Forced Entry – Forced Entry (CD Review)

Back in 1988, I was in 8th grade and listening to popular rock bands like Guns n’ Roses, Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. I was starting to discover bands like Scorpions, Metallica and a whole range of harder bands that would fill up my tape collection (this was before I had a CD player). One band that I didn’t hear about, but falls right into the music that consuming my life is German heavy metal rockers Forced Entry.

Forced Entry formed in 1986 with Harry Amthor on vocals, Mike Gare and Rüdiger Blindert on guitar, Achim Meyer on bass and Willi Schwäbig on drums. Their debut album was released in 1988 only on vinyl. It has become a hard-to-find gem for collectors. Shortly after the album came out, the band changed their name due to another “Forced Entry“, a thrash band in San Francisco. First as The Pakk and then released three albums as STS 8 Mission.

Now, they’re releasing their original self-titled debut album on CD for the first time. For those of us that missed it the first time around, we can now experience the band. They remind me of a combination of Judas Priest and Whitesnake. It has a strong ’80s sound. Amthor‘s powerful vocals combined with the heavy riffs and speedy solos of Gare and Blindert offer a debut CD that stands up to many of the big name rockers of the day. From the opening riff of “Desperate for Your Love” to the speed metal spectacular “(Don’t) Fall for the Dark,” Forced Entry offers a sampling of what could have been if not for the name and personnel changes.

Raw, yet focused, Forced Entry had enough potential to make a name for themselves in the metal world and should have gotten a few strong opening spots for some of the bigger tours of the day. With the right exposure (especially in the US) and some momentum, they had a chance to go far.

If you missed Forced Entry the first time around, don’t make the same mistake twice. This CD deserves some attention. It’s easy to see why Battle Cry Records and Mighty Monster Records polished this off and released it with the support of Decibel Geek.

BUY: Forced Entry – Forced Entry (Coming Soon)

Battlecry Records Website / Mighty Monster Records Website