Employed to Serve embody one of the finest successes of British metalcore of the decade. Formed in the south of England around singer Justine Jones and guitarist Sammy Urwin, the outfit have climbed the ranks album after album, moving from an angular mathcore to a broader modern metal. Conquering, hailed by the critics (an 82 average across seven reviews), crowns this rise to power.
What the press retain is the accession to a more hymnal dimension. Without renouncing their ferocity, the band have beefed up their choruses, sharpened their melodies, sought the unifying impact of the great festival bands. Conquering aims wider, higher, and assumes an almost mainstream ambition.
Musically, the record combines the power of the riffs, Justine Jones’s raw scream and a sense of groove inherited from 1990s metal. The modern, punchy production showcases this unifying energy while preserving the roughness that makes the band’s identity.
This opening is not without risk: by smoothing certain angles, by favouring the efficiency of the chorus, Employed to Serve lose a little of the unpredictable savagery of their beginnings. Purists of the original chaos may regret this taming of the fury.
Verdict: 8/10. A powerful, melodic, unifying record confirming Employed to Serve among the spearheads of British metal. Ambition assumed.
