Entrenched
Preemptive Strike

August 2011
Released: 2011, Self-published
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Munkwunk

The first full-length album from New Jersey’s Entrenched does little to set them apart from other bands on the death metal scene, but it does seem to pay strong homage to the genre’s roots. Preemptive Strike is a fast-paced, no-nonsense album with a penchant for down-tuned guitars, speedy riffing, and brutal drumming.



Featuring songs with titles such as “”Bred to Kill,” “Frenzied Amputation,” and “Burnt and Destroyed,” Entrenched are a band that clearly exude everything death metal is about. They are about as old school as a new band can get, for better or worse, and fans of older bands such as Bolt Thrower and Hail of Bullets will quickly settle into their sound.



Preemptive Strike won’t turn many heads, but it’s a decent album for old school death metallers who wouldn’t mind listening to some new brain-splattering metal.. Unfortunately that makes the album difficult to recommend for anyone who isn’t already a fan of this particular style.