ALBUM REVIEW: Employed to Serve – Conquering

Ever since the release of their sophomore LP The Warmth of a Dying Sun, UK based Metal quintet Employed to Serve have been rising into the upper echelons of their field. You can’t ignore something as ferocious as Void Ambition without getting whiplash. After a two year wait since the last record Eternal Forward Motion, the band are back with a more streamlined sound on Conjuring

Kicking things off in typical ETS fashion – with a double whammy of gut crunching riffs – we are swiftly plunged into the fierce “Universal Chokehold”. Introducing the record in an unstoppable fashion, once this track gets going there is no slowing down. From the tag team vocals of Sammy Urwin and Justine Jones to the filthy two step that sits slap bang in the middle of the track, this is still very much an ETS record from the get go. Leading into “Exist“, the dominant guitar growls create an instantly catchy hook with squealing guitar leads over the top to give the song an added layer of menace. 

Throughout Conjuring, there is absolutely no shortage of riffs from the band, each song lays breezeblock-sized riffs as the foundation. Tracks like “Twist The Blade” and “Sun Up to Sun Down” manage to mix the guttural raw vocals of Justine with the massive riffs keeping the instrumental grounded, shaking the foundations with each harmonic and pinched squeal emanating from the guitar duo.

While there are moments of unadulterated heaviness, it is clear there is a shift from the beatdown roots that is prevalent on the earlier ETS albums. Necessarily, this isn’t a bad thing as it is a sign of progression, fitting in with the more streamlined approach on the production front. With tracks like “World Ender” and “We Don’t Need You” having moments where they shine, they don’t stand as strong as some of the other tracks. Both songs lean towards the tried and tested galloping riffs as the main focus, sounding closer and closer to the mainstream modern metal stalwarts of our time. 

While a move from their abrasive and pummelling roots, this shift in sound seems to be the only way newer acts can push past the dinosaurs that keep the gates of Metal guarding. Yes, I’m looking at you Machine Head. However, some of the production choices undermine the tracks at points making it sound more like a recent Slipknot record than an ETS record. I can understand the reasons behind these production choices but I can’t help but feel it doesn’t do some of the songs justice. As much as bands need to progress and adapt to garner a wider audience, I’d honestly rather they did it sounding like Employed To Serve, not modern day Slipknot. ETS are at the forefront of the new wave of inspiring heavy metal bands coming out of the UK right now and deserve to be at the top of the pile without a shadow of a doubt.

Conquering will be available this Friday, September 17th via Spinefarm, and you can pre-order the record here.

7/10