Fallen Star shows Employed to Serve at their most refined, an album filled to the brim with vitality

Words by Paulina Subia | April 22, 2025

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Employed to Serve’s latest offering, Fallen Star, opens with a sprawl of drum beats and riffs that build to a screeching rally cry, abrasive in the most complimentary way. ‘Treachery’ is just the first of 11 tracks fused with a fervent energy that shows the band as a force to be reckoned with in British metal and beyond.

From the first sharp note, the album entices with its melding of influences. ‘Breaks Me Down’ is an intriguing blend of metalcore with trip-hop beats, a bold display of the band’s refusal to conform. ‘Familiar Pain’ hears distorted shouts from vocalist Justine Jones, and her growls and gutturals never fail to evoke an eyebrow raise. Her voice drips with a rage that builds with each track.

‘Now Thy Kingdom Come’ is packed with classic pummelling drums courtesy of drummer Casey McHale, coupled with fast-paced riffs from guitarists Sammy Urwin and David Porter, and buoyed by bassist Nathan Pryor. They play with an elevated flair, crafting melodic twists and turns with every breakdown. The duelling screams from Jones and co-vocalist Urwin evoke brutal harmonies and are the most impactful display of the two singing in tandem.

Fallen Star also debuts some enticing collaborators. The lead single, ‘Atonement’, features Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos and shows a layering of his and Urwin’s vocals that creates a whiplash effect. Svalbard’s Serena Cherry lends her vocals to ‘Last Laugh’, a soaring track that bristles with vengeance. Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage bursts onto ‘Whose Side Are You On?’, producing a blend of old- and new-school thrash.

While such features are exciting for any metal fan, it is when Employed to Serve operates as a unit that they reach their peak form. On Fallen Star, Justine Jones’s vocals are their most powerful, freed from any inhibitions and unleashed with an evident confidence. ‘The Renegades’ is a track that hears the band at their most cohesive. Each member plays their role with a signature skill, but they coalesce with a staggering vitality.

Fallen Star introduces Employed to Serve as a vision of modern metal at its most refined. The infectious energy seeped into every song is stoked by the band’s evident camaraderie, which has made way for creating an anthemic album.

Verdict: 💀💀💀💀

For Fans Of: Arch Enemy, Spiritbox, Kittie

Fallen Star is released on April 25 via Spinefarm