Employed to Serve seem to reappear just when we need them most. Releasing 'The Warmth of a Dying Sun' in post-Brexit 2017, 'Eternal Forward Motion' in Trumpian 2019, and 'Conquering' in Covid-ridden 2021, they act as a barometer for the state of the planet, seeming always to know when we need a death metal rallying cry to get us through all gestures wildly this.

Now, here we are in 2025, with all the scars of the past ten years being reopened and replaced by global fascism, climate disasters, and a Warped Tour lineup that… well, let's just say it leaves a lot to be desired. Thankfully, Employed to Serve have taken the pulse of the world around them and returned with their searing call to arms, 'Fallen Star'.

An amalgamation of hardcore breakdowns, ferocious death metal guitar lines, and relentlessly pulsating nu-metal drumming, it is an album that represents a band at full-throttle. Whether it's in the almost glam metal feel of the licks and riffs in opener 'Treachery', the soaring chorus of title track 'Fallen Star', or the swirling cult-like aura of 'Breaks Me Down', Employed to Serve have set fire to the rulebook and started the revolution – and you're all coming along for the ride.

'Fallen Star' is the latest in a catalogue that never stays in one place too long, one that refuses to give in to hackneyed clichés and tired assumptions that all metal musicians are full of hate. If anything, lead vocalist Justine Jones is the opposite, instead taking her cues from the bands that determined to create music that felt progressive rather than oppressive.

"I can only talk about Hatebreed when I give this answer," she smiles, "because I was so inspired by the positive metal vibe of 'Perseverance'. I'm not a fan of us trying to be a negative band because it's not who we are as people; we all love the idea of metal telling you to do better and be better. We wanted to make an empowering record; it's a battle cry."

In many ways, this is where the album title came from. Partly drawing from the artwork of 'The Warmth of a Dying Sun', the ever-evolving nature of celestial bodies felt like a good place to start when thinking about the resilient, powerful message that lies at the heart of 'Fallen Star'.

"We love the idea of bringing back a theme on all our artwork, a bit like Iron Maiden with Eddie, so when we wrote the track 'Fallen Star', it all seemed to fall into place. Obviously, the sun is a star, so that worked, but it's also all about those ideas of being reborn, always changing, and ultimately embracing your own solstice within it."

Employed to Serve are themselves a band who have had to embody this act of evolution several times over the course of their ten-year career, changing musicians pretty much every album cycle before this one, with the only constant being Justine and her husband-slash-vocalist-slash-guitarist Sammy Urwin. Now, they've found a formula that works, keeping the same lineup that created their critically acclaimed knockout 'Conquering'.

"We managed to hold onto the men this time," Justine chuckles, "they've slotted in really nicely. It just made this album so much easier because we all know how each other works; we feel like we're in the groove now."

Employed to Serve aren't a band to play it safe, splicing together myriad metal sub-genres to create the melodic yet murderous sound that has made them heavyweights of the British metal scene. Trying to combine sounds from thrash metal, death metal, hardcore, mathcore, and about fifteen other identifiable sub-genres could easily result in a sound too massive to tame. Instead, 'Fallen Star' is a considered, hand-picked selection of tracks and concepts that creates nuance in amongst the addictively gnarly soundscape.

"Some of my favourite records are all-out war, but we wanted light and shade on the record. We're getting there with it now, but it is tough because you consciously have to think about it. We're more critical of what songs we include because, even in the age of streaming, metal has always been an album-led genre, it needs to work as a whole or there's no point."

"We're a product of our musical upbringing; at this point that music is in our DNA. We naturally emulate the bands that raised us but then rework whatever ideas we have so that they aren't too on the nose; we don't want it to be like, 'Ok this is the Slipknot track'."

"Sammy and Dave [Porter, guitar] both write demos and send them out to the rest of the band, then we pick them apart – nicely, of course – and rework them so they sound like us. It helps us to work out the flow because it means we can spread ideas across the whole record so it all ties together."

Employed to Serve's reputation precedes them, allowing them to call on the help of some of the biggest names in metal to add that final sprinkling of magic that lets 'Fallen Star' shine so brightly. From Lorna Shore's Will Ramos to Killswitch Engage's Jesse Leach and Svalbard's Serena Cherry, they were the final piece of the puzzle.

"We wrote parts thinking 'this could do with a guest on it', they were the cherry on top. I've listened to Killswitch since I was 14 so it's wild now to say we have a song with Jesse, and we did our first tour with Svalbard, so Serena has been a friend for 10 years now."

"Then, with Will, we only asked him to do the death metal vocal because we didn't know he could sing clean. He came in and did so many different things – the death metal screaming, clean singing, some goblincore shit too. He just made the song his own, it was great."

