Uncertain Future

Recounting one's childhood is usually greeted by a pleasant sense of nostalgia, consisting of fond memories of such things as one's first home gaming console or VHS movie for the average Gen X affiliate. However, occasionally a happy reminiscence of one's more innocent years can give way to that first encounter with horror, such as your practical joker of an older brother scaring the bejesus out of you by startling you with a plastic machete and a ski mask, or doing it to yourself when happening upon his audio cassette copy of Seattle thrasher Forced Entry's debut LP and seeing the cover art at the tender age of seven. Yours truly was naturally not scarred for life by either experience, but he can't help but still suffer some disquiet when pondering the visual of some hapless cruise ship passenger drowning in the middle of a storm-ridden ocean with his vacation boat and the full moon gazing on in the distance. Needless to say, the visual definitely leaves an impression, and it is a very fitting one given that Uncertain Future is an album that leaves a very deep auditory impression through its highly distinctive stylistic twists and turns, often mirroring the choppy randomness of waves thrashing about in the hurricane-enveloped Pacific.

Nailing down just what this album is in a historical context is a bit difficult, as it is clearly presented in the template of a standard late 80s thrash album, yet has a number of quirky progressive touches that all but predict much of what became prominent in metal during the 90s. The structure of songwriting being employed is notably asymmetrical, often jolting back and forth between slow and fast tempos in a manner abrupt enough to trade blows with a number of sludge bands out of the early Nola scene. Similarly, the tone of the guitar, riff work and soloing employed by Brad Hull has occasional hints of Dimebag Darrel and Jeff Loomis, which is perhaps fitting in the latter case given that he was tapped to replace Sean Blosl in the reformed and more modern incarnation of Sanctuary. Likewise, the odd time signature employment and rhythmic unity of the entire arrangement bears some degree of similarity to Meshuggah's often forgotten progressive thrash debut offering Contradictions Collapse, which this album also got the drop on by a couple of years. To be fair, progressive thrash was not necessarily a brand new concept in the late 80s, but given that some of this material was written as far back as 1987, it's pretty safe to say that this power trio was ahead of the curve.

In similar fashion to a number of non-conforming efforts, this album is a bit of a grower and has earned a reputation in some more old school thrash quarters as being disjointed and random. Though the more industrious researcher will note that this outfits early 1987 demo All Fucked Up has more of a straight up Bay Area character in line with Death Angel and Testament (most of said songs were likely written as far back as 1985 in response to a steady listening diet of Exodus), it becomes pretty clear in the first few seconds of this album's opener "Bludgeon" that this is a very different take on thrash. The opening riff work wheels through a semi-technical series of twists and turns, occasionally becoming driving but largely mimicking the fits and starts of a free jazz ensemble of piledrivers, until settling into a bass-steeped atmospheric session with Brad Hull wailing away like he's soloing to "Cemetery Gates" a year before Pantera recorded Cowboys From Hell. This is all before Tony Benjamins' gruff-obsessed, Chuck Billy on steroids vocals enter into the equation, which is similarly accompanied by a host of jarring shifts in feel ranging from a slow-trudging doom stomp to a flowing stream of runs and drumming fits. Barring the drums being maybe a hair too loud and drowning out the bass and guitar noodling, it's a near perfect representation on how grooving can kick ass if done with some intricacy.

Though some songs on here veer a tad bit closer to a traditional thrash metal sound than others, overall this is a purely forward-looking album that tends to eschew conventional ideas of tempo, structure and cadence. In similar fashion to the opener, "Kaleidoscope Of Pain" and "A Look Through Glass" spend very little time in the repetition department, the former occasionally kicking up the tempo to the point of fever pitch in a manner comparable to Vio-Lence, while the latter combines the technical intricacies that would be all over Forbidden's Twisted Into Form a year later with an occasional mid-paced driving and melodic consistency that would be in line with Testament's Practice What You Preach if the Blind Illusion-inspired bass work of Benjamins wasn't regularly throwing a wrench into things (though this isn't a bad thing). Indeed, it's moments like on the aforementioned third song and the closing speeder with a side-order of Slayer-inspired evil melodic detailing "Foreign Policy" where this band's traditional thrash background shine through the brightest and serve as the most accessible parts of an otherwise gloriously convoluted progressive trailblazer. Then again, though it starts on a quirky atmospheric note and has some tribal drumming gimmicks thrown in, "Anaconda" is probably the most memorable of the pack and the biggest boon for anyone hoping for a more predictable Bay Area thrash excursion.

