Album Review :
(Un)worthy - From the Belly of the Beast

Quickly rising as one of the most important deathcore bands in the Christian scene, southern California’s (Un)worthy returns with a new 4-song EP, their 7th EP since 2019 (not counting 3 singles), but only their 3rd release on CD.

A couple of things stand out quickly about this offering. Firstly, it’s a concept EP focusing on the story of Jonah, with each of the four songs representing different aspects of Jonah’s journey. Secondly, while other releases from the band have been just from two members (Dennis Woods and Jordan Jiminez), the band has expanded to a full 5-piece outfit this time. Joining the duo this time are Anthony Garate, Zach Lillemoen, and Elias Clark. Thirdly, while their past two releases have been issued through Rottweiler Records, the band went on their own this time, releasing Beast independently.

While previous efforts from the band certainly weren’t lacking, you can hear the presence of the other members filling out the overall sound. From the Belly of the Beast is planted firmly in deathcore soil, and all the hallmarks are there: plentiful breakdowns, moderate use of blastbeats, occasional melodic leads, vocals that vacillate between death metal growls, a higher-pitched snarls, and hardcore shouts, and all of this is very often overlain with a melodic ambience that reminds me somewhat of film music and the way eerie sounds are used to create moods and atmospheres.

Track 1 is “A Suicide Mission,” which denotes how Jonah must have felt being called to share a message of repentance to the Assyrian nation, sworn enemies and known persecutors of Israel. The ominous riffs and throaty growls add to the overall message:

They have tortured and killed all of our people
Our prayers didn’t receive a second glance
But yet You offer them mercy and Your salvation
What makes them deserving of a second chance

The song makes effective use of tempo changes—slow and heavy to illustrate the weight of Jonah’s feelings, and yet the plodding riff signifies Jonah’s call to move forward even when he doesn’t want to.

The storyline progresses with track 2, “You Can Run, But You’ll Never Hide.” Jonah is on the run, having forgotten that the Lord knows all and sees all. This song is faster, which is topically appropriate. Jonah is on the run, but the Lord is on the chase.

Did you forget that I Am the Omniscient God?
That there is nothing that I do not know?
As you board your boat to sail away
You can’t escape My all-seeing eye

For those following along with our Bible study, Jonah is now thrown over the deck of the boat and finds himself inside “The Belly of the Beast,” and annoyingly—yet by God’s grace—Jonah cannot escape His presence, even there:

There is no where You cannot hear me
As I cry from the bowels of this hell
I pray for Your mercy and forgiveness
From inside of the belly of the whale

This is the strongest track so far and has the most intricate riffs and drum fills. Dennis Woods’ vocals are on point here too, utilizing no less than 4 different vocal styles.

The final track is “Judgment Denied,” the song title giving us a preview of the story’s outcome. The song is most melodic of the four, having a repeating motif running throughout various points of the song. Don’t worry, they haven’t gone soft on us, as we also have more blastbeats here than in other tracks, but that melodic guitar riff keeps coming back, weaving itself in and out of the storyline, much like we see God’s grace weaving in and out of the storyline of the book of Jonah—not only to the Ninevites but towards Jonah himself, the reluctant evangelist:

Woe unto you, Jonah, I’ve made my point very clear
As you grovel in the dirt wishing to die
Shouldn’t I spare the children of Nineveh
So young and innocent they don’t even know their left from their right

Those of you who are fans of (Un)worthy already, From the Belly of the Beast won’t disappoint. If you’re a fan of deathcore (or extreme metal in general) and you haven’t checked the band out yet, this is a great place to start. And lastly, for the scores of people who complain that Christian metal lacks biblical literacy or theological responsibility, I submit to you exhibit A: From the Belly of the Beast.

To learn more about the band or how to order, stream, or download, go the band’s website: https://unworthyband.com/