HARMED | From Day One – Debut EP | Review (2018)
So we are finally in 2018, and what better way than to start with a review from a new face with Famined Records? If you haven’t heard this band this before, it would make sense because what we are reviewing today is their debut EP From Day One which released on December 15th of 2017. Now, with metal within this realm, it’s very difficult to be original. In this case, the band known as HARMED plays well within that fact, to a degree. Obviously, it’s exceedingly difficult to be a band that is 100% unique with influence that rarely shows with the music, but I would say that HARMED did a fairly good job, for being a band that is just starting out.
Moving into the review, this is going to be more of an overview than a track by track since the EP is roughly 14 minutes and 30 seconds. Let’s jump right in. The atmosphere is pleasing to say the least, it definitely sets up a tone that screams dark tones and themes, which is nice to have in this genre. The screaming vocals done within this EP have it’s moments of being hard hitting to not so much, but of course, as vocalists, there is always room to grow, no matter how long you have been doing them. The yelling/singing vocals is a nice touch that adds a bit of spice to the mix. Those vocals in particular really beef up the instrumentals and the emotions that they are meant to convey. The instrumentals, speaking of which, have few variations, but powerful momentum that carry them through From Day One. From face punching chugs to hard hitting drum patterns that make you want to start going insane (in a good way?), the EP is pretty well formulated. I would love to see how this all translates live, as I am a fan of bands that can perform live and recorded well.
Overall, if I had to score From Day One by HARMED, I would have to give it a solid 7/10. There is room for growth that I feel the band has yet to have found just yet, but there is nothing wrong with that whatsoever. A lot of bands go through growth, I just can’t see that growth going downhill for HARMED. There can only be good things from here on out.
If you want to check out the EP yourselves, I’ll go ahead and leave the video below the article. You can also find HARMED on Facebook, through Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon. Here is to a fantastic band, and amazing start to a new year.