From a purely objective standpoint, this is one of the better albums to come out of the west coast thrash metal scene in the late 80s, as between its innovative approach and all around strong performances by all members involved it can't help but stand out from the crowded field of bands riding off of Metallica's and Exodus's coattails, though admittedly some of them ended up putting together better albums as a result. On the other hand, for anyone who is not inclined towards progressive metal to any degree and wants either a full on, high tempo assault comparable to Reign In Blood or Darkness Descends or something with more of a rhythmically straight-lined approach after the mold of Anthrax or Overkill, this may prove to be a bit outside of one's comfort zone and might be understandably greeted with a meh or a "huh?". But for an acquired taste, this is definitely an album that holds a major payout for those patient enough to stick with it, carrying enough bells and whistles to accommodate an hour's worth of music in just under 40 minutes. As far as this reviewer is concerned, the three greatest things to come out of Seattle were Queensryche, Sanctuary and Forced Entry, with Alice In Chains being a fairly close fourth. Forget about the indifferent flannel toting hacks and no-talent mockery of punk music, this is the hill that Washington state should have planted its flag on.

There was a time when Forced Entry was one of the biggest hopefuls in the US thrash/speed metal undercurrent explosion of the late 80s. Their penchant for blunt, percussive rhythms combined with progressive lead work, adventurous titles and lyrics, and crunchy production combined for a pair of highly regarded albums. Of the two, I have always preferred the debut Uncertain Future.

Eight tracks here, each memorable and inventive. "Bludgeon" opens with a chop fest, like a very brief thrash alternative to "YYZ". This transforms into a bluesy acoustic sequence with an amazing guitar solo. We are only getting started, folks. The verse lumbers forth with Tony Benjamins brute voice over a groovy thrash beating. "Kaleidoscope of Pain" is the perfect soundtrack for crunching up cars in the junkyard, and has a nice breakdown. "A Look Through Glass" once again begins with a mechanical thrash riff and then an acoustic/thrash build up akin to what you'd hear on the early Testament albums. "Anaconda" begins with an environment of tribal drumming and deep, plodding bass, and evolves into perhaps the most fitting thrash tribute to a snake ever written. "Octoclops" grooves with abandon, and once again has a great memorable lead break near its intro. "Unrest They Find" might be the catchiest song on the album, starting with a nice acoustic passage and then an unforgettable slower paced riff, before it busts out into THAT RIFF. You know, the best riff on the album type, the defining guitar part. The song sounds like Prong, Testament and Megadeth jamming off. "Morgulon" is a decent, faster song, and the album's closer "Foreign Policy" is a solid hammering.

The mix of the album really captures the gut wrenching, fist to the face guitar riffs this band was aiming for, and the acoustic/solo passages are very clear. In fact, Uncertain Future sounds pretty good today, despite its age, if you can get past the fact the guitars aren't all layered sounding like what you'd hear today.

Their 2nd album had a similar style but much stranger, with more progressive elements and unfortunately some rather stupid songs. Not the case here. Unfortunately, the band fizzled out during the great thrash metal purge of the early to mid 90s, unable to secure a new record deal after their work with Combat/Relativity. The future is uncertain as to whether they'll follow so many other bands having midlife crises and re-unite for a new album, tour or festivals, fuck knows they must have been given many offers.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Forced Entry: the umpteenth forgotten reality in the thrash metal panorama of the 80s. Their style, anyway, is quite different from being labelled “classic thrash metal”. What really attract the attention of the listeners are the influences that fill the sound, being progressive and acoustic. The first time I listened to this album was like listening to thrash form of Cynic for the continue tempo changes and the progressive aura that surrounds this music.

