NRWHL: “Glory Be” EP Review
NRWHL emerges from the Arizona desert to bring you a nostalgia trip back to 2000s post-hardcore. This four-piece worship metal band puts their passion, beliefs and convictions into every ounce of their music. I had never heard of these guys until I came across them on social media recently and gave them a listen. There’s been a resurgence of nostalgic-sounding screamo, crabcore, and chaotic metal bands this year and you can add NRWHL’s latest EP, Glory Be to that list!
Glory Be EP Review
Tracks: 8
Length: 22:03
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Label: The Charon Collective
One of the first unique features of the Glory Be EP you notice are the song titles. For instance, the first and last tracks are titled with quotation marks. Using one-word titles for the rest of the tracks is a creative touch that ties the EP's concept together nicely. The first track “ “ “ opens with an old-timey hymn, featuring a young lady singing the old Lutheran hymn “Glory Be To Jesus.” While we have acapella with some slight piano, it starts to transition to the explosive sound towards the end of the 37-second opener.
They transition right into “Give” and the drums explode right out of the gate. Orion didn’t hold back on the guitar either as he adds some incredible shredding material at the beginning. The bassline chugs right along, and as you listen, you can easily picture fingers going wild across the guitar fretboards and plucking out those lines on the bass. Steven’s vocals are going full throttle. The vocals sound chaotic (similar to that of Pipe Bomb), but the music seems to dial it back to create this incredible chemistry between chaotic vocals and methodical music.
“God of God. We give you praise. We give our glory. We give our praise. We speak in tongues to your Holy Name.”
As we look at these lyrics, the band pours their heart and soul into the phrasing. They remind the listeners that God is worthy of all praise and that praise doesn’t have to be limited to certain genres. I love that the whole EP is centered as a worship EP.
While “Give” is a powder keg of mayhem, “Praise” isn’t quite as explosive, but still fairly brutal. Vocals are still going full speed and the guitars are still chugging along. This song seems to be more methodical with the guitars and drums. The band is putting their everything into every aspect of this song. The incredible breakdown, the chugging bassline, the dynamic drums and shredding guitars is guaranteed to put a smile on every metalhead’s face.
“Existing to exist is no way to live. I’m confused by you. The way you stumble around. Wasting this ultimate gift. Please, choose to praise. We choose to praise…These people do nothing but lie. This building did nothing but hurt me. Your praises are empty. Don’t blame Him because of them. He died so we could live.”
As much as the music is heavy, the lyrics certainly don’t hold back any punches. The song highlights how the main character views people who take the gift of grace for granted, then scoffs at those who blame their lack of faith on church hurt or hypocritical people. There is some truth to church hurt. Everybody has experienced it at some point, but we have to remember that we are a fallen creation. The church is made up of people who are broken and that we are still called to join together in worship.
The band continues to go full throttle into “And.” The guitars at the beginning sound like the opening to a Norma Jean song from the Redeemer and O God The Aftermath era. The methodical rhythm sounds like it will send the 2-steppers in the pit into a frenzy. The stop and go with the cymbals and guitar strum was a nice touch to allow the listener to catch their breath before diving straight into the breakdown. They end the track with a spoken word piece, but it was so buried in the mix that it became too muddy to actually understand.
The quiet spoken word transitions into “All.” This song continues the concept of spelling out the theme of the EP, one word at a time. This song features friend Justin “Dipper” Satterfield, lead singer of Killed By A Yeti, on guest vocals. The drums are pounding down, along with the shredding guitars throughout the song. It certainly sounds like the drums are taking the spotlight musically on this song. The entire kit is absolutely utilized in a way to showcase everything Spencer brings behind it. Justin’s deep guttural scream accompanies Steven’s shrill screams in a way that the two styles compliment each other and build on each other.
I like the “Phara, Phara, Pharisee” chant in the chorus. “Let them think. Let them believe for themselves. Stop confusing their minds their thoughts.” I pulled out this line, because it can be addressed in every aspect of life, both in the biblical times and now. In this concept, this is aimed at the Pharisees who would tell the crowds what to think, what to feel, what to believe. We’ve got politicians, members of the media, social influences doing the same thing. This is a call for independent thinking.
“Glory” is an interesting song. It has an incredible, thunderous drum intro and Steven is giving his everything to push the vocals to the fullest. You blink and the song is over. The song is only 37 seconds long, so I'm really curious why they went with such a short song.
As I said, you blink and “Glory” is over and you go right into “Be.” However, this intro takes a very different approach with a slow start, featuring subtle guitar strums paired with a distinct drum rattle that echoes the song’s serious tone. The clean vocals sound slightly flat, but perhaps that was on purpose to play into the dissonance of the track. We also hear the gang vocals that echo the same ambience that the clean vocals are giving. But it also sounds like it could be Steven’s voice layered to give that echo chamber effect. This song is a song of two halves as the first half is this soft-spoken call to worship and the second half has this epic, brutal breakdown. The track has a very mewithoutyou feel to it. I like the call out to worship to bring the focus and glory to God over everything else.
“We were made to worship and praise you. Before the first word was spoken. Before the first star was burning. You were always there beside us. You were always the light inside us.”
This is during the clean half of the song. I love that the band doesn’t hold back from their beliefs and convictions, allowing that to permeate their music. They continue to drive that call to worship, not held back by any genre or audience. “Please build this house on solid ground.” This line offers a remarkably creative perspective, framing an earnest plea for God to inhabit and work through us as His temple. The lyrics are very impactful and can be a source of inspiration when you have those moments of despair and loneliness.
The EP bookends with the old time sound of “Glory Be to Jesus” on the last track “ ”.“ It is hauntingly beautiful with how the vocals and piano play over an apocalyptic-sounding effect. It is a great way to end the EP, with a solemn, reflective reminder to praise God no matter what circumstance you find yourself in.
I’ve never heard of NRWHL until recently, but they share the same label group with Drown the Planet and Collective Dust. This EP did not disappoint! I loved the worshipful nature found in the lyrics and the constant call to praise God despite the circumstances. While people and systems will fail us, God never will. While there’s still room to grow, this is a great EP overall coming out of the Arizona desert. They’re currently touring the Southwest, so if you catch them coming through, jump on the opportunity to experience some worship metal live
