When you think of hardcore, you might think of New York, or California, maybe even Boston but hardcore has been around long enough that it has permeated every city and state across the nation. That includes Texas which has its own eclectic hardcore scene that stretches back to the 80s. Fort Worth’s From Harm may come from Texas but the sound on their debut EP, Arcane Pardon is straight out of the Northeast.
The album’s lead single “Cloaks & Daggers” features driving drums, chugging guitars, and a growling breakdown. The faster parts are reminiscent of Connecticut hardcore bands like With Honor or Hatebreed while the breakdown has a blackened feel more like New Hampshire’s RAMLORD. Vocalist, Jon Chapman, describes the lyrics as a “rally cry for ceasefire from hostility towards expressions of individuality.”
A similar rally cry is heard in “The Heathen League.” About celebrating a shared existence rather than focusing on differences, the song reverses the formula of “Cloaks & Daggers.” It begins with a slower, heavier part before drums drive it into more exuberant territory. The song ends with a repeated anthemic cry of “We are the ranks, we are the unwashed.”
The album closes with “We Have No Other Name.” The main meat happens in the first 1:40 but some haunting chants continue the song until guitar re-enters the fold for a slow, punishing breakdown and outro. It feels like a fitting end to Arcane Pardon, breaking away from a more traditional hardcore structure. It shows what From Harm is capable of and it is far from typical or mundane.
Rating: 6.3/10