We recently sat down with Knox Colby, vocalist of Richmond, Virginia’s crushing thrash outfit Enforced, for a candid and often hilarious conversation. We covered everything from first shows and stage injuries to vinyl obsessions and working with Century Media.
First Shows & Stage Mishaps
MetalGodZradiO:
Let’s kick it off with something fun: do you remember your first time on stage?
Knox:
Yeah, I must’ve been 14 or 15. It was at the Peppermint Beach Club in Virginia Beach, opening for a local band called Victim. Pre-high school stuff — hardcore beginnings.
MetalGodZradiO:
What about the first pit you were in?
Knox:
That was at Fugees Sushi Bar in Portsmouth. I went to see Every Time I Die and Evergreen Terrace. That was probably around 2003.
MetalGodZradiO:
First injury at a show?
Knox:
Someone stagedived and landed on my head — my tongue was out and I bit it hard. That sucked. Since then, it’s mostly just been cracked teeth and bruised cheeks. I try to keep my mouth shut now.
Early Music Memories
MetalGodZradiO:
What was your first real concert?
Knox:
I saw Jimmy’s Chicken Shack at an outdoor mall in Fredericksburg in the late ‘90s. But my first big show was Third Eye Blind and Goo Goo Dolls on my 13th birthday.
MetalGodZradiO:
First band shirt?
Knox:
A Virginia Beach hardcore band called Sirens. Not sure their music even exists online anymore — they only put out a demo. I only saw them once.
MetalGodZradiO:
First album you bought with your own money?
Knox:
Rage Against the Machine. Must’ve been mid-to-late '90s. That album got me hooked.
Gear, Guns, and Growing Up
MetalGodZradiO:
Do you play any instruments?
Knox:
I used to play guitar in high school, but I wasn’t great. I’ve always gravitated toward vocals — that’s what stuck from middle school on.
MetalGodZradiO:
Still have a big music collection?
Knox:
I used to, but I move a lot. A couple years ago I pared down from 400+ records to maybe 50 — just the essentials. I donated the rest to a record store.
MetalGodZradiO:
Did you grow up around guns?
Knox:
Not really. I’ve gotten more into it over the last five or six years. Went shooting for a friend’s bachelor party — clay pigeons, rifle range. I had a blast. Now I’m looking at maybe getting a small rifle.
Pandemic Life & Personal Loss
MetalGodZradiO:
How did the pandemic affect you?
Knox:
Honestly, I work in apartment maintenance, so I never really stopped working. No traffic for 14 months — that was nice. But yeah, I did lose some family. My family’s pretty small, and I mentally prepared myself for losing the older ones. It’s still tough.
The New Album
MetalGodZradiO:
You’ve got a new album out via Century Media. Talk about that.
Knox:
Yeah — Kill Grid. For me, it feels like our first real full-length, even though technically it’s our second. It’s our first solid LP release and that was a milestone. The response has been incredible — people are really into it.
MetalGodZradiO:
A lot of my older friends are loving it. Surprised by that?
Knox:
Kind of, yeah. People who grew up on late-’80s/early-’90s thrash seem to really connect with it. It’s nostalgic but fresh at the same time. Wasn’t planned, but we’ll take it.
Writing, Recording & Working with Century Media
MetalGodZradiO:
Do you ever write something that sounds like another band but keep it anyway?
Knox:
All the time. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We wrote something recently that sounded a lot like Cro-Mags. Not on purpose — it just came out that way. We put our own flavor on it.
MetalGodZradiO:
Did you work with Bob Quirk again?
Knox:
Yeah. We’ve worked with him forever. He’s at Studio 604 in Richmond. For hardcore or metal, that’s the spot. Bob knows us, and we trust him.
MetalGodZradiO:
How’d you end up with Century Media?
Knox:
They found us through a Bandcamp article back in 2018 or so. Even before At the Walls came out, they were reaching out. We hit it off, especially with Andrew Klein over there — he was totally stoked. The partnership’s been great.
MetalGodZradiO:
What about your single “UXO” — Exploded Ordnance? Any real-life inspiration?
Knox:
Yeah, we used to mess around with fireworks and Roman candles, have cherry bomb fights — real dumb stuff. Definitely got burned a few times.
Scene, Shirts & Final Thoughts
MetalGodZradiO:
What’s the most popular band shirt in your scene?
Knox:
Hard to say right now — haven’t seen many people lately! But I’d guess stuff like Division of Mind, Four Punch, or anything classic from the hardcore scene.
MetalGodZradiO:
Do you read reviews or follow the current scene?
Knox:
Not as much as I should. I have read a lot of the reviews for Kill Grid though — mostly out of curiosity. I’ve been trying to find a bad one just to humble myself, but so far, nothing terrible!
MetalGodZradiO:
Any final thoughts for the readers?
Knox:
Just want to thank everyone who’s supported the band and checked out the record. Really appreciate the opportunity to talk today — stay safe, and hope to see you all out there soon.
Stay heavy. Support the underground. Long live metal.
Want more? Follow Enforced on their Bandcamp, Spotify, Facebook and catch them when they come to your town.
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