Episode 99: Employed To Serve Interview with Sammy Urwin (Guitar)

Leading lights of British metal, Employed To Serve, take pride of place on the heavy metal world stage as they return with brand new single 'Atonement' feat. Will Ramos of Lorna Shore, plus long-awaited new studio album, 'Fallen Star', set for release on Friday, April 25th. "We want to fly the flag for heavy metal and the traditions that it holds," offers guitarist and songwriter Sammy Urwin, "But at the same time we want to play our part in taking things forward." Since meeting in their teens on the outskirts of Lurdon, vocalist Justine Jones and guitarist / co-vocalist Sammy have had their sights fixed on the road ahead. At first, it was all about standing with the local scene bands they admired, but before long they were forging a path of their own, lifers with a mission, evolving from the feral mathcore of their early EPs to detonating a full-throttle career high with 2021 album, 'Conquering. And now there's 'Fallen Star', an 11-track tour-de-force that sees the collective ETS vision refined to an even sharper degree... Produced and mixed by Lewis Johns, a longstanding presence behind the desk, it features a number of special guests, including Killswitch Engage's Jesse Leach on 'Whose Side Are You On?' and Svalbard's Serena Cherry on 'Last Laugh'. 'Fallen Star', the band's third album via Spinefarm, is a record of dizzying diversity, yet also one that is utterly uncompromising. I got to sit down and chat with Sammy Urwin where we talked about the recording of the bands new album, 'Fallen Star', working with Serena Cherry, Jesse Leach and Will Ramos on the album and going all the way back to 2021 where we talk about Download fest. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Employed To Serve here: https://www.instagram.com/employedtoserve/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Whose Side Are You On? (Feat Jesse Leach)', ©️ all rights reserved Employed To Serve Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Formed in 1986, Exhorder’s journey has proven exciting, yet tumultuous. Fraught with euphoric peaks and crippling valleys throughout its existence, the band debuted that summer with the do-it-yourself demo recording, “Get Rude”. Swiftly building a strong local following in the New Orleans punk rock scene, Exhorder entered a legitimate 24 track studio in 1987 and crafted their controversial classic demo, “Slaughter In The Vatican”. From there, the international attention the band drew via the world of underground tape-trading was indisputable. However, as fate would have it, the band broke up for the first time in early 1988 due to internal struggles. A reformation ensued later that year, and Exhorder set out once again to pursue its vision. The band soon signed with Mean Machine Records, but the label dissolved before the band’s debut could be completed. The contract was subsequently purchased by R/C Records, a subsidiary of Roadracer/Roadrunner Records. With a small recording budget and repairs to previous sessions, the album version of Slaughter In The Vatican was finally completed in 1990. With the assistance of legendary producer Scott Burns in 1990, Slaughter in the Vatican was finally completed nearly five years after much of the material was written. In the years that followed the relaunch of the band, Exhorder has toured extensively in both the United States and Europe. The reputation the band has carried as a force onstage continues to grow. With a new release in association with Nuclear Blast completed and set for release in 2024, Exhorder are plotting another busy year performing worldwide. I got to sit down with Kyle Thomas before the band played Whelans on the 21st of April where we talked about the band returning to Ireland, the recording process for their new album, 'Defectum Omnium', and his favourite Exhorder songs to play on guitar. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Exhorder here: https://www.instagram.com/exhorderofficial/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Wrath of Prophecies', ©️ all rights reserved Exhorder Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Formed in 2023 by guitarist Liam Myers, Worm Circus emerged as a raw and aggressive force within the Potsdam hardcore scene. In 2024, Liam met drummer Ray Stevens at a local hardcore show, leading to a lineup shift that saw the band scrapping its original material and starting fresh. With Ray behind the kit, they crafted a new sound, heavier and more intense than before. Soon after, bassist Dan Mariano joined the fold, solidifying the instrumental section. Following a lineup change on vocals, Blair Hutchison stepped in to complete the band’s sonic assault. The debut EP from Worm Circus blends unrelenting aggression with emotionally charged dynamics and lyrics through 4 unique songs. With a DIY approach, the release was entirely self-produced and engineered, in addition to being mixed and mastered by close friend and musical companion, Dustin Wright. I got to sit down with Ray, Liam and Blair where we talked about how the band started, the recording of their debut EP, 'Worm Circus', the music scene in Potsdam anmd so much more. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check Worm Circus here: https://www.instagram.com/wormcircus/ Tracks played: 'Hidden Hand', ©️ all rights reserved Worm Circus Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

