LIVE REVIEW: Employed To Serve @ The Bodega, Nottingham

The clocks have gone back, Halloween is 24 hours away and most of the day has seen pouring rain – Autumn is well and truly upon us. However, whilst 2023’s festival season is now but a distance memory, the gigs are coming in thick and fast; tonight, the Bodega in Nottingham has the unenviable task of staying upright with the visit of one of the UK’s most reliable metal bands around, EMPLOYED TO SERVE, backed up by two with an abundance of potential.

A stroke of luck sees Distorted Sound standing next to Kate Davies of main support PUPIL SLICER telling one of her bandmates that a significant contingent of the city’s hardcore scene has turned up in support of GOING OFF, one of Church Road Records’ brightest up-and-comers. It explains why the band play to a nearly full room even as the opening act, and they’re not about to disappoint. Cramming sixteen songs in the space of 30 minutes, they pack a serious punch, taking the raw, hardcore punk energy of pioneers like BLACK FLAG and MINOR THREAT and infusing it with the modern vibes of GALLOWS, the metal credentials of FEED THE RHINO and the intensity of NAPALM DEATH. The breakdown in Flesh Prison is downright filthy, and Shell Shocked sees a white blur emerge from the left-hand side and open up the pit; it turns out to be one of the bar staff. A gold medal to them for the individual effort, and five to GOING OFF for a wonderful showing.

Rating: 7/10

PUPIL SLICER caused a splash with their 2021 full-length debut, Mirrors, and they’ve upped the ante this year, sophomore release Blossom being comfortably one of 2023’s best metal releases. They’ve got a near-full room in front of them who are loud and responsive but, as the set progresses, it seems more in admiration for the band’s battling to overcome adversity than a stellar showing. Put simply, PUPIL SLICER cannot catch a break against sound gremlins – they suffered at both Download and Portals in the summer and, once more, issues rear their heads in the East Midlands. For large sections, the drums are overpowering – occasionally the only thing that can be heard – while backing vocals from bassist Luke Fabian are often clearer than Kate’s. Even when the levels are somewhat correct, there’s not the overall volume for maximum impact and, despite bravely soldiering on, the frustrations begin to show. For a band who are capable of such brutality, to have their set clipped by problems out of their control makes for a difficult night at the office; they come off stage after four songs and less than half an hour which, while that might have genuinely been their full support show, you wouldn’t begrudge them doing because they’d simply had enough.

Rating: 6/10

The big question as EMPLOYED TO SERVE close their set with a crushing Mark Of The Grave is why they’re not playing bigger rooms than one with a limit of 220 bodies; their last appearance in this city was opening for GOJIRA at the 10,000 capacity arena and their festival sets always see sizeable turnouts. However, should they ever make a step up, nights like this – where limbs are everywhere and sweat drips off the wall – will be sorely missed. Hell, the band are only three songs in before vocalist Justine Jones has to pause to allow for phones that have become separated from their owners to be returned appropriately.

With no barriers to separate band from audience, there’s a healthy flow of crowd surfers as the quintet charge through Force Fed, We Don’t Need You and a rendition of Harsh Truth that threatens to annihilate everyone within a five-mile radius. Front and centre, Justine is a figure of serenity and calm, seemingly putting no effort into her vocals, chewing gum and beaming from ear to ear, the eye of a metallic hardcore hurricane raging around her that’s being ably orchestrated by husband and EMPLOYED TO SERVE guitarist Sammy Urwin. GOING OFF vocalist Jake Huxley pops up for a cameo during Conquering and that bar staff member reappears to launch himself onto the throng and away for a jolly. As the cool, night air greets the leaving punters, nobody is doing so with a frown; WWE might have been down the road tonight, but there’s no doubt where the knockout show was in town.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Nottingham from Izzy Sheldon Photography here: 

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