Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Harm's Way - Common Suffering (2023)

I seem to have a small curse of not encountering a band until shortly after a longtime member has passed away. I've already discovered In Vain last year shortly after the tragic passing of their longtime keyboardist/clean vocalist Sindre Nedland. This is my first time checking out a Harm's Way album, following a recommendation from Vinny when he submitted a track from this album for a Revolution playlist, just a month after their longtime guitarist Bo Lueders left the world. RIP

I'm quite thankful for this recommendation because what an album this is! Common Suffering shows many different modern elements in their metalcore sound, taking it through diverse horizons beyond their earlier albums that are apparently more hardcore. They've given an older sound new and fresh life!

Striking hard right away is "Silent Wolf", already getting their straight-up metallic hardcore kicks. The riffing doesn't light up with "Denial" cranking things up in the undeniable heaviness. "Hollow Cry" is a more evolved song that I love. It takes on the sludge-ish sound of later Converge with an alt-ish edge. "Devour" has one of the most hardcore breakdowns in recent times. I may need some neck pain medicine after all that vicious headbanging.

Then there's the experimentation of "Undertow", an amazing highlight featuring Kristina Esfandiari (King Woman). It has a more haunting industrial sound, and I don't know whether it would be for The Revolution or The Sphere. If you see this track in a later playlist for one of those clans, you know which one I pick. It's so different and powerful, and you can forgive the band for placing that track here. Well done! "Heaven's Call" is another perfect track. Just pure heaviness that I'm glad was submitted to a Revolution playlist. "Cyanide" maintains the heaviness as another favorite track of mine.

"Terrorizer" can very well define industrial hardcore, if "hardcore" wasn't used in the more electronic sense. "Sadist Guilt" has strong riffing rhythm that can cut like a blade through glass. Then finally we have "Wanderer". The diversity of elements is much more apparent in this spectacular track than the rest. It sounds so organic and makes me look forward to what they will do next in their direction, if they choose to continue in memory of their fallen guitarist.

Common Suffering is aptly titled for the band's hard work of making the album and coincidentally for the grief of losing one of their members that were with them for a long time. You can tell in the former from how much heart and soul the band has put in their sound. And there are twists into different genres while staying firmly in metalcore. They can sometimes sound more hardcore or deathly or industrial. The heavy rage can really bite down, draw blood, and leave scars, showing the emotion that has stemmed from their work. Harm's Way can really add variety to the more extreme side of metalcore/hardcore. No harm no foul about that, right? Just chaotic rage at its height!

Favorites: "Hollow Cry", "Undertow", "Heaven's Call", "Cyanide", "Wanderer"