For over 35 years UK death metal legends Cancer have been delivering some of the most brutal and uncompromising music in the genre. Now, they return with Inverted World, their highly anticipated follow-up to 2018’s Shadow Gripped. Set for release on 25th April via Peaceville Records, the album promises a return to their signature blend of serrated riffing, guttural vocals, and relentless aggression. Expect a dark and visceral journey into dystopia, corruption, and existential horror. Speaking on the upcoming release, founding member and vocalist John Walker shared “I started writing the new material shortly after the Covid lockdowns. I nearly always usually start the writing process by basically fooling around on the guitar, then after a while riffs start to turn into musical ideas. The lyrics, I tend to spend some time thinking about a concept and then I pick the vocabulary appropriate to the idea. Inspiration comes from what's happening and what has happened in the world and curious tales that interest me. This album is the bands seventh full length release and I feel very fortunate at my age to still be able to do it, mixed by V. Santura I'm super happy with how it's turned out.” Death metal titans Cancer burst onto the UK extreme metal scene over thirty-five years ago and quickly established a strong global following over the early part of their careers, primarily due to the release of the legendary debut To the Gory End, swiftly followed by the equally revered Death Shall Rise album, which notably also featured death metal maestro James Murphy on lead guitars. The band’s trajectory increased further with follow-up opus The Sins of Mankind, leading to a stint with major label EastWest under Warner Music. 2018 saw the band return after a long period of inactivity for comeback release and Peaceville debut Shadow Gripped, which reunited the original core trio for the first time since 1995 for a stellar nod to the glory days of old; savage, thrash-tinged deathly odes to the macabre, gaining the approval of old fans and a new generation of death metal maniacs alike. In a year which also marks the 35th anniversary of the genre-classic debut, To the Gory End, founding member and vocalist/guitarist/songwriter John Walker leads a now-revamped quartet for Cancer’s seventh full-length album in the form of Inverted World. A relentless attack of masterful song-writing and brutal hooks, Inverted World explores the dark and murky world of manipulation and barbarity both past and present, with themes relating to shadowy entities and cult mentalities, including the brainwashing of people into compliance and the weaponizing of religion. And as an extra treat for the band’s fanbase in particular, the track ‘Corrosive’ also resurrects the old and familiar tale of the acid bath murderer. I got to sit down and chat with John Walker where we chatted about the recording process for the bands new album, 'Inverted World', the bands upcoming gig in Ireland in September and working with James Murphy from Obituary. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check Cancer here: https://www.instagram.com/cancerofficialband/ Tracks played: 'Corrosive', ©️ all rights reserved Cancer Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Thrashing - quite literally - into existence in 2017 INHUMAN NATURE are on the cuswp their upcoming album, 'Greater Than Death', out the 25th of April! The London, UK firebrand continues to fly the flag for the new wave of thrash and crossover across three battleproof tracks. Following their self-titled 2019 debut album, a split with UK contemporaries Road Mutant and a string of EP’s and singles, Under The Boot sees INHUMAN NATURE charge headfirst into themes of apocalypse, abyss and blind compliance, sparing no soul in the process. Vocalist, Chris Barling leads the group with venomous disdain across the EP’s 12 minute runtime, backed by a newly solidified line up composed of past members of Hang The Bastard. INHUMAN NATURE’s amalgam of old-school thrash and NWOBHM influence is still the foundation of their sound, yet with a growing confidence following several releases and countless forays into the live circuit across the UK and Europe, the London quintet are set to unleash hell in a far darker way from here on out. I got to sit down with members Chris (Vocals) and Daragh (Bass) where we talked about the recording process for their album, their upcoming performance at The Siege of Limerick and their last visit to Ireland joining Crowbar. