Label: Spinefarm Records
Released: 10th May 2019
Rating: ★★★★
Still basking in the glow of the critically-acclaimed ‘The Warmth Of A Dying Sun’, Employed To Serve return with another feral and ferocious offering. Taking their roots in hardcore as a familiar starting point, ‘Eternal Forward Motion’ lives up to its name by propelling the Woking band into exciting new soundscapes.
The title-track, and opener, sets the template and lights the touchpaper. Even more brutal, even more bludgeoning, new textures are added to an already intoxicating mix. Striding through the maelstrom is singer Justine Jones, her distinctive raspy growl driving home messages of struggle and anxiety. ‘Harsh Truth’ pulls back the curtain on social media, a track that dials down the mania yet still ramps up the intensity.
There are moments of relative calm that punctuate the cataclysmic riffs. ‘We Forgot You’ subtly changes its form midway through, magnifying the power of its crescendo. The band each take their turn in the limelight, drummer Robbie Back in particular putting in a masterclass – the sheer damage meted out during ‘Suspended In Emptiness’ is sensational. ‘Force Fed’ is simply devastating, yet more evidence that when it comes to it, there are very few bands that hit this hard.
As the record climaxes with ‘Bare Bones On A Blue Sky’, a track that could almost be shoegaze as it begins in a fuzzy haze, it becomes apparent that this is a band still exploring their own potential. Still pushing forward, still exploring new possibilities, refusing to look back when the future is brighter.
