It is with great pleasure that I happily introduce ya’ll to The Core Breakdown! Every week, I’ll be sharing all the best that hardcore has to offer. While I started out as a fan of hardcore punk, I’ve come to love the metal end of hardcore as well. While I enjoy my Hatebreed there and then, it was through bands like Stray From The Path, Walls of Jericho, and metalcore acts like Killswitch Engage that got me to fall in love with the genre. It’s with that said that The Core Breakdown will be covering a mix of hardcore acts, along with metalcore that holds to those traditional sounds of the genre.
Let’s kick things off with an album review of a band I just discovered not too long ago, but holy shit I should have known because they are absolutely killing it! Ladies and gentlemen, let’s throw down to Employed To Serve’s The Warmth of a Dying Sun (Holy Roar).
Employed To Serve falls into that post-hardcore sound, taking the utter chaos of hardcore nature, and spinning it with mesmerizing tones and song structure. There’s actually a lot of similarities in Car Bomb that I found within those elements, that chaotic nature of crushing down and violent delivery.
Opening on “Void Ambition”, the band lets out an anxiety streak of guitar tones, leading into the tracks airy atmosphere. There’s a lot of room compared to the typical relentless nature of hardcore. This space allows the instrumentation to breathe, and when there are moments with the drums blasting off, they come through with much more of a grit and heft. “Good for Nothing” trickles its way in at first, erupting into a bass thick tremble and vicious roar. The vocal delivery is raw, blunt, and aggressive. The track maintains a wavy rhythm that captures grit and an uneasy atmosphere. Like a dirty buzz saw, the guitar flows through the song’s progression, the drums ringing like a metallic haze. The track transitions with a dark ambient drone into “Platform 89”. The music pounds with a foundation of bass, while also producing more of a sonic distortion that shrills throughout the song’s progression.
The industrial aura flows alongside the hardcore aspects throughout the entire record, creating a dark and desolate landscape (perfect for the record’s title). While the material keeps up its constant beat down of utter aggression, The Warmth of a Dying Sun consistently keeps each song feeling fresh. The chemistry in structure is remarkable in its ability to portray distinct tones and sounds, while still keeping true to the album’s core foundation of anger fueled delivery.
“Never Falls Far” tosses in a little more speed with the guitar tone, creating a hysteric droning element. It is this excellent middle ground between hypnotic and catchy, leaning more towards the latter as the instrumentation picks up in chaos. The vocal work continues to let loose in rage, wonderfully matching the adrenaline of the instrumentation. Ending on “Apple Tree”, the band shows off an extremely different sound, taking a slower and more somber approach to the music. The drum work continues to clash down, descending with more of an emotional weight. This is accompanied by brighter guitar tones, producing a sad and melancholy radiance.
Employed To Serve have released a pure devastating record in The Warmth of a Dying Sun. Its brilliant chaotic instrumentation explores incredible grounds through its unique and captivating chemistry. The band shows its ability to flow through an entire record, keeping every element fresh and unique. The pure aggression of instrumentation and vocals display just how devastating of a band that Employed To Serve is, and their talent for creating a crushing atmosphere in music. If you want to check out the record for yourself, feel free to stream it below.
9/10
Thanks for tuning into The Core Breakdown! I look forward to sharing new music, along with reminiscing on classics with all of you. I look forward to your thoughts, and as always – keep head banging ya’ll.
