borderline cleans, the riffs are jagged like the coastal rocks of a siren’s island, and the drums will leave you a euphoric bloody pool on the floor. Invisible Queen is easily one of the act’s best records, and one of this decade’s finest thrash opuses thus far, both objectively as a writer and subjectively as a long-term devotee of Moses and Classen’s work thus far. It’s a profound shame to lose such a fiercely independent and creative force in thrash metal, but they’re leaving us with a beautifully violent parting gift. (Thomas Carne)
The Queen of Scandinavian Gothic Metal is back with a bang! Liv Kristine needs no introduction. Her work with Theatre of Tragedy back in the 1990s helped mould symphonic gothic metal as the genre we know today. Her new solo album River of Diamonds blends her love for gothic rock/metal with more intimate singer-songwriter influences. The end result is an engrossing set of tunes, exquisitely arranged to let Liv’s fantastic voice shine. River of Diamonds may not rip as the other LPs on this list, but the shivers down the spine are guaranteed. (Daniele Nosenzo)
40 years on from recording their debut, Overkill might reasonably be claimed to be on their proverbial ninth life. And with members already well into their 60s, such a performance as Scorched almost beggars belief. In much the same crisply aggressive thrash style the Americans have favoured since Ironbound, the new opus contains lashings of passion, screaming devotion from Bobby Blitz, and – most intriguing of all – some of the groovier catchiness Overkill once dallied with. The result is intermittently crushing and singalong, triumphant and sneering. Variety turns up with the clean verses of ‘Fever’, the melodic twist of ‘Won’t Be Comin’ Back’, and almost classically-tinged title track. Scorched is a fearsome release and one of the year’s best so far. (Edmund Morton)
