Fallen Star
“Treachery” gives Fallen Star a forceful start. A sharp drum hit leads into fast riffs and blast beats, making it clear that Employed to Serve have kept the weight of their metallic hardcore. What follows is more varied. The Woking band’s fifth album puts greater emphasis on melody, clean singing and electronic details, with mixed but often impressive results.
The title track immediately changes the approach. It lowers the aggression and gives its chorus more room, with Sammy Urwin’s cleaner voice offering a different tone beside Justine Jones’ harsher delivery. That contrast is central to the record. Jones remains a strong presence, and the best songs use the extra melody to make her attacks more effective rather than pushing them into the background.
“Breaks Me Down” opens with synths and clean vocals before bringing those elements back as part of a large chorus. “Last Laugh” explores a darker, more gothic atmosphere, with picked guitars and Serena Cherry’s guest voice providing useful changes in texture. These songs show the band trying to widen its arrangements while retaining a clear identity in the riffs and grooves.
The other guests fit into that wider sound. Will Ramos adds an especially harsh presence to “Atonement”, then contributes to its more melodic finish. Jesse Leach appears on “Whose Side Are You On?”. There is plenty of vocal variety across the album, but it is the interaction between Jones and Urwin that gives the material its main character.
The larger choruses will divide listeners. Some feel more familiar than the surrounding riffs, and there are moments when the cleaner, more controlled structures reduce the tension that makes the heavier parts work. The new approach is not equally convincing in every song. Closer “From This Day Forward” is a stronger example of the expanded sound, building its groove into a finish with synths and faster drums.
Fallen Star offers more than a straightforward move towards accessibility. Its strongest arrangements make the extra melody and electronic colour worthwhile, with enough heavy playing to support them. A few less distinctive hooks limit the overall impact, but this is a substantial record for listeners who enjoy groove-focused metal with contrasting voices.