As you have understood, where are not concentrated on the sheer violence or speed because here everything is made to be complicated, musically and quite technical. The first track already shows us several tempo changes with acoustic and progressive parts where the bass and the guitars duets are the main point if you really enjoy this kind of music. The vocals are the classic thrash metal one but sometimes the singer chooses more melodic tones and “variety” is the main word also here. The solos are always fast and technical and the following “Kaleidoscope of Pain” is great also for the intricate rhythmic riffage.

The tempo starts to increase despite several breaks and some up tempo parts finally put their head out. It’s very complicated to put out this kind of music without being boring or annoying but the wise alternation of the tempo and the schizophrenic guitars work are astonishing for how much they are compact, precise and not boring at all. I don’t know but “A look Through Glass” always reminded me last Dark Angel stuff-mid Death era for the sounds and the drums triplets over a wall by the rhythmic guitars. The similarities are various in my opinion and also the technique of this band has nothing less than the one by more famous others.

Each song is full of intricate passages and the solos sometimes are just there to support the structures giving a more dramatic and obscure atmosphere with those odds shrills. The bass breaks are numerous and the jazz influences are well audible with lots of difficult passages in a crescendo of speed like in “Anaconda”. The speed attacks are perfectly mixed with the always present technique and sometimes you can hear the strange guitars distortion very well: they have an echoing, almost synthetic sound that is necessary and almost obligatory to play prog thrash.

It’s impossible to mark out each passage because it would be too long and boring for the readers. We must cite, anyway, the faster and thrasher “Unrest They Find” where the guitarist sings too. His voice is really good and somehow bound to the new form of thrash/groove that was growing at the end of the 80s. Overall, it’s a good effort by a too overlooked band. They had the skills and the precision, the technique and the impact. It’s a good example of how thrash metal was evolving by the end of that decade, absorbing several influences.

For the most part, I tend to agree with UltraBoris' reviews...not this time! Sorry Boris, but I guess when I listen to this album I hear something totally different than you. What I hear is a complex collage of song structures, not that far derived from a progressive influence, only executed in pure undeniable thrash metal form. For me, this album is very unique. Unique in a good way, one that does not fall short on originality. The talent of this three piece band cannot be denied. These guys are all incredibly skilled in terms of the "craftsmanship" on their instruments. Especially Brad Hull, who like I stated in the past is one of the most underrated guitar players in the history of thrash metal.
This album starts off with Bludgeon, which the band also released a video for back in 89. This song is extremely thrashy with tons of riffs and time changes that at certain times becomes almost confusing to the listener...this is definately thinking man's thrash. Next we have Kaleidoscope of Pain, which lyrically deals with a cycle of child abuse, passed on from generation to generation...a cool song with some good riffs and great chops by the drummer. A Look Through Glass, (not a Forbidden rip off!) Kinda stereotypical lyrics about environmental concerns, very similar to Greenhouse effect by Testament. Musically this one has some awesome start/stop stuff going on with the riffs and the drums. some very nice palm muted crunch stuff atop some very cool leads. Anaconda is one of the better songs on here with its awesomely catchy chorus and its eerie introduction that slowly builds into a bass drum driven trash break that is played with menacing speed and percision. Octoclops is cool, not one of the better tunes but very listenable, again with some unigue structure and original patterns that at times resemble progressive off beat kinda stuff. Unrest they find is the only track to feature lead guitarist Brad Hull on vocals instead of regular singer Tony Benjamins. Hull actually has a more controlled voice, but I'd have to say that Benjamins is a far more suitable singer for the aggrissive sounding stuff. Morgulon is another one of those bizarre sounding tunes, very different, especially for the era that this was released in...but the musicianship as always from Forced Entry is top shelf. Lastly we have Foreign Policy...another tune with a hooky chorus that'll have you chanting along with the song in no time, all the while head banging with your fist held high in the air.
Overall I think that this is a great album that has superb songs combined with great musicianship from a trio of underrated players. The biggest dissapointment on this entire album is the production. It really sucks! But like alot of underground metal from the 80's this was a rather common trend, so if you can look beyond that, you may just be able to include a rather deserving band into your metal collection.

