Harms Way – ‘Rust’

It would be no understatement to say that Deathwish Inc. is far and away the premier label when it comes to releasing the highest calibre of aggressive music today. Every band the label works with are trying to push the boundaries of this often restricted genre, and Chicago titans Harms Way are no exception.

For years now the band have become a veritable force to be reckoned with in the scene, largely due to their 2011 album ‘Isolation’ which shook hardcore to its foundations. The band became even more crushing on their 2013 EP ‘Blinded’, which received universal acclaim. So it begs the question of how could Harms Way become even more devastating? The answer is simple: Make a record like ‘Rust’.

The recording techniques of Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos) have captured the intensity that Harms Way possess, and with the one and only Kurt Ballou (Converge, Code Orange) applying his unique mixing skills to ‘Rust’, the band have been brought to life in a more ferocious manner than ever before. Piling layers of guitars on top of one another to create a dense atmosphere that is suffocating in its delivery, which combined with the raw aggression of vocalist James Piggue makes ‘Rust’ an unforgiving beast.

The airtight riffs over half-time drum rhythms of ‘Infection’ set the tone for the meticulously thought out arrangement of ‘Rust’. The album steps up a notch on ‘Law Of The Land’ and ‘Cremation’, which are heavy on a bottom end guitar sound, but are far more than just nonsensical breakdowns for the sake of it, and hit you from all angles.

You would be forgiven if you thought that there are moments on this album that sound like Slipknot, as the similarities are there. But delve deeper into the composition and the style of playing and you’ll find it has more in common with veteran bands Vision Of Disorder and Earth Crisis. This is clear on the monolithic ‘Amongst The Rust’, and an appearance from Twitching Tongues frontman Colin Young adds an extra layer of darkness with his eerie, and evocative vocal.

While the heart of Harms Way beats as a hardcore band, their musical compass tracks towards a distinctly metal hue. Not fast, face melting solos, but more a traditional 90s heavy metal sound. ‘Left To Disintegrate’ and ‘Docile Bodies’ call to mind Sepultura when they were at their apex with ‘Chaos A.D’, particularly on the downright evil break in the latter. Its gargantuan impact could shift tectonic plates.

As the album begins to unfold further, another layer is peeled back, to reveal a different side to Harms Way’s arsenal. On ‘Turned To Stone’, after undeniably the heaviest moment on the album, it decays into a haunting passage sung by Emily Jancetic (Holy Roman Empire/Arctic Sleep) that adds a brooding eloquence to ‘Rust’. The closing track ‘Ease My Mind’ provides one final aural assault, and sees Harms Way at their most feral, as the torment in Piggue’s sentiment “I’d rather die than ease my mind” sonically cuts through the cacophony like the sharpest of daggers.

While there are a slew of heavy hardcore bands out there who have a great deal of flair and talent, it is Harms Way who stand out the most in today’s scene. With ‘Rust’ they have created an unrelenting record that is their most engaging to date, and have raised the bar for contemporary aggressive music.

GLEN BUSHELL