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check Inhuman Nature here: https://www.instagram.com/inhumannature/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Possessed To Die', ©️ all rights reserved Inhuman Nature Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Straight out of the Crescent City, BRAT are set to release their forthcoming debut album, Social Grace, via Prosthetic Records on March 15. Since their 2021 inception, the New Orleans deathgrind / hardcore band’s journey to date has been one of blistering ascension both on the road and in-studio with relentless US touring and two head turning EP’s already under their belt. Enter 2024 and BRAT are ready to give extreme music the pink pill. Between an intense live schedule over the last three years, which saw BRAT share the stage with the likes of Eyehategod, Cro-Mags and contemporaries in grind such as ACxDC and No/Mas, the band recorded Social Grace over the course of a year and a half at HighTower Recording studio (Thou, A Wilhelm Scream, Eyehategod). Recording songs in batches helped BRAT finetune and focus their songcraft in condensed bursts, resulting in a coalescence of death metal, thrash, and powerviolence brutality. BRAT’s self-described barbiegrind / bimboviolence aesthetic is one of intentional dichotomy to their sound, with a keen focus to allow space and inclusivity for outsiders that shirks the traditional in favor of jubilant authenticity. Feral and ferocious in content and anti-purist in nature, BRAT’s Social Grace is a cataclysmically heavy party that everyone’s invited to. I got to sit down with members Liz, Brenner and Ian before they played The Academy in Dublin, on tour with Napalm Death, Full of Hell and Crowbar where we talked about how the tour was going, reflecting on the first birthday of their debut album, 'Social Grace', and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check BRAT here: https://www.instagram.com/brat_band/?hl=en Tracks played: 'Barracuda', ©️ all rights reserved BRAT Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

Living With Giants is an instrumental post-rock band from Sacramento, California. Starting as a solo project in 2009 by Ryan Mannie, the project gained more members, releasing their debut album in 2011. From 2014-2021 the band took some time off, finally returning as the duo of Carver Simmons and Ryan. The band has since continued releasing new music comprised of the crescendoing drums, droning bass, airy guitars and immersive atmosphere which they have become recognized for. In 2024 Living With Giants introduced Andrew Curteman as their percussionist, adding new sonic characters to their vocabulary. With a sound being described as both "waves of crashing distorted guitars" and "beautiful" listeners are offered a varied take on soundcrafting. Formed by Ainsley Budd (Manchester) and Andrew Helliwell (Durham) in late 2022, they released their debut album "We Were Always Here" in November 2023. Meeting at University in Manchester in 2013 the pair shared love for similar bands and genres. Inspired by the likes of Radiohead, Biffy Clyro and Arcane Roots and post rock bands such as This Will Destroy You, Sigur Rós, Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, their twisting style of post and alternative rock saw them sign with Stray Horse Records in the summer of 2023. Partnering up with friends, Living With Giants, from the US in 2024/2025 to release a Split vinyl EP, having both bands release 2 singles each exclusive to the EP Selling out the first limited 10" vinyl run, they started a 2nd limited 12" run The two bands teamed up to release a split EP which came out 7th of February. I got to sit down with Ainsley, Andy, Carver and Ryan to talk about the recording of the EP, how the idea came about and more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out both bands here: https://www.instagram.com/beneathwavesband/ https://www.instagram.com/livingwithgiants/ Tracks played: 'On The Fall And Rise of The Light ' & 'UM7', ©️ all rights reserved benenathwaves & Living With Giants Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

It’s been 7 years since US Death Rock’s new rising sensation New Skeletal Faces arrived on our planet and embedded themselves in the seedy outlying corners of the Southern Californian music scene. Today, Peaceville are excited to announce that the California trio have signed to the label and will be releasing their new album Until The Night later this year. Upon signing, New Skeletal Faces said “We are honoured to be joining the Peaceville roster and believe that there is no better asylum for NSF. Being alongside the most intense artists this earth has procreated, we look forward to this camaraderie in spreading our diseased view on what the darkness in Rock ‘n’ Roll should be”. Formed in 2017, the trio of Errol Fritz, KRO, & Don Void present themselves as a cosmic abomination that tote the genre lines between all manners of darkness in music. New Skeletal Faces cast their own black light onto the long dormant corpse of Death Rock, shattering the mirror of modern Heavy Metal into fragments that reflect back a fresh new take on this form of music with an energised & outlandish conviction. I got to sit down with members Errol & Don where we talked about the bands new album, 'Until The Night', the recording process for the album & their upcoming tour with Mayhem starting March 17th in Atlanta. With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out New Skeletal Faces here: https://www.instagram.com/newskeletalfaces/?hl=en Track played: 'Ossuary Lust', ©️ all rights reserved New Skeletal Faces Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, known for their technical instrumentation, heavy breakdowns, and intricate guitar work. The band formed in 2003 and has since become one of the most respected acts in the metalcore scene. Known for their technical precision, uplifting themes, and relentless energy, August Burns Red has built a devoted fan base worldwide. They’ve toured extensively, headlining festivals and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in metal. Their annual Christmas cover songs have also become a tradition, showing their playful side while maintaining their intense sound. With the celebration of the 20th anniversary of their debut, 'Thrillseeker', the band have taken to the studio to re-record. I got to sit down with bassist Dustin Davidson where we talked about the recording of the album, the tradition of Christmas Burns Red, and John Mayer! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out August Burns Red here: https://www.instagram.com/augustburnsred/?hl=en Track played: 'Barbarian', ©️ all rights reserved August Burns Red Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/

New Orleans’ EYEHATEGOD is the snarling, bilious sound of dead-end America. Since 1988, they’ve been a soundtrack for the troubled masses. Ugly music for ugly times. That’s the sense of disenchantment and disease that lies the heart of their latest and sixth full-length album, “A History of Nomadic Behavior”. Anyone familiar with EHG’s story knows this is survivor’s music, a sound unto itself where Sabbathian riffs are meted out with a caustic anger that goes beyond punk. That’s been the blueprint since guitarist Jimmy Bower (also of NOLA supergroup, Down) founded the band in 1988 with vocalist Mike IX Williams joining not long after. With a discography including sludge-punk mainstays like “In the Name of Suffering” (1990), “Take as Needed for Pain” (1993) “Dopesick” (1996) or 2014’s eponymously-titled LP, released in the US through Housecore Records, EHG laid the cracked foundation for their infamous and influential sound. “A History of Nomadic Behavior” finds the band, now slimmed to a four-piece rounded out by bassist Gary Mader and drummer Aaron Hill, leaner and meaner than ever; road-hardened by recent tours with Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity and Napalm Death in the US and abroad. From the bitter pill of opener “Built Beneath the Lies” to the hypnotic haze of closer “Every Thing, Every Day” it’s clear that that EYEHATEGOD hasn’t slowed or mellowed with time. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. This is disorienting, uneasy listening. Music that still very much hurts. I got to sit down with vocalist Mike IX Williams in Lost Lane before the band took the stage where we talked about the last night of the Turn Troubled Tables tour, how the band got their name and so much more! With great stories, chats and banter this is not one to be missed. Avalible on all streaming platforms. Check out Eyehategod here: https://www.instagram.com/eyehategodnola/ Track played: 'Circle Of Nerves', ©️ all rights reserved Eyehategod Edited by Richie Duhig of The Metal Cell Podcast. Like, subscribe and always support the scene. Horns up and stay safe 🤘🤘 The Smashing Skull Sessions: https://www.instagram.com/thesmashingskullsessions/