LIVE FROM THE PIT: Employed To Serve, Cage Fight and Under Violet Sky

The rise of femme‑fronted metal in the UK has never felt more electric or unapologetically diverse than it does at the moment. What was once a niche has exploded into a brilliant genre where guttural screams sit beside harmonising vocals. From fierce anthems of defiance to haunting ballads about mental health, it is here to stay. With a roster of three awesome femme-led bands on this EMPLOYED TO SERVE bill, it proved to everyone in the room that this scene belongs to everyone bold enough to claim it.

The night opened with local band UNDER VIOLET SKY. With their first EP coming out only six weeks ago, and this only being their second gig as a band, it was hard to tell that they hadn’t been at this for years. Whilst some may say it can be hard to warm up a metal crowd when you aren’t established, this band said ‘hold my drink’ and proved everyone wrong. Vocalist Izzie’s blend of well tuned screams and growls juxtaposing her brilliant singing voice proved that this band is packed with the potential to grow into something quite brilliant. 

CAGE FIGHT stormed onto the stage with enough energy to power the room. Dubbing themselves as a male backed metal band, it felt incredibly fitting for this roster of incredible femme vocalists. Front-woman Rachel Aspe was a conductor of both the band and audience as she hypnotically entranced audiences with her guttural growls and amazing squeals. The songs were furious and angry with pits erupting in Pick Your Fighter and Eating me Alive giving a vibe of old school hardcore with a punch of new wave metal. The whole band were incredibly tight, which for a band that were formed over lockdown as a project to unleash their skills is testament to their talents and stage chemistry. If the audience weren’t ready for the headline act, they sure were after CAGE FIGHT’s set. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut1AcpPPOS0

Having recently released their latest album Fallen Star, EMPLOYED TO SERVE are on the rise having been working at the metal grindstone for well over a decade. Stepping into the spotlight of the metal genre, it feels like all their hard work has paid off. Their set erupted with Treachery and within seconds pits were formed and it felt like the band were where they belonged. Vocalist Justine Jones has perfected the craft of screams and stage presence and commanded the stage with gut wrenching screams and the perfect blend of catharsis and joy. 

Throughout the set it almost felt like a hometown show, despite being a distance from Woking. However it was the engagement between the band and audience that truly felt like the room was connected. Paying homage to their old school fans, they gave touches to the past with songs such as Good For Nothing which had the crowd screaming the lyrics back at the band. Whilst new songs such as Now Thy Kingdom Come and title track Fallen Star highlighted that this band aren’t going anywhere except up. 

Putting a rising star band in an intimate room is one way to show an audience how a band is on the cusp of shooting to success. The energy in the room was nothing but electric and with screaming vocals, drilling drums, and guitar riffs that infect your brain, it was seventy minutes of pure perfection. It may have taken EMPLOYED TO SERVE a bit longer to get onto this trajectory, but they aren’t stopping any time soon and it’s finally their time to take the metal crown they deserve.

Words and photos: Laura Davies