WAGE WAR | Pressure | Album Review

Wage War's appeal has been steadily increasing since their debut release "Blueprints" in 2015 on Fearless Records. In the beginning, the band echoed much of the standard metalcore style that the bands they were influenced by played. After a few years on the road touring and making music, the band is attempting to make their own stamp on the genre with their third overall project titled "Pressure". Wage War is a metalcore/alternative metal band that isn't much different from other bands in their subgenre, especially in recent times, but they're also one of the bands in the genre that excel at writing a good hook and wrapping that element around some solid guitar breakdowns and heavy instrumentation. Whereas most modern metalcore bands tend to blend into each other, there is a difference in Wage War's execution, primarily the usage of harsh vocals that lead into clean vocals. At least with the new music from this band, there are elements of metalcore and alternative metal put in a blender with their personal touch added. Speaking about the new music in interviews before the release, several alluring comments were made stating things like "We pushed every boundary we could think of to make this record" and "We've spent countless hours, days, and months over the first half of this year perfecting every detail of this album, and it's been so hard to keep under wraps". When a band is known for making one style of music and decides to challenge themselves to make something different from what people know, it can be a make-or-break situation that can fail if not done in a fresh or interesting way.

Several singles from "Pressure" were released before the 12-track album dropped in full. The earliest single of these, "Low", was unveiled back in January of this year meanwhile after the album's announcement, three other singles were dropped: "Who I Am", "Prison", and "Me Against Myself". "Who I Am" and "Prison" kick this album off with what fans expect out of the band. Both of these songs feature prominent metalcore/hardcore riff patterns which lead into choruses that have a real hook to them. These tracks set up what fans will mostly be delivered throughout the entirety of the album, and while this isn't the standard for the entire record the hooks are clearly there and it shows that the band has a knack for pulling this aspect of their sound well. "Who I Am" contains an excellent chorus that isn't only proof that the band are good at writing hooks but also is well-written. It's much more simple and straight-forward but it's executed well and lines like "Don't forget I'm human, I've got the open wounds to prove it" really stick out. The first actual song to be released, "Low", is a similar experience but is a little bit heavier in its instrumental. The screamed vocals from Briton Bond blend well with the music without overstepping any boundaries and the chorus of "Low" is insanely catchy as sung from clean vocalist Cody Quistad. This is familiar lyrical territory about depression but it's well executed which is what you want out of a song of its style. Not the most groundbreaking stuff but it's still good to hear. Everything is there in an album that was referred to as a meticulous and time consuming recording session for the band.

Fans who have been listening to Wage War since their debut album and even in the era where they were going by the name Empires will notice an instant difference from previous material. Whereas their previous music had much more metalcore influence to it, "Pressure" is mostly a singles affair of sorts. Most of the tracks on this album feel like they were written for radio airplay and to get attention by a wider audience. That has gone over badly before, but with the focus on hooks and melody that Wage War has wagered to music fans on this album, most of what made it to the final album lands. That's the real meat of this album, too. The hooks across this 41 minute album are in top form here, especially in moments where they slow the pace down. "Me Against Myself" is proof of my claims of the hook-centered writing being a selling point. This is one of the moments on this album rooted much more in clean singing and a good rhythm and it works as the standout track on the entire album. Elsewhere on "Pressure", you get a healthy mix between radio-ready rock and metalcore, evident in tracks such as "Forget My Name", "Take The Fight", and "The Line" and it meshes well on the album without catering to a lower denominator. Even on moments like "Grave" which features sections that could be placed on an alternative rock song along with that repeated "You will never change" in the chorus, they still hook you in big time with what is being heard on the album. Along with some good writing which is standard but effective, Wage War's efforts seem to have paid off. 

The more melodic parts of the album are really the selling point on "Pressure". There are two heavier songs, those being the tracks "Ghost" and "Fury", but they don't register quite as well as the rest of the album. Aside from them having less appeal, they are not exactly as well written and penned either. In addition to those two songs not being the standouts, I would like to see Wage War's progression after this album. The album as a whole is great, and it's worth listening to, but they seem to be on a similar trajectory that bands such as Of Mice And Men went through. Bands that began writing metalcore that followed the status quo of what was trendy at the time, and after the realization hit that playing that style forever wasn't sustainable or long-term, they tried to appeal to more people and in turn evolve more as a band. This kind of evolution is what is beginning to take place with Wage War. It's the future material that will be the indicator of how Wage War evolves. They're either going to try to delve further into radio-ready material like what's found on this album or they're going to bring in other elements and try to make it work. But, as for right now, we have great albums like this to sink our teeth into. Overall, Wage War succeed at turning the page in their sound with "Pressure". Fans of the previous projects from this band will find a lot to love here, and there isn't much pressure in stating that. Just great music with variety and well-catered radio hooks that make an impact each time. 

RATING: 7/10 

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