Back in the earlier parts of this decade (Christ, that feels weird to say!), Holy Roar Records and their formidable stable unleashed some of the most memorable and powerful underground hardcore records the UK has seen, nurturing and fostering a love of British heavy music that has stayed with me and many peers. The last couple of years has seen a relative fallow period for the London-based label, but with Employed To Serve’s début full-length, Holy Roar once again runs rampant. A crushing, devastating collection of brawny, technical metalcore in the vein of early Norma Jean and Every Time I Die mixed with the all-out assault of bands like Punch and the recently departed Pariso, ‘Greyer Than You Remember’ finally gives music in 2015 the rocket up the backside it sorely needed.
Right from the off, the album explodes into life with the one-two punch of ‘Live Without’ and ‘Watching Films To Forget I Exist’. Every element of the band is firing on all cylinders out of the traps, from Robbie Black’s thunderous drums to Sammy Urwin’s earth-shattering riffs, and vocalist Justine Jones stamps her authority over the underlying chaos with her full-throated scream stamping a lasting impression on the minds (and eardrums) of the unsuspecting listener. This opening gambit is followed by the eponymous track, which gives the band a chance to expand and really show the extent of their ability, Jamie Venning’s ominous bassline weaving in and out of the foreground but always lurking in the backdrop of this cascade of eviscerating blows. The blistering form of this trifecta continues into ‘Nobody’s Perfect, This Includes You’, a song sure to ignite the moshpit in any sweaty dive they happen across in their exhaustive touring schedule.
My aforementioned adoration of the UK hardcore scene of the past few years seems to predominately stem from the work of prodigal producer Lewis Johns, and his trademarks are all over this record; the emphasis on the raw qualities of the bands he produces, yet simultaneously bringing the absolute best out of every note. This is reflected in the album’s centrepiece, the magnificent ‘Bones To Break’, a melodic piece that wouldn’t look out of place in the repertoire of a band like Vales, such is its cinematic scope, proving that Employed To Serve aren’t just a one-trick pony. The second half of this album loses none of the potency it showed in the first, with the driving and bruising ‘Tower Mouth’ re-establishing the forceful presence of the record after its brief departure into more progressive territory. Moments like the colossal breakdown in ‘Beg For Rain’, and the tumultuous, flight-of-stairs-falling-down-another-flight-of-stairs nature of ‘Bury Yourself (Deep)’ ensure this strident album won’t soon be forgotten or passed by amongst the worshippers of the almighty riff.
What started as a bedroom grindcore band has fast become one of the most exciting new bands the UK has to offer, the quintet breathing new life into a tired scene and making new impact on an audience weary of bands trying to make something old seem new again. As the final chords of ‘As Cold As The Rest’ ring out. Employed To Serve have created something lasting here beyond mere mosh fodder; a heavy album that stays engaging whilst pushing the boundaries to their limits. If your musical experience in 2015 thus far has been lacking at the heavier end of things, then this unrelenting display of technical brutality may just be this year’s most essential record.
OLLIE CONNORS