by Jesse Hudgins
Melodic hardcore has been on a roll for the past couple years, with plenty of great bands like One Step Closer, Anxious, and Koyo releasing moving music that tackles a range of emotions. For those who are looking for more of that style, look no further than Indonesia’s own Worthless.
Worthless has been releasing music since 2020, with their most recent release being the single “Disregard” in 2023. Since then, the group has been added to the Independent Record label 40124 Records who produced their new EP From Pain to Mourning.
The EP starts with the instrumental track “Wilt,” which brings you into what to expect instrumentally on this release. The soundscape the band creates is nothing short of melancholic and fitting of the emotions the band strives to tackle throughout the rest of the EP. It’s an impressive and strong way for the group to reintroduce themselves to their previous listeners and introduce themselves to new ones. The next track, “Ache Carry in Me,” jumps headfirst into themes of grief with lines like, “I’m feeling hopeless again; since the day my mother died; and I really hated that day.” The vocals on this track, and the rest of the EP, are strong and full of the perfect emotion to convey heartbreak and anger, all emotions that one would go through in grief.
The song structure on the standout track “Haunted by Your Lies” is superb. The peaks and valleys throughout the chorus and verses are well articulated and add extra power to the vocals and the lyrics. It especially adds power with this song as it offers up hope through the grieving process: “Oh, the mourning’s overwhelming; but I’ll find my; I’ll find a brighter day.” These words that anyone who’s gone through any form of grief has said to themself to help get through the rough process. The layering of the instrumentals is blended so well in the mixing. Multiple layers of guitars with strong chords and gorgeous riffs, bass that brings the extra oomph to the song, and the drums fit the song and the structuring like a glove.
“Disregard” and “Ache Carry in Me” were released as singles previously in 2023 and 2022. “Disregard” was my introduction to the band when my girlfriend and I were both shouting out songs for her Siri to play, and it played us “Disregard.” We were hooked immediately by the energetic instrumentals that reminded us of bands we already love listening to. Then, the vocals kicked in, and we couldn’t stop listening and being glad that this was randomly played for us. Looking deeper into the lyrics, the band lays out a heartbreak song that’s reminiscent of other groups in the best way possible.
“Eternal Sleep” is the track that closes out the EP in a way that feels right. It brings the sense of conclusion and closure that some releases just don’t bring. It feels like a culmination of the EP’s themes both musically and lyrically. Lyrically, with lines like, “Yet here on earth, we grieve and weep; For the friend so dear, in eternal sleep.” It is a slower, more melodic song than some of the others on the EP. The band takes the hurt that they have felt and turns it into a beautiful, poetic journey that is there for anyone else who is feeling the same emotions.
Hopefully, this EP is just the start of something great for Worthless. I can’t wait to see what the band puts forth next!
