Employed To Serve – Greyer Than You Remember

If you’ve been having one of those days and need to release some anger then you can’t go far wrong than to give Employed to Serve a listen, after all in name alone they sum up how many of us feel on a daily basis…

When it comes to playing live Employed to Serve fill a sweaty room with their in your face performances, bodies fly and the band themselves are often found being held aloft by their followers whilst on record the bands early releases were very much a DIY affair with multi-choice spray painted covers for that personal touch. So how do you ensure you recreate this when it comes to a full length studio album?

Well you carry on in the studio with just as much venom as got you there in the first place and with that the relentless Greyer than you Remember becomes the end result. Opening track ‘Live Without‘ smacks you round the back of the head before you have a chance to react and then, as if you’d be in any doubt its ‘Watching Films to Forget I Exist‘ to ensure this is a full on assault as vocalist Justine Jones spouts her lyrics with an intense ferociousness and a set of lungs that would make any of her male counterparts stand up and take note.

It’s near impossible to deliver the aggressive vocals required without conviction and as Jones screams into the microphone on titles such as ‘No-ones Perfect, this Includes You‘ and ‘Bury Yourself (Deep)‘ you can tell there may well be emotional demons to be excavated but once these are layered over the top of duel guitars, bass and drums the intensity of Employed to Serve really comes together proving they are far more than just another hard-core band.

Having been produced by Lewis Johns and mastered by Brad Boatright, who between them are responsible for releases by Gnarwolves, Converge and Sunn O)), sharing a label with Will Haven (who made a big name for themselves in the late 90’s) as well as a recent tour with Funeral For a Friend, Employed to Serve are certainly in good company.

So if you like your music loud then lock the doors, put on Greyer than you Remember and prepare yourself to catch the band on the live circuit as although you may gain a few more bruises along the way, you’re likely to find yourself a little less aggrieved with the world… although we may well be employed to serve, we’re not employed to suffer.

7Bit’s 7Word Review: Employed to serve but not to suffer