Wow, this has to be the worst thrash album of all time, just about. The thing is, for the most part they fit into the genre pretty well, but the riffs they put in are just utter crap a lot of the time. They sound like they are trying to be Forbidden at times, and it results in the same awkwardness and lack of riff continuity, except amplified 100 times worse.

First song... Bludgeon starts off decent with a cool intro riff that leads into another good one. The drums are way too loud, though... and then they get into this really silly melodic passage that doesn't go anywhere or do anything, before returning with some kinda plodding under-the-verses riffing. Around 1.52 it sounds like it'll get interesting, but it merely speeds up, and the riffage is just crap for a bit. At around 2.06, now there's a good riff for a second under the chorus. What they do here is throw in far too many ideas for their own good. Ya know what, most of the time lots of riffs is a good idea, but not when some of the riffs are utter crap. Also, the guitar tone is weak and the vocals and drums are far too loud in the mix. Forgettable song with really one good riff.

Kaleidoscope of Pain starts off all right, as do pretty much all the songs on here, and there's even a decent headbanging riff around 0.49 but then they subtly warp it into something that sounds like the same plodder from the song before, only aboutt 20% faster. This is not bad, but just not great - then they speed up, and get all sloppy. "First they cry, then they hate..." - what a shitty section. Then, more riffs and a solo and then just too many stop breaks for their own good, with the drumwork also very inconsistent and distracting. There's the nic riff again at 2.25 (same as at 0.49) but they don't really utilise it well in the context of the song, and again here comes the under-verse riff. Also, every time the vocalist comes in, it's very choppy and distracts muchly from the riffage. Overall, it sounds like they can't decide to go fast or midpaced, and the song has no continuity whatsoever.

A Look Through Glass - or Through Eyes of Glass? - this is the worst so far, and can't even come up with a good intro. A very mistimed-sounding riff not all that far removed from Machine Head, then some acoustic parts, before a part that sounds like it'll build up into a raging speed monster, but then here comes a shitty groove-halfthrash riff and some random vocals and then a stupid solo. Okay, at 1.02, now THERE is a FUCKING THRASH RIFF. Bang! Bang! Man, here the vocals also make sense, and this is how thrash is supposed to sound. A kind of an awkward stop break, but then back to the bang. Around 1.40, though, it gets all worthless again with some silly riffs that try to sound technical and just lose it in the composition department. Laid to rest! But no one sees! The riff underneath here is okay, but again it just sounds forced and mistimed, especially with how the guitars interact with the drums. For the next 30 seconds or so it sounds like they're trying to get somewhere, and finally at 2.34 they do - some more solid banging. See, when they are on, they are dead on, but when they are off, they sound like "assorted thrash parts" as opposed to an actual thrash album.

Anaconda - man, now here's a fucking thrasher. Forget about the silly intro because at around 0.43 the guitars finally kick in, and the song gets faster and faster and kinda borrows from the Jaws theme a little, and ... okay, little silly bass break, but then here's the riffage. Man, this is how the rest of this album should sound. A nice riff change at 1.15, and the peasants rejoice as they continually bang their heads without pausing to stop and say "wait, what the fuck is this crap?". Even the riff at 1.34, and the one at 1.41, and then when the vocals kick in, man this is something quite excellent. Not all that far removed from Xentrix or maybe some Exodus. Even the chorus works! Man that post-chorus riff is simple as Hell, but great fucking ownage. See, when it's simple, it works. Only when they get complicated, they fall flat. Watchtower, this is not.

