Job For A Cowboy. That name is one that fans of different genres all recognize. Most people know JFAC from their song, Entombment Of The Machine. So with that in mind, people realized that JFAC started off as a Deathcore band, and over the years have become a Technical Death Metal band. That is what makes this band extremely interesting, with their ever evolving ways. You almost never hear of a band who is constantly changing, and won’t stop to continue to change.
After their Doom EP, JFAC released their first album, Genesis. Genesis was the beginning of the change. Though they still had a little bit of a Deathcore sound, the band started developing a more Death Metal style. With songs such as Embedded, it was obvious that the band was setting out creating a different sound, but yet still sticking to the roots in which they come from. Genesis was received very well among the fans, and is always a classic from the band.
Up next was the highly acclaimed album, Ruination. This album was even heavier than Genesis, and provided the full effect of the change. JFAC no longer had any Deathcore lingering around, and were now much more technical. Fans who did not like the band at first were now being drawn to them, being shocked as this was still JFAC. The band did sound much different, but can still be identified as JFAC. Unfurling A Darkened Gospel is arguably one of the best tracks on this album. Giving a blend of high speed Death Metal and slow brutal sections, this song provided much diversity. Also, with tracks titled Constitutional Masturbation, it was becoming clear that this wasn’t your typical Death Metal band, for they used politics as the theme. In my interview with the band, I asked lead singer Johnny Davy about this and he replied ” We aren’t your typical band singing about Satanism or Gore. We use politics because we want to expose the true evils of the world.” Very well put.
Last but not least, we have the album Demonocracy. This album really exposed the political theme, as well as show their more technical side. This album makes JFAC sound very similar to Necrophagist. The guitar and drum work on this album are absolutely astounding, and the vocals are more brutal than ever. This can be debated about being heavier than Ruination. But fans have really enjoyed it, and some feel it is the best album they have released yet. It provides yet some more change to the bands style, but still has the JFAC formula.
The evolution of Job For A Cowboy is one that is highly interesting. With them constantly trying new things, each album and EP has their own unique style and sound. Fans who did not like Doom may end up liking Gloom, if they are more of a Technical Death Metal fan. JFAC has something to offer for everyone, and will continue their change. As Johnny said to me ” We changed from Deathcore to Technical Death Metal, simply because we didn’t want to stick with more than one style. Also, our influences have changed over the years, making how we write material much different. We may have a more technical style on Demonocracy, but who’s to say the next album won’t be different?” A band with this much potential should not be overlooked. The constant change is one that makes them very interesting to listen to, leaving you guessing what is next from them. I hope this has sparked some interest for you in this band. Why not pick up a copy of their albums and engulf yourself in the diversity provided by these amazing albums?