''Common Suffering'' is the fifth studio album by American hardcore band Harm's Way. It was released on September 29, 2023, through

Metal Blade Metal Blade Records (often shortened to Metal Blade) is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982 based in the U.S. state of California. The label primarily focuses on heavy metal. History Metal Blade Records was ...

, as their first studio release in nearly five years.

Background and singles

The record was produced by

Will Yip William Yip ( Chinese: 葉浩仁; born February 18, 1987) is an American record producer, audio engineer, songwriter and musician. Yip is an owner of Studio 4 Recording in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Yip is also the owner of Memory Music, an indep ...

at Studio 4 in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and features a guest appearance by

King Woman Kristina Esfandiari (born 4 March 1988) is an American singer-songwriter and music producer. She writes music and performs under the monikers Dalmatian, Miserable, and NGHTCRWLR, and with the bands King Woman and Sugar High. Early life Kristina E ...

. Thematically, the album explores personal struggles with mental health, relationships, politics, and corruption. Both "unrelenting brutality and quieter, reflective moments" act as mouthpieces for their topics. According to the band, the album title is a nod to the previous three years of "chaos, misanthropy, paranoia, disorder, confusion and anxiety". Guitarist Nick Gauthier revealed that the band did not want to "settle on parts" and double down on "too obvious" directions but instead worked on it until they became "creatively satisfied". On July 18, 2023, the band announced the album and released the opening track "Silent Wolf", which talks about a growing distrust in "governing bodies and systems of power in our current cultural climate". On August 16, the band released the second single "Devour", a "pummeling whirlwind of blistering" about a toxic relationship and its aftermath. An accompanying tour through North America was announced the same day, starting on October 18. A third and final single "Undertow" featuring King Woman was released on September 7. The song looks at the "cycle of life and death" and the acceptance of the latter, as it brings people closer to "humility".

Critical reception

Jeanette Grönecke of ''

Metal.de Metal.de is a German-language online magazine launched in 1996. The magazine focuses on the subgenres of heavy metal and hard rock, but also reports on similar styles. ''Metal.de'' foundation in 1996 makes it one of the longest-running heavy me ...

'' thought the band had not intended to deliver a "concept album" or changed up their ways all that much but still got the message across through their "brute" signature style.

Track listing

References

{{reflist 2023 albums Albums produced by Will Yip Harm's Way (band) albums Metal Blade Records albums