Just in case you'd got this far and thought, blimey, this metal band lark sounds a doddle, it does come with its pitfalls:

"I have to record my vocal for all the demos in the bathroom in our flat," Justine grins, "it's the only room with an outside wall so I have to use that, or the neighbours might call the police! We have new people in next door, so we had to go over and say, 'So, we're in a band. If you hear any screaming or anything, don't worry about it!'"

That the quintet managed to channel so much time and work into 'Fallen Star' – including bathroom studio time – is made even more admirable by the fact that they all work full-time alongside the band, with Justine heading up both Church Road Records and Since Always Press alongside husband Sammy, managing to immerse themselves totally in the music scene that has given them both a home since they were fourteen-year-olds. More importantly, though, they've found a way to balance it so that they get the most from every facet of their impressive portfolio.

"We've only just figured out how to make an album and not rush it. I blew my voice out trying to do all the vocals in two days on the last album, but I did a song a day this time, and it was bliss!"

"Would I want to do the band full-time? I actually don't think so. I have a really overactive brain, so I like to jump around and flit between all the different bits that we do. I love the camaraderie of it; it keeps you stoked about things. It's an amazing feeling when a band you're working with gets into a magazine or gets a radio play; it just keeps you grateful about everything."

This sense of community has always been at the very centre of Employed to Serve, always standing tall as a band for anyone and everyone, summed up nicely in the phrase 'Heavy Metal Unity', something that Justine is understandably proud to promote at every turn.

"We like the idea of being inclusive, we want to be a band for all ages, all walks of life. Don't get me wrong, I was very much a gatekeeper at 14, but now I hate the idea of shutting yourself off from people – like, come on, we all got bullied at school for being goths, stop trying to be cool, we're all in this together! I love walking around Bloodstock or Download Festival and seeing parents and kids in matching battle jackets. Metal is all-encompassing; it's a community."

Justine feels this particularly strongly as, still, metal tries to find a way to battle against the male bias that has long been a criticism of the genre. It's telling that this album cycle has seen an aesthetic change, with Justine ditching the oversized graphic tees in favour of flowing dresses and a red lip, a celebration of femininity that would have been frowned upon in the scene until relatively recently.

As bands and artists such as Spiritbox, Poppy, and Pupil Slicer fight their way to the top, maybe metal is finally addressing the blatant sexism and misogyny that made it such an unwelcoming place for young female performers.

"I came to this realisation that I'd dressed the same way since I was fourteen, so I thought I'd look into high fashion; I channelled my inner Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek."

"It turns out you don't have to dress like a smelly-looking metal person – crazy, right?! There was definitely pressure to blend in with and dress like the blokes, especially because we were always described as a female-fronted band instead of by a genre. There'd always be someone down the front going, 'urgh, it's a girl; why have they let one of those in?"

"It's better than it was, for sure. I've always loved the theatricality of pop shows mixed with the trad metal look, you want it to be fantasy and other-worldly, so I'm going to wear what I want and do what I want; there's always going to be some horrible YouTube comment somewhere, but who cares?"

While there's still a way to go, there are plenty of metalheads actively encouraging the inclusion of people who have traditionally felt exiled from the scene, an act that Justine feels is managing to promote instead of patronise bands who are – let's be honest - non-male and non-white.

"It's a fine line isn't it, but I think at the moment it's an important step. There needs to be more visibility like there has been for women's football, for example. If a young girl sees me on the cover of a Spotify 'Women in Metal' playlist and thinks, 'Hey, maybe I can do that', then that's a win, without doubt."

Justine's focus on metal for the masses aligns with a renaissance in the scene, one that's seen Sleep Token and Spiritbox sell out arenas, Gojira smash up the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, and Knocked Loose and Poppy bring banshee screams and pig squeals to Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show in the US.

"I use Urban Outfitters as my mark for if something's popular or not," Justine grins. "If an album's in there, then it's clearly accessible for a wide array of people. Obviously, I'm only in this for the money and fame – I'm like Mr. Krabs in a woman suit – so it would be great to see 'Fallen Star' in there!"

As much as metal is back in fashion, the scene is facing the same financial problems as bands and artists in all other parts of the industry. As a band member, record label and PR firm owner, Justine feels this particularly acutely.

"I want music to make money again. It's really concerning, the current model just isn't sustainable. There needs to be a better way for bands to make money - regulation of royalties on streams or something. It becomes a class issue; gigs will just become a rich person's playground."

Even in this world, where profit continues to overpower public morale, Employed to Serve are determined to bring an undimmable sense of empowerment to their music. There's arguably never been a more important time for bands to take up the mantle of morale boosting, fan healing therapists. It's a role that Justine cherishes, one that explains Employed to Serve's enduring appeal and status as one of the most exciting metal bands around.

"Basically, we're saying nothing matters, but in a gleeful way," she explains. "We're all tiny specks in an infinite universe, so don't fucking sweat it. The world's going to shit, so you might as well have fun, right?"