Octoclops is next. Little intro that goes nowhere leads into some pretty forgettable riffs. The one at 0.31 again sounds like it's trying to do too much for its own good -
though the one at 0.44 is a bit better. Though, there are too many gratuitous-solo breaks. There's some great riffs in here, but at times they throw in a riff that's almost great, but not quite, and then totally drive it into the ground until you never want to hear it ever again. Also, when they try to play fast, they just sound very sloppy (see 1.43) and the alternating fast and slow parts just sound very much forced and not well-thought-out. The rest of the song is pretty much like this all the way through - there's one really good riff in here, and then a lot of pretty bad ones, when all is said and done.

Unrest they Find - little intro. Man, they really like their intros, don't they? Can't just start a song with raging fucking thrash - gotta throw in some silly acoustics and random effects just because they can. Finally, the distortion kicks in and the song starts building up, though it really does take a while to get going, and even when it does, it's a silly stop-go riff that works ONCE as a break, but not fucking 8 or 16 times in a row with little variations. And again, when they try to be fast, they end up sloppy, and the counterpoint midpaced riff is just weak and too Pantera-ish as opposed to being an all-out thrasher. That's the main problem - that riff, used once, would make a great fill to throw between two all-out thrash riffs, but to play it over and over and over again, urgh.

Morgulon starts off with - you guessed it - yet another stupid intro. Lots of gratuitous noodling on the guitars, while the main rhythm instrument is the bass. Finally, the rhythm guitar comes along, but the first riff at around 0.24 is just complete crap, unfortunately. It's just mistimed with the accent coming on the wrong note - it's impossible to headbang to because when your head is supposed to be up, it's down, and vice versa and it just doesn't work. "Go!" - okay, that means play fast and sloppy and have the rhythm guitarist forget he had any idea what he was doing. But hey, that's all right, the drums drown out the guitars in the mix anyway. Then they slow down for the under-the-verse riff, which is another one of those plodding ones we first encountered at the beginning of the album. Then the pre-chorus is just sloppy with the drums dominating the idea and the guitars lacking any sort of catchiness. Just bang, bang, bang and very sloppy and no idea of execution. Then throw in a seemingly endless middle section, before finally we come to a riff around 3.38 that shows some promise, except they just totally run this one into the ground too... argh, guys, you gotta employ better riff selection. Sometimes it's too many dumb riffs in a row, other times it's taking a good riff and destroying it through overuse. Then another verse, and again the guitarwork there is simplistic, sloppy, and overfast. There really isn't a riff to be found there, just lots of loud drumming.

The last song... finally, this abomination is coming to an end. This one actually gets to the song pretty fast, though the first riff is pretty damn mediocre. Finally, we get to the riff under the verses, which is very minimal and just seems like they forgot the idea of having good riffs, and let the drums and vocals do the talking - then the one at 0.53 is yet another example of the mistimed type that they try, just in the name of being "technical" but doesn't work anyway. Then at 1.29 they sound like they explode out of nowhere for the chorus, but again what is missing is the good solid headbanging riff. Same again at 1.51 - the riffs here are tolerable at best, and actually quite forgettable. Also, as I mentioned before, the vocals are just far too fucking loud, and the guitar tone is very, very weak. The middle break - here they seem to get something going, and it's decent for a little while until it's time for another verse, and the riffs just die again as the vocals kill them into oblivion. Then the fast part, with the vocalist trying to sound all excited, but the fact is, when you've got your drumwork leading the song, you're just not going to come up with solid thrash. Then there's a section with a shitty Sacred Reich style groove riff, alternated with a good thrash riff, but then they choose the shitty one to put under the little solo, before more random verses. Man, they really have no fucking idea what they are doing, do they? The song kinda stops at a point, and that's the album for ya.

So this album alternates between being generic and being far worse... clearly not a good fate. They try too damn hard and just come off as annoying. Also, the guitar tone is weak as Hell, and there isn't nearly enough thought put into the riff-writing process. A lot of the times they think that a nice heavy drumhit will take the place of a solid riff. They know how to write good riffs, as the one good song here shows, but they just choose to try to get all technical and throw in ideas that just fucking suck a lot of the time. Entirely avoidable album.