Review by Felix on October 26, 2021.

In 1993, Protector’s “The Heritage” cruised through the mined no man’s land between thrash and death metal. The band had recorded a brutal berserk whose hyperactivity could not be tamed. Too bad that the song material did not reach an outstanding level. 21 years later, Entrench entered the stage with an album that spreads almost identical vibes. Okay, a riff of the opener is stolen from “Face Fear”, a great Protector song, but released on “A Shedding of Skin”, the predecessor of “The Heritage”. Furthermore, Entrench found it a good idea to include a pretty useless, calm and melancholic intermezzo (the second part of 'Chemical Holocaust / The Mental Wasteland'). in order to interrupt the hectic chaos for a few minutes. Well, maybe a more varied approach within the metallic frame would have been a better thought. Thus, here we have the heritage of "The Heritage", another totally furious collection of songs on a not completely convincing level.

The album holds some good riffs, but some of them are condemned to go nowhere. 'Adjust To Summit', the longest song with a playtime of more than eight minutes, shows best that the dudes ignore the “less is more” dogma. It’s impressive that they know so many riffs and that they can write such opulent lyrics. Even Martin Walkyier would turn green with envy, if he would see this mountain of words. But neither the overkill of riffs nor the sheer aggression makes 'Adjust To Summit' to a really great song. Not to mention the overlong lyrics or the hyper-fast tempo. Victor Holmström (R.I.P.) behind the drums gives everything he can give, and his precise performance is one of the best elements on Violent Procreation. However, there are more amazing details to find on this album. The Swedes definitely do not lack energy and they also avoid offering any stinker. Maybe one can even say that each and every single song makes fun, but here the whole is less than the sum of its parts, because in the long run, the tracks cannot conceal a relatively uniform approach.

I talked about Protector, but there is also some early Kreator in the sound of Entrench. The vocals, for example, are not too far away from the screaming of the young Mille. In addition, the few midtempo parts, for example those in 'The Process Of Annihilation', lie in close proximity to the less furious sequences of “Extreme Aggression”. Yet it cannot be denied that Entrench perform their songs very accurately and this term cannot be used for the approach of the Altenessen legend back in 1985 / 1986. Anyway, Violent Procreation has a pretty Teutonic or European touch. The only US American band that comes to my mind when listening this record is Demolition Hammer – but, of course, only their first two releases. Enough written. Those who like ferocious, relentless and murderous sounds more than meticulously arranged songs will like the here reviewed work wholeheartedly. Everybody else is well advised to check the album diligently before adding it to the personal collection. Maybe a still missing album of Protector is the better choice? For instance, what about "The Heritage"?

Rating: 6.6 out of 10