Employed To Serve - Eternal Forward Motion
Eternal Forward Motion offers a unique perspective on a heavy sound. As a new listener of Employed to Serve, I was taken aback by how effectively they could make it their own.
Employed To Serve are a brutal heavy band from Woking, England. Having enjoyed previous success from their previous albums Greyer Than You Remember, and The Warmth of a Dying Sun, they have been able to play alongside bands like Code Orange, Counterparts, Underoath, Stick To Your Guns, and others of that magnitude. After all this, they are due to take it to the next level and are looking to do this with their brand-new album Eternal Forward Motion.
Opening with the title track, the album sets a steady tone that it sticks to throughout its run time. Powerful and brutal instruments run alongside some of the more hectic hardcore vocals you will find, to create an incredibly hardened sound. Punchy verses, a soaring chorus, and insanity-inducing breakdowns make you feel like you are standing on the edge of the world about to fall.
This vibe continues throughout the album, as tracks “Beneath It All”, “Suspended In Emptiness”, and “Bare Bones on a Blue Sky”, work especially hard to create an atmosphere through this insanely heavy sound. Each song sticks to the Employed To Serve version of the classic heavy sound, but still adds in its own unique piece of flare. While from a distance, songs appear to be similar, when you really break it down and take a closer look, there is so much going on in the instrumentals and the vocals. All of it is working towards this atmosphere, and this atmosphere varies in its tone.
Nightmarish at times yet consistently empowering, this ferocious musical tone sends adrenaline pumping through you with every track. “Dull Ache Behind My Eyes” features an unrelating 3 minutes blast, spitting vocals, neck snapping verses, and a seemingly never-ending dreamlike breakdown. This flows flawlessly into “Harsh”, which takes a raw and gritty approach as the dirty bass, echoing dreams, and filthy vocals tear through you as you listen.
With this, they aren’t afraid to mix up the song structure, as tracks like “We Forgot You” and “Owed Zero” have their own characteristics that other songs don’t have that make them stand out. “We Forgot You” involves an intense focus on inconsistency, as the unrelenting changing of pace allows the drums to shine on their own using gripping technical fills. “Owed Zero” is kicked into gear with flickers of brutal revving guitar. Technical riffs offer a release from the deep and dark heavy guitars and show that Employed to Serve can do the progressive instrumentals just as well. Mixing it up perfectly, the animalistic vocals are a highlight, as the brutal growling screams add the extra intensity needed to hammer home what they were looking for.
Eternal Forward Motion closes just as strong as it starts, as “Bare Bones on a Blue Sky” offers an incredibly unique take on their heavy sound. An unusual case of clean vocals opens the track and works with the echoing guitars to build an emotionally powerful atmosphere. This transfers to a strange feeling of rock and roll, as the guitars and drums take on a traditional rocking feel. The screams join the fray and add the spice and intensity needed to create the incredibly overall sound of heaviness and power that an album like this needs to finish on. “Bare Bones on a Blue Sky” is an absolute highlight, and is the perfect way to close out.
Eternal Forward Motion offers a unique perspective on a heavy sound. As a new listener of the band, I was taken aback by how effectively they could make it their own. They created an effective and powerful atmosphere throughout and set themselves apart from other bands like them in a big way. The vocals, in particular, were especially good, and are the most integral part to the vibe that Employed To Serve create. This is a very enjoyable album, and I would highly recommend checking it out as it is an increasingly unique and brutal album.