Live Review: Employed to Serve with Celestial Sanctuary and Burner at O2 Academy Islington, London (25/04/25)

Employed to Serve have bettered everything they’ve done before by focusing on what makes them so good. It’s less about experimentation here (even though there is notable moments), and more about refinement, which results in a record that feels complete. This will go down as their defining moment (for now at least) and so many people are going to connect to it.

That statement comes from our review of the new Employed to Serve album, ‘Fallen Star’ (released April 25th via Spinefarm – read our full review here). A fabulous release that saw the British metallers go out on a brief jaunt around the UK culminating in their biggest headline show to date, at London’s O2 Academy in Islington. A show that promised to be one to remember even before Employed to Serve hit the stage.

Why? Because they brought two incredible bands out with them. Namely Celestial Sanctuary and Burner. With the latter up first and delivering another stellar showcase of brutish, intense, and powerful blackened death and hardcore noise. Which, if you know this band, might sound ‘par for the course’, but this is a bigger stage in a bigger venue, and in front of more curious faces than they might be used to.

There are plenty of people who know and love Burner, but there are plenty who are finding out just how good a band they are. Especially as they are energetic, focused, and pulling out some big sounding tracks. City 17 and The Night Does Not End, the two newest tracks, sound immense live.

What’s particularly heartening is to look around and see faces go from curious to wide-eyed to grinning. Burner earned themselves some new fans here, and the more people who know of their brilliance, the better.

Speaking of brilliance though. What the actual f**k, Celestial Sanctuary!? I was mesmerised from the start, especially as they began the carnage with the absolute rager that is Puddles of You Reflect the Filth Within. Carnage is the right word too as this is when the pits really start to open up with Celestial Sanctuary encouraging the obliteration of minds, bodies, and souls (even the venue at one stage).

They are simply fantastic, so damn heavy, but with such infectious layers to that damn heaviness. Had they carried on playing for another hour, I don’t think anyone (including me) would have complained.

Which does mean Employed to Serve have one hell of a task to follow them, and while nothing is topping what Celestial Sanctuary delivered, Employed to Serve are on mighty fine form too. Exploding on to the stage with the mighty anthemic head banger that is Atonement. Immediately, it’s clear that they’re brimming with confidence and that continues to grow as they take us on an Employed to Serve musical journey covering swathes of their back catalogue alongside some choice tracks from the new album.

Tracks likes Fallen Star, the title track, and the stunning Break me Down, which feels even more powerful live. Vocalist Justine commands the crowd like a circus ringleader, and you can really see the connection this band has with their audience in moments like this. I also want to highlight how impressive guitarist and vocalist Sammy’s clean singing is. It’s one of the most developed aspects of a modern Employed to Serve and it shows here.

The tracks from the new album sound great, but so do choice cuts from Conquering and Eternal Forward Motion. We Don’t Need You is such a freaking anthem and everyone inside the venue has a blast singing and head banging along to it.

The sign of a great show is when it ends and you’re left wanting more, which is the case here, but God-damn, nobody is feeling short-changed. Employed to Serve came and conquered, and in doing so, showed everyone why they continue to be called ‘the leading lights of British metal’.