Tag: Combat Records

Forced Entry Thrash Metal Band They Could Have Been HUGE: Why Didn’t They Get There?

I can remember when I first heard “Forced Entry” in 1989. The first some I heard was “Bludgeon” and it ripped my head off. I was sure they would get to be as big as Testament or Exodus, but it never happened. even though they were as good or better than most bands at the time.

Why didn’t they hit it big? They were in the right place at the right time their first demo were straight thrash in 1986. Was it a shitty manager, nagging girlfriend, drug problems, or egos? With most rock band it’s one of the 4 that kept them out of The Big 4.

Let’s try to figure it out…

To Find Out Where They Are Now Lets First See Some History

• The formed in 1984 in Seattle, Washington as Critical Condition
• The founding member are vocalist/bassist Tony Benjamins, guitarist Brad Hull, and drummer Colin Mattson.
•  in 1986, released two demos, All Fucked Up and Thrashing Helpless Down and won Northwest Music Award for “Best Metal Band” in 1987. Shortly after the signed to Combat Records.
• Uncertain Future was released that June 1987 and was well received by metalhead and critics alike.
• They toured with Coroner, Sacred Reich and Obituary in support of it.
• The follow up As Above, So Below album was released in June 1991 never achieved neither the success nor the critical acclaim of Uncertain Future. Forced Entry was later dropped from Relativity and never toured in support of their sophomore effort
• In 1995 they released The Shore EP and played their farewell show in August.

Listen To Bludgeon (Best Forced Entry Song)

Forced Entry Where Are They Now?

• Brad Hull joined the reunited Sanctuary in 2011.
• Benjamins and Mattson play in a local Seattle band called DUMT, but are not actively trying to pursue music seriously.
• Century Media reissued Uncertain Future in 1999 with The Shore  as a comilation, but it is long since out of print.

All Forced Entry Members

Members of Forced Entry…

Brad Hull
Tony Benjamins
Colin Mattson
Doug Ramm

Forced Entry – Uncertain Future / The Shore Vinyl (Floga Records – Greek Reissue)

Tracklisting

1 Bludgeon
2 Kaleidoscope Of Pain
3 A Look Through Glass
4 Anaconda
5 Octoclops
6 Unrest They Find
7 Morgulan
8 Foreign Policy
9 Miasma
10 Sore
11 Sole Train
12 Licking My Wound

This is a Greek reissue/compilation of 2 Forced Entry albums. They originally came out on Combat Records starting in 1989 and now are out of print. Even this reissue is VERY DIFFICULT to fine. Uncertain Future is a little known thrash classic that should have made the band huge, but for whatever reason, it never happened. The follow-up “The Shore” also came out on Combat and was shelved.