Hardcore forerunners Harm’s Way have released their frenetic new single “Devour” which examines the impact of toxic relationships. The band tell, “‘Devour’ is an expression of self-reflection following the realization that everything that was once there to give has been spent. Led down a path of deception and manipulation, one’s sense of self has been lost along the way. ‘Devour’ is the process of waking up to your isolation, with actions and purpose that are somehow no longer your own. It’s a crossroads that can lead you either the rest of the way down, or back to where whatever’s lost may be found again.”
For nearly two decades, Harm’s Way has evolved from whispered underground favorites to favorite sons with an arsenal of songs that helped shape heavy music’s trajectory – creating a roadmap for legions interested in “reinventing” themselves. Harm’s Way has never stayed complacent and constantly morphed shape– absorbing and reapplying influences in new and creative ways to create some of the most well-executed songs in hardcore punk and metal.
And yet, considering the changeling that they and their previous efforts are, Common Suffering is easily the most musically diverse undertaking in their catalog. The album beams with incredibly memorable riffs, breakdowns, and impeccable songwriting. The title is a clear nod to the collective experiences of the past three years of chaos, misanthropy, paranoia, disorder, confusion and anxiety, with the band exploring themes ranging from personal struggles with mental health, relationships, political upheaval, corruption, and political power.
Despite Harm’s Way’s reputation for unrelenting brutality, Common Suffering surprises at several turns with quieter moments of well thought out songwriting that emphasize light and shade. It’s their understanding of how to effectively orchestrate these dynamics that makes an already ironclad record feel infinitely more merciless. This is Harm’s Way at the top of their game – the ambitious sound of a band traversing new ideas.
The key to the success may be a shift to recording at Studio 4 in Pennsylvania with producer Will Yip (Turnstile, Code Orange). Going into the recording, the goal was to improve some of the band’s processes, examine vocal cadences and experiment during production to gain the best idea from each track. The first change dealt with refocusing members on their specific wheelhouses. While Pligge had previously assisted with riffs, on this effort, his main objective was to ensure the perfect vocal attack– leaning into Yip for advice and letting the remainder of the band take the wheel with their respective parts. The result is each player pushing to the far reaches and creating material that has previously never been colonized by any band, or hardcore writ large, before.
Common Suffering sees its release September 29 across all digital streaming platforms, vinyl and CD formats via Metal Blade Records. Pre-save your copy HERE
