In perhaps their biggest publicity success to date, Sworn Enemy's "As Real As It Gets" was featured on the soundtrack for 2003's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The middle of that song proclaims, "Sworn Enemy from Queen's New York, motha fu–" well, you get the point. Despite member changes leaving vocalist Sal Lococo as the only remaining original member, Sworn Enemy are unfortunately still exactly what their band name implies. While the music has become increasingly more thrash-influenced, the band has yet to shake one descriptor: generic.
While 2008's Maniacal leaned far closer to metal, the follow-up and their latest, Living On Borrowed Time, find a middle ground between their hardcore origins and metal side, resulting in a technically competent but unoriginal crossover thrash sound. Fans of Madball and Biohazard might find some comfort in the familiarity of Living On Borrowed Time, but then again, why not just stick to what they know? While crossover can still be done well (see the latest Ringworm record), it can also be a boring rehash, which is exactly what Sworn Enemy are doing with this borrowed sound.
(Rock Ridge Music)While 2008's Maniacal leaned far closer to metal, the follow-up and their latest, Living On Borrowed Time, find a middle ground between their hardcore origins and metal side, resulting in a technically competent but unoriginal crossover thrash sound. Fans of Madball and Biohazard might find some comfort in the familiarity of Living On Borrowed Time, but then again, why not just stick to what they know? While crossover can still be done well (see the latest Ringworm record), it can also be a boring rehash, which is exactly what Sworn Enemy are doing with this borrowed sound.