The evolution of bands is necessary for a multitude of reasons. I’ll rattle off a couple. One, you don’t want to keep churning out the same thing over and over. Your tastes change as you grow. The genre your band is in needs something more. And you want to further develop the sound of the band. All of these reasons can be found on the new Harms Way album, Common Suffering. Throughout their career, Harms Way have kept adding elements to their sound in a way that not only stands out in a good way but, also breathes new life into the genre. After one listen to Common Suffering, I knew that this wasn’t just any typical next album. This one is quite the record!

Right out of the gate you get a swift kick to the head with the very straight forward hardcore attack of “Silent Wolf.” From there the riffs really start to grab you as “Denial” takes the record to another level of heavy. “Hollow Cry” is one of the songs on the album that shows that evolution. There’s a Converge meets Helmet vibe to this song that I really dig. “Devour” is another hardcore banger with a head banging breakdown that will for sure put a crick in your neck. Next up is the very awesome and experimental track “Undertow” which features King Woman’s, Kris Esfandiari. This song has a really killer industrial tone to it. The vocals on this song are both haunting and pummeling. One of the things I really dig about this track is where it’s placed in the sequence of the album. The shift of the album happens here and it’s quite powerful. “Heaven’s Call” is the perfect follow up track to “Undertow” in the way it starts and then just cuts right to the heavy. “Cyanide” is another heavy banger that I have a feeling will be a crowd favorite when played live. “Terrorizer” is a song that brings in more of the industrial element while still being hardcore as all hell. “Sadist Guilt” has razor sharp riffs and an absolute gritty rhythm to it that could shatter glass. Closing out the album is the superb “Wanderer.” This track especially shows the band stepping further away from their comfort zone by adding some surprise elements that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from Harms Way but, in a way that is organic and on the track of their evolution.

Common Suffering is an album that you can tell a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into making it. Having listened to Harms Way for some time now, it’s quite refreshing to hear them take a few twists and turns on this album. With each album, Harm’s Way have pushed themselves to not just be labeled as a hardcore band or a death metal band. The industrial elements they add to their already hard and heavy sound adds a layer that gives them a bit more bite. While the album is still quite angry and full of rage, there’s a sense of catharsis when you listen that by the time you finish the album, a purge of emotions has taken place. Harms Way really have made an album that not only stands out amongst their peers but also shows that having variety in hardcore and extreme music is a good thing.

Overall Rating: 9/10

By: Brian Lacy

Harms Way- Common Suffering: