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.
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. “We really tried not to settle on parts,” recalls guitarist Nick Gauthier. “Sometimes a direction that we could have taken in a song felt too obvious… We would just troubleshoot that until we felt creatively satisfied with the direction we were taking.”
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.
The title Common Suffering 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. Pligge digs deep into these subjects such as the track “Cyanide,” which examines the expansion of media outlets, the correlative rise of disinformation, and the pervasive impact it has on people’s lives and systems of power. Additional tracks include “Devour,” which examines the impact of toxic people in one’s life, the highly personal “Hollow Cry,” where Pligge explores his own humanity and relationships, and the somewhat improbable “Undertow,” which features the haunting vocals or Kristina Esfandiari--AKA King Woman--who adds a whole new dimension to the record and helps exhibit the band’s willingness to push into uncharted territory.
Common Suffering sees its release September 29 across all digital streaming platforms, vinyl and CD formats via Metal Blade Records.
Variants include: Digipak CD, Grey / Black Marbled Vinyl (US Exclusive), Clear Smoke Vinyl (US Exclusive), Fog Marbled Vinyl (US Exclusive), White / Black Marbled Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 500 copies), Silver Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 500 copies), Crystal Clear w/ Black Dust Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 300 copies), "Black Hole" w/ Red & White Splatter Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 300 copies).
Preorder at metalblade.com.
Tracklisting:
“Silent Wolf”
“Denial”
“Hollow Cry”
“Devour”
“Undertow”
“Heaven’s Call”
“Cyanide”
“Terrorizer”
“Sadist Guilt”
“Wanderer”
"Devour" video:
“Silent Wolf” video:
Harm's Way have also announced a month long North American tour which kicks off October 18 in the Midwest and routes them through Texas, both coasts and more. Fleshwater, Ingrown and Jivebomb are set as support. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 18 at 10 AM local time.
Dates:
September
22 – Mississauga, ON – Hold Your Ground Fest
October
18 – Milwaukee, WI – X-Ray Arcade
19 – St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill
20 - Louisville, KY - Portal
21 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups
22 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
24 - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground
25 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
27 - Brooklyn, NY - Monarch
28 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
29 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
30 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
31 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
November
1 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
3 – Dallas, TX – Studio at The Factory
4 – Austin, TX – Mohawk
5 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Studio
7 – Phoenix, AZ – The Nile
8 – Las Vegas, NV – Eagle Aerie Hall
9 – Los Angeles, CA – 1720
10 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
11 – Berkeley, CA – 924 Gilman Street
12 – Sacramento, CA – Goldfield Trading Post
14 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
15 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
16 – Kansas City, MO – RecordBar
(Photo – Vanessa Valadez)
