Review: “This Present Darkness” by (Un)worthy

Riverside California is where Deathcore duo (Un)Worthy were born and raised, the playground of our nightmares being where they like to spend most of their days. Screaming at the sky they they shift tectonic plates, summoning demons from the abyss of darkness below in the process, rising to prominence with 2021 debut album “In The Face Of Death“. A trail of scorch marks were left in its wake, singles that lead to the vocalist Dennis Woods and multi-instrumentalist Jordan Jimenez inking a deal with Rottweiler Records for 2023’s monstrous EP “Where Light Divides“, one of the fastest selling releases in label’s illustrious history. Now the warriors return, joined by guest vocalists Conner Luttig of Voluntary Mortification and Joe Holt of Holy Name to spill blood in the mud of the trenches alongside them…

Rising from the swirling darkness the repeated cry of “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani – my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” sends a chill down the spine before the destruction truly begins. Wave after wave of crushing guitars slam into the fragile human form, the haunting leads blurring the lines between Deathcore and Death Metal as the lyrics bleed agony and despair. Creating a sense of unease “Forsaken By God” then finds Conner Luttig of Voluntary Mortification making his presence felt with throat splitting prowess and despite the brutal breakdowns there is still a melancholia to it. The title track “This Present Darkness” then rears its ugly head with a more traditional Deathcore feel, a couple of blood gargling vocal moments perhaps subliminally suggesting that Woods has a taste for Slam. Another prayer in the face of violent anguish, lyrically it will resonate with anyone who has suffered from anxiety or depression while still making you want to grab a friend and throw them in the pit. Vicious and intense, the tempo shifts for the powerhouse that is “Satan Whispers“, a track which has something akin to those keg drum solo of “Blister Exists” by Slipknot during an expended instrumental. Jagged leads add spice before the soul crushing spoken word of “Psalm of Lament“. An atmospheric piece with a mournful quality, it builds over 50 seconds of battery acid nausea before getting heavier for a 44 second step up that you don’t want to end. It’s one of those that while it doesn’t sound unfinished, it could easily go on another verse, chorus and breakdown without any trouble.

After the atmospheric piece, the second half of the record begins with “This Too Shall Pass“, a cut that finds Woods joined at the microphone by Joe Holt of Holy Name. Heavier, it maintains the intensity with bone shattering breakdowns and tight rhythms, the brutal drum sound reaching artillery shelling levels at points. It’s a cliché but there is no doubt that as a record “This Present Darkness” is a lethal dose of what (Un)worthy have been all about since their inception, the culmination of their prior works, refined and redefined in the forge of their rehearsal space. At times Woods sounds almost unhinged in his prayers, his thoughts spilling out from is mind like he’s about to put on a straight jacket and be forced in to an asylum. A blunt force trauma that hits like a grand piano falling on your skull from a great height, “This Spirit Speaks” finds Woods once more reaching into the void and threatening to touch Slam vocal territory. Bouncy guitars in the mid section give this one headbang-ability and when Woods unleashes his inner Slam beast as the cut enters its final third, it feels like a cathartic release of negative energy. Ploughing a furrow through the cranium “The Journey Home” finds Jimenez having fun with staccato riff break infestations and Progressive Death Metal leaning almost ethnic inspired soloing on a beast of a track. If Rings Of Saturn threw this one out as one of their own then it would be the talk of the town, something which is a testament to just how good it is. From bass drops to blast beats, breakdowns to leads and caustic vocals, all killer, no filler might be a cliché these days but here it’s true [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Forsaken By God (ft. Conner Luttig of Voluntary Mortification)
2. This Present Darkness
3. Satan Whispers
4. Psalm of Lament
5. This Too Shall Pass (ft. Joe Holt of Holy Name)
6. This Spirit Speaks
7. The Journey Home

“This Present Darkness” by (Un)worthy is out 17th May 2024 via Rottweiler Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.