Wage War breathe life into metalcore on their sophomore album, Deadweight.
The strengths of this band are no secret; when Wage War aim to be heavy, they are ruthlessly so, giving an unapologetic, down-tuned take on the ferociousness that put Linkin Park on the map. This is evident on both "Disdain" and "Stitch," the album's first single. When guitarist/clean vocalist Cody Quinsted showcases the band's melodic elements ("Gravity"), it transcends the formulaic issues that often plague their peers.
While there are moments where the band stumble ("Southbound"), Wage War are consistently able to blend the soft and the hard. With Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember) handling co-production, "My Grave Is Mine to Dig" finds the band at their best, giving McKinnon and his band's most memorable outputs some serious competition.
Fans of metalcore will know that Wage War aren't doing anything particularly new on Deadweight, but their efforts to blend heavy music's subgenres sets them a cut above their contemporaries.
(Fearless)The strengths of this band are no secret; when Wage War aim to be heavy, they are ruthlessly so, giving an unapologetic, down-tuned take on the ferociousness that put Linkin Park on the map. This is evident on both "Disdain" and "Stitch," the album's first single. When guitarist/clean vocalist Cody Quinsted showcases the band's melodic elements ("Gravity"), it transcends the formulaic issues that often plague their peers.
While there are moments where the band stumble ("Southbound"), Wage War are consistently able to blend the soft and the hard. With Jeremy McKinnon (A Day to Remember) handling co-production, "My Grave Is Mine to Dig" finds the band at their best, giving McKinnon and his band's most memorable outputs some serious competition.
Fans of metalcore will know that Wage War aren't doing anything particularly new on Deadweight, but their efforts to blend heavy music's subgenres sets them a cut above their contemporaries.