Harm’s Way – Common Suffering (Review)

Harm’s Way have crossed the boundaries of hardcore countless times and let them run with other genres. Especially with the release of Posthuman, they set the bar up very high. Five years have passed since then. On September 29th, their fifth studio album Common Suffering will be released via Metal Blade.

“Silent Wolf” works perfectly as the opening track of the record. Almost seamlessly they tie directly to the dystopian sound of Posthuman and manifest it even more. Known features such as guitar down picking and a brute blast beats remain on Common Suffering.

Harm’s Way outdo themselves by combining catchy riffs in songs like “Hollow Cry” and “Devour” with a cold and isolated atmosphere. They already had some of those elements on their previous releases. Now, however, it seems that they have mastered all the mentioned points perfectly.

“Undertow” is by far the strongest song on the album. The dystopian mood fits perfectly to the melancholic voice of King Woman. A good example of Harm’s Way incorporating influences from other genres into their music.  Hopefully we can hear more of this collaboration in the future.  

Overall, Common Suffering seems like an evolution of Posthuman and Rust. Elements and influences that were used on the previous records feel even more improved and worked out on this one.  Whether it is the use of almost cleanish vocals or the industrial vibe. Everything feels even more thought out.

I definitely don’t go too far when I call Common Suffering a masterpiece. Harm’s Way are more than just five guys playing tough guy music. This album could be their magnum opus. Is it to early to call this the best hardcore album of 2023? I don’t think so!